Exploring Health Information Seeking Among Participants from a Black Ethnic Group in the UK: a Qualitative Study.

Abstract

Empirical evidence has shown that individuals from minority ethnic communities have been at an increased risk of COVID-19 infections and adverse clinical outcomes including hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, and mortality. The COVID-19 vaccine has been heralded as key in ending the global pandemic. However, evidence suggests that although minority ethnic communities have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19, vaccine delivery to these communities has been poor. A barrier to the vaccine uptake has been health information. Health information is an important variable in the health decision-making process. Lack of or wrong health information has serious implications. Health information leads to better understanding of personal health and appropriate utilization of health services and consequently improves an individual's health outcomes. This study sought to explore the health information seeking practices among participants from a Black ethnic minority community in the UK. This study interviewed six Black Africans from the UK. The study explored and highlighted the thoughts, perceptions, and experiences of the participants while health information seeking. This study found challenges in health information access, assumptions about health information and feelings of being dismissed, and an information void. Participants acknowledge that there is a lot that could be done to improve their health information experiences. Targeted health information and measures such as cultural sensitivity and competency could be important in improving health information seeking, not just for Black Africans but all ethnic minorities in the UK.