LAUSR

Objective Describe COVID-19 information-seeking experiences for culturally and linguistically diverse groups in Sydney, Australia. Methods Cross-sectional survey, translated into 11 languages; participants recruited from March 21 to July 9, 2021. Regression models identified factors associated with difficulty finding easy-to-understand COVID-19 information. Results Across 708 participants (88% born overseas, 31% poor English proficiency), difficulty finding easy-to-understand COVID-19 information was rated 4.13 for English (95%CI: 3.85 to 4.41) and 4.36 for non-English language materials (95%CI: 4.07 to 4.66) (1 easy to 10 hard). Participants who were older (p<0.001), had inadequate health literacy (p<0.001), or poor English proficiency (p<0.001) found it harder to find easy-to-understand English-language COVID-19 information. Those who had greater difficulty finding easy-to-understand non-English COVID-19 information were younger (p=0.004), had poor English proficiency (p<0.001), were university-educated (p=0.05), and had spent longer living in Australia (p=0.001). They were more likely to rely on friends and family for COVID-19 information (p=0.02). There was significant variation in information-seeking experiences across language groups (p’s<0.001). Conclusions Easy-to-understand and accessible COVID-19 information is needed to meet the needs of people in culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Practice implications COVID-19 communication efforts must involve working alongside these communities to leverage existing communication channels and tailor messages.