Understanding health inequities faced by the Chinese population as a neglected minoritised ethnic group living in the UK

PI Title: Dr Ting Ting Zhang

Lead Member: University of Bristol

Aim
We want to understand the healthcare experiences of Chinese people living in Bristol.

Background
People of Chinese heritage are an ethnic minority in the UK, but still a sizeable population, particularly in some cities, like Bristol. We know that some members of this population have worse health than other ethnic minorities and the White majority populations. There has been very little research into the reasons for this inequality.
The Chinese population is a fast-growing group in Bristol and has become the largest ethnic minority in central Bristol. Studies have reported health issues among the Chinese population including mental health and some types of infectious diseases, as well as lower uptake rates of cancer screening and vaccination programmes. However, people of Chinese ethnicity are low users of health services and have poor experiences of primary care compared to other ethnic groups. These health issues and lower use of services within the Chinese population represent a form of health inequity in terms of access and outcomes. However, this inequity problem among the Chinese population has not been comprehensively investigated and there are no interventions to address it.

Design and methods
We will interview up to 25 Chinese people living in Bristol. We will talk to people with different backgrounds, such as different ages, genders and income levels. Interviews will be one-on-one and conducted in the language preferred by the participant. During the interviews, we will ask people to share their views and experiences of accessing and using health services.

Patient and Public Involvement (PPI)
Our PPI advisors have helped shape this proposal and commented on the study design. We will work with our PPI Advisory Group to develop participant documents and recruitment strategy, contribute to data interpretation, share results and assist with planning future work, including working together to develop ways to reduce inequalities.

Dissemination
We will produce a study report and publish papers in scientific journals. We will ensure our results are shared extensively, including with different Chinese groups and patients, BNSSG ICB, and other key stakeholders. We will host a dissemination event for Chinese communities at the end of the project, with help from the Chinese Community Wellbeing Society. Our PPI Advisory Group will assist with outcome dissemination.