The Role of Language and Race Representation in Healthcare Communication and Its Effect on Message Perception : A Case Study on the Perception of English Versus Arabic Healthcare Communication in Cairo, Egypt

Sammanfattning: Abstract  Background: Healthcare communication by nonprofit organizations, such as the WHO, is facing challenges in today’s interconnected world. Healthcare communication has profound impact on human lives, such as on well-being. Understanding which factors play important roles in healthcare communication in today’s globalized world is therefore important. It is known that language and race representation in a message are such factors; yet, the relationship between the choice in language and race and the perception of a healthcare message is yet unclear. Objective: This study will explore the relationship between the choice of language and race representation in a healthcare message that has been communicated to people living in Cairo, Egypt, and the perception of this message, paying special attention to whether the English language is being perceived as superior compared to the official Arabic language. Methods: This study used a mixed-method approach. The methods included an online questionnaire among people residing in Cairo, Egypt, conducted between March 2023 and April 2023, consisting of two healthcare ads: a cardiac consultation by a non-Arabic (western) looking doctor (written in English) versus a consultation by an Arabic looking doctor (written in Arabic). The second method included an observational study of healthcare billboards present on the 6th of October Bridge in Cairo. Results: 464 questionnaire responses were analyzed and showed that language and race representation in a healthcare ad has impact on how participants perceived the healthcare ad. The healthcare service with the English content was perceived as better compared to the Arabic content, in terms of quality, knowledge and expertise. The observational study showed that healthcare billboards by nonprofit organizations in Cairo mainly contain the Arabic language, and equally use non-Arabic looking people as well as Arabic looking people. Conclusion: This study found a relationship between the choice of language and race representation in healthcare communication and how it is being perceived. English language and western race was perceived as superior compared to Arabic language and race. However, nonprofit organizations operating in Egypt currently use Arabic in their healthcare communication. Further research is needed to discover other factors that influence perception of healthcare communications, such as which language and race is preferred by the audience