Comprehension of pharmaceutical pictograms in sub-Saharan migrants newly arriving in Europe: An exploratory study.

BACKGROUND

Migratory pressure from sub-Saharan Africa on Europe must also be addressed from a health literacy perspective. Sub-Saharan migrants newly arriving in Europe generally have lower literacy skills compared to the host community's citizens and special learning needs. Pictograms give health professionals a means of communicating medication instructions to people with no common language or who are illiterate, or both.

OBJECTIVE

This work aimed to explore the comprehension of a set of United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) pictograms by sub-Saharan migrants newly arriving in Europe.

METHODS

A quantitative cross-sectional study was carried out. A voluntary survey was conducted among a population ≥ 18 years of age in a Temporary Stay Centre for Immigrants located in the Spanish city of Melilla (North Africa) in June 2022. The form included a selection of 10 USP pictograms to assess their comprehension. According to the International Organization for Standardization, a pictogram must receive 66.70% correct answers to be acceptable.

RESULTS

Fifty-one sub-Saharan immigrants participated in this study. None of the pictograms reached comprehensibility threshold.

CONCLUSION

Pharmaceutical pictograms are ineffective in practice when they are not designed in a culturally sensitive manner.