Early epidemiology indicated older members of Britain’s Bangladeshi communities were disproportionately affected by COVID-19 related morbidity and mortality. Bangladeshis were more likely to have comorbidities and live in poorer, overcrowded areas in the UK’s urban centres where viral contagion was more likely. This cross-section of socioeconomic, geographical and health related factors underlined the need for clear messaging about social distancing in a complex and shifting risk scenario – messages that this vulnerable group, who speak an oral language (Sylheti), may not have been able to access directly due to low literacy and English language proficiency. This study identified the practices adopted by Bangladeshis in East London in response to the pandemic, the underlying attitudes and beliefs and whether and how these had been influenced by messages about social distancing. Drawing on our earlier work, it examined the role of social learning in how messages were accessed and interpreted and whether and how the health interactions of this older group were mediated by friends, family members and acquaintances. Remote interviews with older Bangladeshis and their social contacts who performed this mediating role provided insights into how linguistically and culturally appropriate messaging could build on existing beliefs and practices to promote compliance, and on social mediation as a dissemination strategy. We identified the role of choice of language (English or Sylheti), the differences between written and oral representations of COVID-19 risk, and the manifold ways in which linguistic choices give salience to aspects of a risk scenario.Early epidemiology indicated older members of Britain’s Bangladeshi communities were disproportionately affected by COVID-19 related morbidity and mortality. Bangladeshis were more likely to have comorbidities and live in poorer, overcrowded areas in the UK’s urban centres where viral contagion was more likely. This cross-section of socioeconomic, geographical and health related factors underlined the need for clear messaging about social distancing in a complex and shifting risk scenario – messages that this vulnerable group, who speak an oral language (Sylheti), may not have been able to access directly due to low literacy and English language proficiency. This study identified the practices adopted by Bangladeshis in East London in response to the pandemic, the underlying attitudes and beliefs and whether and how these had been influenced by messages about social distancing. Drawing on our earlier work, it examined the role of social learning in how messages were accessed and interpreted and whether and how the health interactions of this older group were mediated by friends, family members and acquaintances. Remote interviews with older Bangladeshis and their social contacts who performed this mediating role provided insights into how linguistically and culturally appropriate messaging could build on existing beliefs and practices to promote compliance, and on social mediation as a dissemination strategy. We identified the role of choice of language (English or Sylheti), the differences between written and oral representations of COVID-19 risk, and the manifold ways in which linguistic choices give salience to aspects of a risk scenario.

Interviews, focus groups