A systematic review of the experiences of minority language users in health and social care research

To obtain the most rigorous results in health and social care research (HSCR), it is important to have a representative sample. Culture can sometimes be overlooked but can be important to the individual concerned. Ethnic minorities are often not accounted for in HSCR. Migration, equality, and diversity issues are now important priorities and therefore need to be considered by researchers. Therefore, it is important to explore the literature examining the experiences of minority language users in HSCR. A systematic review (SR) of the literature was conducted to answer the research question. SPIDER framework and Cochrane principles were utilized for the SR. Five databases were searched, yielding 5311 papers initially. A SR protocol was developed and published in PROSPERO. Available from: . Following the title and abstract review by two authors, 74 papers were included, and a narrative account was provided. Six themes were identified: 1. Disparities in health care; 2. Maternal health; 3. Mental health; 4. Methodology in health research; 5. Migrant and minority health care; 6. Racial and ethnic gaps in health care. It was evident that language barriers (including language proficiency) and cultural barriers still exist in terms of recruitment, possibly effecting the validity of the results. Several papers acknowledged language barriers but did not act on this information. Ethnic minorities’ needs are not completely addressed in HSCR. Despite research acknowledging different cultures over the past 40 years, there is a need for this to be fully acknowledged and embedded in the research process. We propose that future research should include details of ethnicity and languages spoken so that readers can understand the sample composition to be able to interpret the results in the best way, recognising the significance of culture and language.

2-4 Key messages, detailing the main points made in the paper.
-Ethnic minorities’ needs are not completely addressed in health and social care research. Despite research acknowledging different cultures over the past 40 years, there is a need for this to be fully acknowledged and embedded in the research process.
-Ethnic background and languages spoken by the research participants should be identified and addressed throughout the research process (from design of the study to dissemination of findings).
-Language and cultural preferences should be appropriately considered/included in the analysis.
-Future research should include details of ethnicity and languages spoken so that readers can understand the sample composition to be able to interpret the results in the best way, recognising the significance of culture and language.

Competing Interest Statement: The authors have declared no competing interest.

Funding Statement: his work was funded through the North Wales Trials Unit (NWORTH) funded by Health and Care Research Wales.