Characteristics of effective health education for older migrants from diverse cultural backgrounds: a scoping review protocol

ObjectiveThe primary objective of this scoping review is to identify current evidence for the delivery of effective health education to older migrants from culturally diverse backgrounds. The secondary goals are to determine the characteristics of effective health education delivery for this population, how older migrants prefer to receive health education, and what cultural considerations influence the uptake of health education and put knowledge into practice. IntroductionAccess to health education is important to empower people to adopt healthy behaviours and to engage in informed decision-making about their well-being. Health education is not equally accessible in society and migrants who come from culturally diverse backgrounds can experience challenges in obtaining health information in a manner and format that is culturally responsive and linguistically appropriate. While many studies have reported the barriers and enablers to health information uptake among migrant communities, few have reported on what type of health education programs are most effective at imparting new skills, knowledge, and attitudes towards healthcare. Inclusion criteriaOriginal qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods published and unpublished studies that report on health education interventions to support and improve health education for migrants from culturally diverse backgrounds and their families will be eligible for inclusion. Studies that report on the type, format, and approaches older migrants prefer to access health education in either community or institutional settings will be included. MethodsThis scoping review will be conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institutes method for evidence synthesis. In consultation with a research librarian, a literature search strategy will be developed comprising keywords, index terms, and medical subject headings. Electronic databases: PubMed, ProQuest Public Health, CINAHL, Embase, PsychINFO, and Web of Science will be searched for relevant studies with no date limitations. A Google Advanced and ProQuest Thesis and Dissertation searches will be conducted to capture grey literature. All references will be imported into Covidence(R) where two independent reviewers will perform study selection and data extraction. Key concepts and evidence will be presented through a narrative summary of findings, which will include the identification of findings that align with the scope of this review, an overview of the research evidence, and the identification of research gaps.