Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41652178›Full record

ArticleJournal of immigrant and minority health2026

Unpacking Health Literacy Disparities in Migrant and Ethnic Minority Communities in England.

Carolina Machuca Vargas, Samia Turkistani, Anita David

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of immigrant and minority health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Carolina Machuca VargasSchool of Dental, Health and Care Professions, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK. carolina.machuca-vargas@port.ac.uk.
Samia TurkistaniSchool of Dental, Health and Care Professions, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK.
Anita DavidSchool of Dental, Health and Care Professions, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Health literacy is essential for navigating healthcare systems and making informed decisions. Migrant and minority ethnic populations often face barriers that impact their health literacy and access to care. This study explored the health literacy profiles and lived experiences of African and Latin American communities in England. A mixed-methods study was conducted using Phase 1 of the Ophelia (Optimising Health Literacy and Access) process. Sixty-five participants completed the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ), and hierarchical cluster analysis identified distinct health literacy profiles. Two focus groups (n = 7 each) were held to explore participants' experiences in greater depth. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. While participants demonstrated strengths in accessing and understanding health information, significant disparities emerged in areas requiring institutional engagement, trust in healthcare providers, and emotional support. Key barriers included digital exclusion, limited interpreter availability, fear of immigration consequences, and experiences of being dismissed or misunderstood in clinical settings. These challenges disproportionately affected asylum seekers and those with insecure immigration status, reflecting structural vulnerability and institutional racism. The study highlights the limitations of individual-level interventions and calls for system-wide changes to address the relational and structural barriers that undermine health equity. Improving health literacy among migrant populations requires more than accessible information. Equity-focused, co-designed interventions that confront institutional racism, invest in culturally safe communication, and prioritise emotional safety are essential to reducing racial and ethnic health disparities.

Indexed as

Ethnic and Racial MinoritiesEthnicityHealth LiteracyTransients and MigrantsAdultBlack PeopleEnglandFemaleFocus GroupsHealthcare DisparitiesHealth Services AccessibilityHispanic or LatinoHumansMaleMedical InterpretingMiddle AgedHealth literacy disparitiesHealth literacy questionnaireMigrants communitiesOphelia process

Identifiers

PMID41652178
PMCPMC13612664

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.