About the project

When the covid-19 virus hit the world, immigrants were overrepresented among those infected. In Norway, persons of Somali and Pakistani descent have had far higher infection rates than the rest of the population, throughout the pandemic. Central to the work of fighting the disease is infection prevention, being well informed and having knowledge about the virus.

The purpose of the project is to gain knowledge about how immigrants from Somalia and Pakistan received information about covid-19, and which experiences they have with the information they received. It is also an aim to gain knowledge about how it is desirable for these immigrant groups to obtain information, and which challenges they experience in complying with measures for infection control. Nurses´ competence in migration, culture and diversity will be central in this context. Knowledge of the role that nurses from the municipal health service can play in supporting the information work on the pandemic, will also be central to the project.

In connection with the pandemic, voluntary organizations, such as the Red Cross and Norwegian Women´s Public Health Association, have received grants from the government for information work on covid-19. Part of this project will deal with the experiences of these two organizations with their work in providing information to the two aforementioned immigrant groups. In addition, it is a goal to gain knowledge about the role of religious leaders in respect of the information work on covid-19.

The study has a qualitative approach, and the data will be collected using both focus group and in-depth interviews. The informants will consist of immigrants from Somalia and Pakistan, nurses from the municipal health service, religious leaders and key people from the Red Cross and the Norwegian Women´s Public Health Association.

The goal of the project is to gain knowledge that can be transferred to future pandemics, and contribute to innovative preparedness solutions for the future. The study may also be relevant to other immigrant groups, and may also be used in other countries.

Background

Master in nursing – Clinical Research and Professional Development

Research group

Migration, Religion and Transnational Relations (MIGREL