COVID-19 and vaccine health promotion resources in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages

ABSTRACT

Risk communication during a public health crisis necessitates the provision of accessible, timely and accurate health information to the public. The aim of this research project was to explore the availability and characteristics of COVID-19 and vaccine health promotional materials published in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. We aimed to identify the strategies used by Aboriginal-led organizations and Departments of Health to improve communication about COVID-19 and vaccination. Health promotion resources published online between January 2020 and December 2021 were identified by means of a desktop scan and a content analysis was subsequently conducted. We also interviewed five Aboriginal-led organizations and interview data were analyzed thematically. Findings illustrate the vital role of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages in high stakes information transfer and, in particular, the push by Departments of Health and language groups to create and disseminate important messaging in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. This is best achieved by utilizing local knowledge, existing relationships and local connections. Finally, a multimodal approach to the production and dissemination of pandemic health information better caters for the diverse specific needs of these communities.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• intercultural communication
• mediated communication
• First Nations
• pandemic
• public health communication
• qualitative research

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge and dedicate this paper to the late Associate Professor Barbara Kelly, whose insights into this research were invaluable.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author, MK. The data are not publicly available due to restrictions, e.g. their containing information that could compromise the privacy of research participants.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Melbourne University under Grant [2021ECR167].

Notes on contributors

Maria Karidakis

Maria Karidakis is a Lecturer at the School of Languages and Linguistics at the University of Melbourne. Her current research focuses on medical interpreting for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and narrative analysis and narrative identity construction and positioning in small stories told by interpreters. Other research interests are language maintenance and shifts in migrant community languages and Indigenous languages and socio-economic variation in the use of these languages.

Giuseppe D’Orazzi

Giuseppe D’Orazzi is a Lecturer in ESL and Applied Linguistics at the University of Melbourne whose primary research interests are in motivation and demotivation in learning second languages as well as research into multilingualism and health communication with CALD and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

John Hajek

John Hajek is Professor of Italian Studies and director of the Research Centre for Multilingualism and Cross-Cultural Communication at the University of Melbourne. A trained linguist, he completed his university studies in Australia, Italy and the United Kingdom. He has a broad range of research interests, with a particular focus on understanding multilingualism and addressing the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse communities in Australia, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.