The use of social media platforms by migrant and ethnic minority populations during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review

ObjectiveTo determine the extent and nature of social media use in migrant and ethnic minority communities for COVID-19 information, and implications for preventative health measures including vaccination intent and uptake. DesignA systematic review of published and grey literature following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines Eligibility Criteria for study selectionGlobal research reporting the use of social media by migrants and/or ethnic minority groups in relation to COVID-19. Data extractionWe extracted data on key outcomes, study design, country, population under study, and sample size. Results1849 unique records were screened, and 21 data sources included in our analysis involving migrant and ethnic minority populations in the UK, US, China, Jordan, Qatar, and Turkey. We found evidence of consistent use of a range of social media platforms for COVID-19 information in some migrant and ethnic minority populations (including WeChat, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube), which may stem from difficulty in accessing COVID-19 information in their native languages or from trusted sources. There were positive and negative associations with social media use reported, with some evidence suggesting circulating misinformation and social media use may be associated with lower participation in preventative health measures, including vaccine intent and uptake, findings of which are likely relevant to multiple population groups. ConclusionsSocial media platforms are an important source of information about COVID-19 for some migrant and ethnic minority populations. Urgent actions and further research are now needed to better understand the use of social media platforms for accessing health information by different population groups - particularly groups who are marginalised from health systems - effective approaches to tackling circulating misinformation, and to seize on opportunities to make better use of social media platforms to support public health communication and improve vaccine uptake. RegistrationThis study has been registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021259190).

Racial discrimination and covid-19 vaccine uptake: is mistrust of the health service behind vaccine refusal?

ObjectiveTo examine whether racial/ethnic discrimination predicts future COVID-19 vaccine refusal, and whether this association is explained by trust in government and the health system. DesignLongitudinal observational study of racial/ethnic discrimination occurring since the start of the first lockdown (measured in July 2020) and later COVID-19 vaccine status. SettingUK (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland) Participants633 adults belonging to ethnic minority groups who took part in the UCL COVID-19 Social Study. Main outcome measureCOVID-19 vaccine refusal (vs accepted/waiting/had at least one dose) between 23 December 2020 and 14 June 2021. ResultsNearly one in ten (6.7%) who had refused a COVID-19 vaccine had experienced racial/ethnic discrimination in a medical setting since the start of the pandemic and had experienced twice as many incidents of racial/ethnic discrimination than those who had accepted the vaccine. Structural equation modelling results indicated a nearly 4-fold (odds ratio [OR] = 3.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.4 to 10.9) total effect of racial/ethnic discrimination on refusing the vaccine was which was mediated by low trust in the health system to handle the pandemic (OR = 2.5, 95% CI = 1.1 to 5.4). Analyses adjusted for a range of demographic and COVID-19 related factors. ConclusionsFindings underscore the importance of addressing racial/ethnic discrimination and the role the National Health Service in regaining trust from ethnic minority groups to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake amongst ethnic minority adults.