Supporting Newly Arrived Migrant Mothers: A Pilot Health Literacy Intervention

Abstract

Experiencing migration can create or exacerbate vulnerability to ill health, particularly during pregnancy and new motherhood. Providing a culturally appropriate health literacy intervention to new migrant families may increase social support and the skills and confidence to access health care services and information. This study developed and piloted a health literacy intervention, in the form of culturally redesigned new parent classes, in a culturally diverse location in Australia. The intervention was delivered over a 4-week period by Child and Family Health Nurses, with the help of interpreters and Bilingual Community Researchers, to Bangladeshi and Mandarin-speaking Chinese mothers and grandmothers with a baby age 0 to 1 year. A mixed-methods evaluation was conducted to measure (1) recruitment and attendance of participants, (2) feasibility of the intervention, (3) health literacy of participants, and (4) provider understanding of barriers to health care access. Thirty participants were recruited, and 18 women attended at least three of the four group sessions. Nurses viewed the program as being within the scope of their usual role, demonstrating intervention feasibility. Health literacy scores were higher post-intervention than pre-intervention. Nurses described having increased awareness of barriers to health care access after facilitating the intervention. The program has potential to be scaled up to other areas and languages. [HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice. 2021;5(3):e201-e207.].