Creating Understandable and Actionable COVID-19 Health Messaging for Refugee, Immigrant, and Migrant Communities

Healthcare · 5 authors, 3 centres

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A key deliverable was a bus stop advertising campaign featuring messages in multiple languages, including Amharic and Tigrinya, targeted to areas frequented by specific communities such as the Ethiopian community. The authors report that this broad community-wide effort contributed to vaccination rates in Clarkston that outpaced other similar areas of the county and state. The paper notes that RIM populations face compounded challenges including limited English proficiency, mistrust of media and government, and exposure to misinformation on social media.

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other

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public health

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AI pipeline

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ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10137961

Creating Understandable and Actionable COVID-19 Health Messaging for Refugee, Immigrant, and Migrant Communities

Healthcare

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ABSTRACT

Abstract During the coronavirus pandemic, it was imperative that real-time, rapidly changing guidance on continuously evolving critical health information about COVID-19 be communicated. This case study highlights how understandable and actionable COVID-19 health information was systematically developed and disseminated to support highly vulnerable refugee, immigrant, and migrant (RIM) communities in Clarkston, Georgia. Our approach was grounded in community-based participatory research (CBPR) incorporating Cultural and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) standards, plain language and health literacy guidelines, and health communication science to improve the understandability and usability of COVID-19 micro-targeted messaging for RIM communities. We followed a centralized systematic approach to materials development and incorporated local needs and existing networks to ensure cultural and linguistic responsiveness as well as understandability for populations with limited literacy skills. Further, iterative development of materials with community members and agencies provided buy-in prior to dissemination. As part of a multi-pronged community-wide effort, effective materials and messaging provided support to community health workers and organizations working to improve vaccination rates among the RIM community. As a result, we saw vaccine rates in Clarkston outpace other similar areas of the county and state due to this community-wide effort. Keywords: health literacy, refugees, cultural and linguistic responsiveness, health communication, community-based participatory research

CITATION EXPORT

Iris Feinberg, Mary Helen O’Connor, Saja Khader et al.. Creating Understandable and Actionable COVID-19 Health Messaging for Refugee, Immigrant, and Migrant Communities. Healthcare. (2023). https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11081098

AUTHORS

5 · 3 CENTRES

Iris Feinberg, Mary Helen O’Connor, Saja Khader, Amy L Nyman, Michael P Eriksen

1Adult Literacy Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA
2Prevention Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA
3School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA