Health Communication and Inequalities in Primary Care Access during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Ethnic Minorities in the United Kingdom: Lived Experiences and Recommendations

Winifred Ekezie*, Akilah Maxwell, Margaret Byron, Barbara Czyznikowska, Idil Osman, Katie Moylan, Sarah Gong, Manish Pareek

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Health Communication is critical in the context of public health and this was highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ethnic minority groups were significantly impacted during the pandemic; however, communication and information available to them were reported to be insufficient. This study explored the health information communication amongst ethnic communities in relation to their experiences with primary health care services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research used qualitative methodology using focus groups and semi-structured interviews with community members and leaders from three ethnic minority communities (African-Caribbean, Somali and South Asian) in Leicester, United Kingdom. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and open-coded. Rigour was determined through methodological coherence, appropriate and sufficient sampling, and iterative data collection and analysis. Six focus groups and interviews were conducted with 42 participants. Four overarching themes were identified related to health communication, experiences, services and community recommendations to improve primary care communication. To address primary care inequalities effectively and improve future health communication strategies, experiences from the pandemic should be reflected upon, and positive initiatives infused into the healthcare strategies, especially for ethnic minority communities.

Original languageEnglish
Article number15166
JournalInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume19
Issue number22
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 17 Nov 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research was funded by the University of Leicester—Leicester Institute for Advanced Studies (LIAS).

Keywords

  • communication
  • COVID-19
  • ethnic minorities
  • health inequality
  • misinformation
  • public health
  • qualitative
  • United Kingdom

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