School of Pharmacy, Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Faculty of Education, Health & Wellbeing, University of Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton, UK.
BMJ Open. 2021 Oct 25;11(10):e050584. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-050584.
To explore the perspectives of ethnic minority community leaders in relation to: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their communities; and their community's perception, understanding and adherence to government guidelines on COVID-19 public health measures.
A phenomenological approach was adopted using qualitative semistructured interviews.
Community organisations and places of worships in the West Midlands, England.
Community leaders recruited through organisations representing ethnic minority communities and religious places of worship.
A total of 19 participants took part. Participants alluded to historical and structural differences for the observed disparities in COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. Many struggled with lockdown measures which impeded cultural and religious gatherings that were deemed to be integral to the community. Cultural and social practices led to many suffering on their own as discussion of mental health was still deemed a taboo within many communities. Many expressed their community's reluctance to report symptoms for the fear of financial and physical health implications. They reported increase in hate crime which was deemed to be exacerbated due to perceived insensitive messaging from authority officials and historical racism in the society. Access and adherence to government guidelines was an issue for many due to language and digital barriers. Reinforcement from trusted community and religious leaders encouraged adherence. Points of support such as food banks were vital in ensuring essential supplies during the pandemic. Many could not afford or have access to masks and sanitisers.
The study highlights the perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ethnic minority communities. Government agencies and public health agencies need to integrate with the community, and community leaders can enable dissemination of key messages to deliver targeted yet sensitive public health advice which incorporates cultural and religious practices. Addressing the root causes of disparities is imperative to mitigate current and future pandemics.
探讨少数民族社区领袖对以下方面的看法：新冠疫情对他们社区的影响；以及他们社区对新冠疫情公共卫生措施的看法、理解和遵守。
采用现象学方法，使用定性半结构式访谈。
英格兰西米德兰兹的社区组织和礼拜场所。
通过代表少数民族社区和宗教礼拜场所的组织招募社区领袖。
共有 19 名参与者参加。参与者暗示了历史和结构性差异是导致新冠疫情发病率和死亡率差异的原因。许多人对封锁措施感到困扰，这些措施阻碍了被认为是社区不可或缺的文化和宗教聚会。文化和社会习俗导致许多人独自受苦，因为在许多社区，讨论心理健康问题仍然被视为禁忌。许多人表示，他们的社区不愿意报告症状，因为担心会对财务和身体健康产生影响。他们报告说，仇恨犯罪有所增加，这被认为是由于当局官员的信息被认为是不敏感的，以及社会中存在历史上的种族主义而加剧的。由于语言和数字障碍，许多人难以获得和遵守政府的指导方针。许多人依赖社区和宗教领袖的信任来鼓励他们遵守。在疫情期间，食品银行等支持点对于确保必需品的供应至关重要。许多人买不起或无法获得口罩和消毒剂。
本研究强调了新冠疫情对少数民族社区的感知影响。政府机构和公共卫生机构需要与社区融合，社区领袖可以帮助传播关键信息，提供有针对性但敏感的公共卫生建议，其中包括文化和宗教习俗。解决差异的根本原因对于减轻当前和未来的大流行至关重要。
