Using Simulations to Help Public Health Students Overcome Language Barriers for Better Health Outcomes.

Growing migration into Norway has increasingly strained the country's health services. Good communication is essential to ensure quality care. Often, healthcare workers and immigrant clients do not share a common language, and it is known that the conditions and expectations of immigrant clients can be different from the majority population. This study aimed to explore the viability of utilizing simulations as a pedagogical tool for educating public health students in effectively navigating a multicultural environment to promote better health outcomes. This study is a component of an extra-curricular training project that utilized a convergent mixed-methods design. The present study focuses on reporting the qualitative component of the findings. The data collection process encompassed the implementation of a stepwise simulation exercise with case-based clinical scenarios focusing on three lifestyle diseases specifically designed for this study. Method triangulation was achieved by using different methodological approaches in the analysis. Our results show the importance of simulation training for healthcare students when working with clients who do not share the same language. Interactions with clients of different backgrounds must be practiced, and simulations can be used to improve healthcare students' communication skills. The study highlights the need for healthcare education programs to integrate cultural competence simulation training and broaden the scope of medical training to address culturally challenging encounters.

COVID-19 among the Pakistani immigrant population in Northern Europe--Incidence and possible causes for infection.

Background: Data from several North European countries have indicated that the Pakistani immigrant populations have higher mortality, higher hospitalization rates and higher infection rates from COVID-19 than the majority populations. Therefore the aim of the study was to examine challenges faced by the Pakistani migrant community in Oslo during the pandemic. Methods: We included data from national reports, national statistics and scientific articles and discussed them with data gained by 16 semi-structured interviews, and thereby elaborated challenges inhabitants of Norway with a Pakistani background experienced during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: The literature study confirmed that mortality, hospitalization, and infection rates from COVID-19 for the sub-groups of the populations with Pakistani background were consistently higher in Denmark, England and Norway, all countries that published data by ethnicity or origin, even when correcting for all known risk factors. Our interview data from Norway showed that information from the authorities was insufficient and not adapted to the needs of the minority population, especially in the early phases of the pandemic. Furthermore, information was not available in the common minority languages of the country. Another finding indicates that health literacy, particularly regarding COVID-19, seemed to be low in the Pakistani minority, and COVID-19 was not considered as a threat in Norway before death rates began rising in Pakistan. Conclusion: Adapting information at an early stage to the countries' minority groups may help reduce the increase in COVID-19 rates.

Presenting Health Status in Children Using a Radar Plot.

BACKGROUND: To try out the feasibility of presenting the health status of children 6 to 12 years old by using radar plots. METHODS: With data from the Health Oriented Pedagogical Project (HOPP) we have described the health status for 1340 children aged 6 to 12 years. We collected or calculated: stature, body mass, waist circumference, waist to height ratio, high density lipoprotein (HDL) and total cholesterol concentration, blood pressure, accelerometer assessed physical activity, endurance interval running performance, and quality of life. Pertinent variables were presented through a radar plot for both individual cases and groups. RESULTS: The boys showed better endurance and recorded more moderate to vigorous physical activity than the girls. The activity level dropped from age 6 to age 12 for both sexes. The girls showed a lower systolic blood pressure compared with boys. Self-rated quality of life was high among boys and girls. CONCLUSIONS: This cohort showed good health and the radar plot made it easy to visualise health status for groups and individuals.