Perceptions of air pollution and health communication for people with asthma among Australia’s Arabic-speaking communities

Air pollution is a major public health risk factor globally and a significant threat to people with respiratory conditions. People with asthma, and particularly those from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, are disproportionally affected and have less capacity to protect themselves from air pollution. There is a critical lack of accessible resources and advice for people with asthma who are from CALD backgrounds. This qualitative study aimed to better understand Arabic-speaking Australians’ perceptions of air quality, support their health literacy, and co-design resources to help them reduce their exposure to air pollution. A virtual roundtable discussion was conducted with key stakeholders from Australian Arabic-speaking communities to explore perceptions of air pollution and effective ways to communicate related public health messages to people with asthma within these communities. Australian Arabic-speaking communities generally have low awareness of air pollution. Although they use social media platforms and traditional media widely, more needs to be done to raise their awareness of air pollution and related health issues through targeted bilingual (English-Arabic) messaging and audiovisual material. The importance of religious and other community leaders in promoting environmental and public health messages within the diverse Arabic-speaking communities was highlighted. Future asthma-awareness and air pollution literacy campaigns should be designed in ways that reach CALD communities that have previously been underserved by public health promotion. Culturally sensitive health communication approaches are particularly important as Australia’s population continues to diversify.