Health literacy among ethnocultural populations - Public Health Association of BC

: Data from the 2001 Census on visible minority groups show that Chinese community – 9.4% of total pop of BC SA com – 5.4% In the Vancouver CMA, these communities are substantially larger, where Chinese 17.4% of the population SA 8.4% -in this presentation we will be looking at focus group findings which are part of a larger evaluation of the BC HealthGuide Program

: Since the focus groups were conducted in English, we asked participants to give their thoughts and perspectives of their community’s needs and experiences.

: There were demographic differences between participants in the two focus groups. Chinese participants were older and had lived in Canada longer. There were also differences between the two groups in health information sources. South Asians relied more on health professionals, followed by their informal social networks versus Chinese participants – who used a broader range of info sources including the Internet and the media.

: There may be cultural differences in acquiring health information. SA participants spoke about being receiving and seeking health information from their families, friends and community members rather than only seeking information.

: For people lacking literacy in their first language, they are unable to access health information in written form.

: Another formidable barrier to accessing health information is resettlement when newcomers are busy meeting their basic needs to live – like finding a job, housing, schools for their children, etc.

: South Asian participants mentioned social isolation as a barrier to health information in particular for recent newcomers and seniors.

: Lack of social networks impacts on access to health information and knowledge of the health care system

: Participants stressed the special needs of the elderly in accessing health information, since they encounter multiple barriers and have fewer resources to overcome those barriers. -cultural values of duty and respect for elders can create dependence on family members

: For elderly who are dependent on family members for translation, they do not have confidentiality when seeking health information. Because of this issue, some elderly may be hesitant to discuss these issues through their family members or not ask at all.

: Another barrier mentioned was not having a computer or lacking computer skills that hinders accessing information on the Internet.

: So how do we increase access to health information? The key strategy being providing good quality translation. Some participants discussed the poor quality of translated materials they encountered. Since it is poor quality people who do not know English could receive incorrect information that impacts on their access to information and services.

: Another strategy that participants discussed was providing information on where to access health information and services once newcomers have settled and acclimatized to their new community. it would be important to determine with communities when the appropriate time would be to introduce or reintroduce information with newcomers

: A third strategy mentioned was increasing the availability of health information in places where people routinely go such as Doctors’ offices, temples, community centres. This would help to overcome transportation issues for those with limited mobility.

: Thus, cultural differences in seeking information can impact on the barriers experienced trying to access health information. South Asian participants mentioned many more barriers to accessing health info than Chinese participants – this may be due to cultural preferences to seeking info within their social networks -since Chinese participants used a broader array of info sources, it may be one reason why they were less likely to experience barriers to health info -these cultural differences will also impact on the strategies used to increase access to health information among and within communities

: It is obvious from the focus groups that the Chinese and South Asian communities are not homogenous but rather consist of multiple communities Thus it is crucial to target subgroups within diverse communities based on their health info needs. Group 1 – the key strategy would be to increase awareness of existing information sources and health services Group 2 – provide good quality translation of needed health information (which should be decided in consultation with the communities) Group 3 – use oral forms of communication, including videos, TV and radio

: This publication comes from the Public Health Association of BC web site. http://www.phabc.org