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Abstract

Health perceptions are deeply shaped by individuals' unique situations and lived experiences, often differing significantly from those of others. For international students pursuing higher education abroad, their understandings of health and experiences with healthcare are influenced by prior educational backgrounds, personal histories, and exposure to diverse cultural and lifestyle contexts. Critically, their place of residence in the host country can affect their access to healthcare due to varying contextual factors. This study explores how international graduate students’ conceptualizations of health influence their health-related experiences, healthcare access, and self-management practices after relocating to Canada. By the end of 2022, the number of international students in Canadian post-secondary institutions had grown to approximately 500,000. However, many faces persistent barriers to adequate healthcare. While mental health has received increasing scholarly and institutional attention, other dimensions of health and well-being among international students remain underexplored, particularly their personal experiences with healthcare access and self-care in a new cultural and systemic environment. Using a narrative constructionist framework, this research employed semi-structured interviews with five recently arrived international graduate students. Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes in their accounts related to accessing healthcare and managing health independently. The findings offer valuable insights into the diverse health-related experiences of international graduate students and aim to inform the development of more inclusive and accessible health services by Canadian governments, universities, and colleges.