Recognizing the increasing urgency of supporting migrants—many of whom face health disparities due to limited health literacy—authors of the research article titled “Promoting Health Literacy Among Migrant Populations: Implications for Adult Literacy Education” did a scoping review of 53 global health literacy (HL) interventions targeting migrant populations.
The authors analyzed the structure, pedagogy, and linguistic aspects of these interventions to create some recommendations for educators, health professionals, and researchers. The review underscores the role of adult educators in delivering culturally and linguistically responsive HL education and calls for better integration of adult learning and language learning theories. It also points out a lack of standardized reporting practices, making it difficult to generalize findings or replicate effective interventions. Ultimately, the study emphasizes that effective HL interventions should be context-sensitive, theory-informed, and collaborative across disciplines.
Recommendations for creating effective health literacy instruction:
- Understand the social factors influencing language use: Clearly articulate the linguistic environment and any relevant policies or practices that could shape the intervention setting.
- Include theoretical information: Identify and explain the adult learning and language acquisition theories guiding the intervention. Show how practices like scaffolding and building communicative competence are applied.
- Detail the language background of the learner: Provide comprehensive information on learners’ language proficiency, languages spoken at home, and language learning history. Avoid deficit-oriented labels (e.g., “limited English proficient”) and instead use asset-based descriptions.
- Connect learning outcomes to learners’ daily lives: Use assessments that reflect real-world health literacy practices and affirm learners’ existing knowledge and cultural strengths.
- Promote cross-sector collaboration: Foster greater cooperation between applied linguists, health care professionals, and educators to design, implement, and evaluate interventions effectively.
These recommendations aim to improve the quality, relevance, and replicability of HL interventions, ensuring they are inclusive and responsive to the complex needs of migrant populations.