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© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Health risk communication plays a crucial role in preventing the spread of infectious disease outbreaks such as the current coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). Yet, migrants are far too often forgotten in health risk communication responses. We investigate the challenges and efforts made by migrants in Denmark—in the initial months of the pandemic—to access information about COVID-19. We draw on 18 semi-structured interviews conducted in May and June 2020. All interviews are thematically coded and analyzed. Our analysis reveals that many of the migrants faced several challenges, including accessing information in a language understandable to them and navigating constant streams of official news flows issuing instructions about which actions to take. However, we also note that the participating migrants found numerous creative ways to address some of these challenges, often aided by digital tools, helping them access crucial health and risk information. This paper highlights that migrants constitute an underserved group in times of crises. They are vulnerable to getting left behind in pandemic communication responses. However, we also identify key protective factors, social resources, and agentic capabilities, which help them cope with health and risk information deficits. National governments need to take heed of these findings to inform future pandemic responses.

Details

Title
“I Just Want Some Clear Answers”: Challenges and Tactics Adopted by Migrants in Denmark When Accessing Health Risk Information about COVID-19
Author
Rasmus Luca Lyager Brønholt 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Nina Langer Primdahl 1 ; Jensen, Anja M B 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Verelst, An 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Derluyn, Ilse 2 ; Skovdal, Morten 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5B, 1014 Copenhagen, Denmark; [email protected] (N.L.P.); [email protected] (A.M.B.J.); [email protected] (M.S.) 
 Centre for the Social Study of Migration and Refugees, Department of Social Work and Social Pedagogy, Ghent University, H. Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Gent, Belgium; [email protected] (A.V.); [email protected] (I.D.) 
First page
8932
Publication year
2021
Publication date
2021
Publisher
MDPI AG
ISSN
1661-7827
e-ISSN
1660-4601
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2571091666
Copyright
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.