Exploring low-income migrant workers’ health information-seeking behavior during COVID-19 in Taiwan: A qualitative study

Abstract

Background COVID-19 pandemic is reported to exacerbate existing vulnerabilities of marginalized groups, and the lack of self-care can lead to the spread of the virus across society. Therefore, effective responses to the challenges imposed by the health crisis should consider the health information needs of migrant workers. Objective We aimed to explore how migrant low-income workers seek health information and how their health-related information needs were met during a health crisis. We also investigated migrant workers’ preferred information sources and types of content with the theoretical concept of health literacy to understand the development of health competencies among migrant workers. Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews with Thai low-income migrant workers. A total of 13 Thai migrant workers participated in the study, among whom five were undocumented. The interviews were audio-taped, transcribed, and analyzed with the thematic analysis approach. Results Our findings indicated that migrant workers’ health literacy and health information behavior could be improved through technology when facing a health crisis. We found that participants sought health information proactively to reduce their perceived risks. However, there is still space for design to support the ability to process jargon information and apply local policy, such as providing easy-to-understand, accurate, and timely information. The findings of this study provide some insights for the authority and technological design to respond to migrant workers’ health information needs. Conclusions This study acknowledges and understands the needs of vulnerable migrant workers in society. The findings of this study provide insights for the authority and technological design to respond to migrant workers’ health information needs. We also outline the areas worth further investigation, such as the communication between information seekers and providers, and the navigation of the healthcare system for migrants in the host country.

Factors Impacting Chinese Older Adults’ Intention to Prevent COVID-19 in the Post–COVID-19 Pandemic Era: Survey Study

“…Accordingly, the model states that social determinants and the conditions of mobilizable resources greatly shape the information environment, leading to communication inequalities and then differentiated health behaviors and outcomes. However, most previous studies have focused on individual-level factors, such as age [ 6 ], education [ 7 ], and revenue [ 8 , 9 ], with minimal attention paid to the social resources that individuals may have access to [ 10 ]. In fact, a weak ability to mobilize social resources, that is, social capital, could often lead to a disadvantage in health information seeking [ 11 , 12 ] and health behaviors [ 13 ].…”