Accessibility to health-promoting resources for Korean immigrants in Halifax, Nova Scotia

Accessibility to health-promoting resources depends not only on geographic proximity but also on the non-spatial barriers and coping strategies that affect everyday use. This study investigates the gap between potential and realized accessibility to primary healthcare, Korean grocery stores, and parks among Korean immigrants in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Using a sequential mixed-method design, the study integrates focus group interviews and a survey (n=25) with GIS-based spatial accessibility analysis (2SFCA). Findings reveal that realized accessibility frequently diverged from potential accessibility, with mismatches most pronounced for primary healthcare (52%), driven by language barriers, system navigation, and care-quality concerns. Grocery access showed fewer mismatches (28%), linked to affordability and limited culturally specific ingredients. Parks showed the strongest alignment (16% mismatch). Across all resources, participants mobilized coping strategies (e.g., transnational practices) to negotiate barriers. These findings demonstrate that geographic proximity alone insufficiently indicates realized accessibility and highlight the need for policies addressing non-spatial barriers.