Impact of translated health information on CALD older people's health literacy: a pilot study

Effective dissemination of healthcare knowledge is essential for enhanced health literacy, especially for older members of the migrant communities who bear increasing health burdens. This communication requires collaboration between the relevant stakeholders to identify the most effective dissemination strategies for each targeted group. This research examines this issue in a small-scale pilot study that sought community feedback to enhance the quality and accessibility of information related to osteoporosis communicated to older Arabic speakers. In the first stage, three groups of Arabic-speaking older people (27 in total) provided feedback on existing health translations. In the second stage, three sets of materials were tested with a total of 30 Arabic-speaking older people (10 per set of materials): 1) an existing translation of information on an osteoporosis-related topic (Vitamin D), 2) a revised version of the existing translation that was designed to be more engaging and accessible to older Arabic-speaking individuals, and 3) an audio recording of the revised materials. The three versions were tested using a set of comprehension questions based on the materials provided and a set of intention statements relating to future behaviours. The pilot study suggested that the revised community-based translation communicated knowledge and enhanced intentions to act better than the existing translation. The audio version of information increased knowledge and had a similar effect on intentions to act as the written revised translation. The research suggests that community engagement, together with translation-expert input, can assist in making translations more engaging and informative.