Perceptions of tailored oral health education resources among former refugees.

Background: Language differences and health literacy limit former refugees' access to health education messages and thus their success in achieving improvements in health behaviours. Method: A suite of simple oral health education resources consisting of dual Arabic/English language pamphlets suited to the needs of Syrian former refugees were co-developed, and feedback was provided by nine focus groups of former refugees. Results: Thirty-nine former refugees resettled in Dunedin, New Zealand provided their feedback. The majority of participants thought these were useful, easy to read, and worthwhile. Major themes included novelty and usefulness, clarity (language/readability) and cultural appropriateness, layout, graphics and format, alternative methods, and venues for distribution. The research confirmed the value of tailoring information to be targeted to specific populations. When treating resettled former refugees, health care providers should deliver information in a way that considers culture, language, education, and background of their clients. Conclusion: Although the participants considered the resources developed in this study to be appropriate and helpful, further research must investigate whether a change in behaviour will result from their utilisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]