Using the Structural Influence Model to Explore U.S. Latina/O/X/E Undocumented Immigrants’ COVID-19 Information Acquisition, Perceptions, and Prevention Behaviors

ABSTRACT

In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. undocumented immigrants were at heightened risk of contracting COVID-19, with many of them being “frontline essential workers” and residing in crowded living spaces. Given undocumented immigrants’ elevated susceptibility to contracting COVID-19 at the peak of uncertainty surrounding the virus, we used the structural influence model of communication to explore: (1) how undocumented immigrants acquired information about COVID-19; (2) how they assessed information trustworthiness and accuracy; (3) their perceptions of COVID-19; and (4) how they prevented or managed COVID-19. Drawing from semi-structured interviews with 46 Latina/o/x/e undocumented immigrants residing in California, we found four key themes: (1) (dis)trust in traditional media as participants relied heavily on social media for COVID-19 information; (2) weak and strong ties played a crucial role in co-constructing health outcomes with different levels of organization; (3) learning about COVID-19 through (in)direct experiences; and (4) coping through health literacy and cultural beliefs. The study’s findings can inform future efforts to reach highly-vulnerable immigrant communities during a crisis (or different outbreaks in COVID-19 variants), and hopefully, help reduce health inequities.

Acknowlement

We thank Betsabe Lopez Morales, Humberto Rico, Alyssa Velasquez, Jessica Martinez Gallardo, and Maria del Carmen Mendez Maldonado for their assistance with this study, and we extend our deepest gratitude to our participants. We also thank everyone who distributed and posted our information flyer and helped us recruit participants.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1. Most state stay-at-home orders went into effect in March or April, 2020 (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2020).

2. Undocumented immigrants are people who reside in a country without authorization (Internal Revenue Service, August 27, 2017).

3. Undocumented immigrants can obtain a social security number and work permit only if they have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA); however, most are ineligible for DACA (MPI, 2018, 2019). New DACA applications are currently not being accepted.

4. Frontline essential workers are employees who are necessary to “maintain critical infrastructure and continue critical services and functions … likely at highest risk for work-related exposure to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, because their work-related duties must be performed on-site and involve being in close proximity (<6 feet) to the public or to coworkers” (Centers for Disease Control, 2021).

5. The term Latino is considered masculine in the Spanish language and has been heavily criticized for reinforcing patriarchal values. More recent research uses a variation of this term to include gender neutral and Latina experiences. In order to recognize the history of the term and validate the experiences of all genders, we use the term Latina/o/x/e.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the Institute for Social, Behavioral and Economic Research Small Research Grant at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The small grant was awarded to the principal investigator, Dr. Jennifer Kam, and co-investigator, Monica Cornejo, the latter of whom was a CARE-University of California Innovation Fellow [RCF-20-715276] during the data collection period.