Communication access, public health information sources, and language preference during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indigenous communities in Northwest Territories, Canada.

Abstract

Participants (n = 287; 31.1% male; mean age 41.6 years, SD = 13.5) reported accessing three main forms of communication: radio (84.7%), the internet (80.5%), and cable television (71.8%). Some participants (19.5%) reported having no internet access at home. Participants' main sources of COVID-19 information were websites (35.3%), social media (26.5%), and the news delivered via television or newspaper (48.4%). Only 11.0% of participants acquired information from healthcare workers. Some participants (9.9%) preferred to receive information in the traditional languages of the Dene (Dene Ked'e, Tłıchǫ) and Anishinaabe. Ensuring communication access by providing adequate internet access in all communities and producing information sources in preferred languages should be a priority. These results can inform future public health policy for Northwest Territories.