Adolescents health care brokers interpret for family and community members lacking English language proficiency in health care settings. The purpose of this study was to explore personal experiences of Burmese and Bhutanese teenagers who served as health care brokers in resettled refugee families in Northeast Ohio.
Method:
A mixed methods design using photovoice guided this study. Participants completed the Adolescent Language Brokering Survey, took photos, wrote in journals, and attended focus groups.
Results:
Eight Burmese and Bhutanese teenagers participated. Three themes became apparent: health care brokering within sociocultural contexts, mediation during health care encounters, and representations of childhood.
Discussion:
The adolescents were proud to be health care brokers yet found it disrupted their lives because they were living in both their traditional culture and the American culture. Photovoice empowered them through dissemination of findings during a photo exposition, community meeting, and health literacy class. Health care professionals must recognize benefits and prohibitions when working with adolescent health care brokers.
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