Breaking the barriers: The impact of health information and cultural factors on immigrant health in the Nordic countries

Abstract

Immigrants encounter cultural adaptation challenges impacting their health behaviors and outcomes, with health information and cultural factors influencing their actions. A survey of 340 participants from Finland, Norway, and Sweden was conducted, and the data were analyzed using structural equation modelling. Results show that health beliefs and access to health information, mainly via the Internet, significantly predict immigrants' intentions to engage in health-related actions, while perceived barriers negatively affect their adoption of healthy behavior. The findings underscore the importance of information professionals in providing culturally relevant health information and resources to immigrants and emphasize the need for policymakers to consider cultural factors and information sources in health promotion efforts targeting immigrant populations. This study adds value to the information science literature by highlighting the role of information access and cultural context in shaping health-related actions among immigrants in Nordic countries.