“Communication and not just information” : A Case Study of a Swedish Region’s Health Communication Towards Immigrant Groups During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract: The aim of this study was to examine Region Uppsala's health communication during the COVID-19 pandemic by answering the following research questions: In what ways have Region Uppsala practiced health communication during the COVID-19 pandemic to communicate with immigrant groups in Uppsala county? How has Region Uppsala collaborated with civil society and local actors to practice health communication during the COVID-19 pandemic? How can Region Uppsala's communicative efforts be understood from a culture-centered perspective on health communication?   A qualitative analysis was conducted on empirical data gathered through qualitative interviews with Region Uppsala employees and representatives from SIU (Samarbetsorganisationen för Invandrarföreningar i Uppsala), Röda Korset (the Red Cross) and the cultural function Gottsunda Kulturhus provided by Uppsala Kommun (Uppsala Municipality. The data was analyzed from the theoretical framework of a culture-centered approach to health communication as described by Mohan Dutta.   From this perspective, I found that Region Uppsala adopted a linear perspective on communication where the main objective has been to provide citizens with information. Region Uppsala has identified different obstacles that could determine whether they reach immigrant groups in vulnerable areas or not. Region Uppsala does, however, reinforce the gap between the organization and immigrant groups since there is a lack of understanding of how context, agency, and dialogue can be implemented in Region Uppsala's health communication to enable participation. Through collaboration with civil society and local actors, Region Uppsala has provided arenas where immigrant groups could engage in a dialogue. This has been facilitated by the local knowledge and relationship ties that the collaborators have in vulnerable areas in Uppsala. The results implicate that Region Uppsala's health communication efforts during the pandemic have been limited to this crisis when they could have been practiced with a broader scope of social change.