Research services

The MHCS is available to undertake research projects with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in NSW. We have experience in managing major projects, such as community surveys, consultations with groups from CALD communities, and qualitative research.

A significant element in our approach is the acknowledgment of diversity and the importance of permitting individuals and groups from communities to define their own needs, requirements and solutions. We ensure that at every stage in a project the cultural sensitivities of the groups involved are identified and accommodated.

Previous Research Assignments

• Focus groups on multilingual men's reproductive health resource "What Every Man Needs to know" - for Andrology Australia. Languages included Arabic, Chinese, Dari, Farsi, Greek, Italian, Khmer, Korean, Serbian and Turkish (2006)
• Focus testing information from Youthsafe, - "Helping Teenagers become safer drivers" - resources for Arabic and Chinese speaking parents. (2005)
• Communication Research project on the experience of CALD consumers on various multilingual communication tools, resources and initiatives that the Department of Ageing Disability and Home Care (DADHC) has produced. Specific communities targeted for the research included Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Turkish and Vietnamese speakers (2005)
• Focus groups with Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Italian and Vietnamese women on their reactions to communication materials /creatives for the National Breast Cancer Centre campaign and formative research on beliefs and barriers that need to be considered for the campaign (2005)
• Market research/Formative Research for Cancer Institute of NSW on issue with Smoking Cessation and CALD communities, in particular with setting up a multilingual Quitline (2005)
• Signs and Symbols - a national audit and research on the various tools, other than spoken word, that the Health System have utilised to address the issue of illiteracy or low literacy in Languages Other than English (2004-2005)
• Multilingual Early Childhood resources - assessment of information needs and use of Early Childhood workers in NSW.
• NSW Health Survey 2002 - Multicultural Health Communication has provided advice in the translations and conduct of the bilingual interviews.
• Evaluation of the Somali Radio Program (The NSW Refugee Health Service)
• Telephone surveys of Chinese communities in Central Sydney (Central Sydney Health Promotion Unit) and Hurstville (South Eastern Sydney Health Promotion Unit.
• Consultations with service providers, and community representatives and members to develop a service plan for Families First initiatives in South Western Sydney (Commissioned by the Department of Community Services)
• NSW Health Surveys translation component (in collaboration with Epidemiology Branch NSW Health)
• Development, implementation and evaluation of a communication strategy on Cervical Screening to Arabic, Cantonese, Korean, Mandarin and Spanish speaking women. (The NSW Cervical Screening Program)
• Survey research on the needs for health information in the Arabic and Khmer communities (Internal Project).
• Formative research for the smoke alarms campaign to Arabic, Chinese and Vietnamese speakers including focus groups and intercept surveys (NSW Health Department Injury Branch).
• Consultation with women from 16 communities to assess resources in LOTE developed by Breast Screen NSW (Breast Screen NSW).
• Research into the attitudes & knowledge of Croatian, Macedonian and Turkish community members to determine the information they require in relation to motor vehicle occupant restraints (RTA)
• Research to measure knowledge of parents from Arabic, Mandarin and Vietnamese speaking communities about child pedestrian and bicycle safety (KIDSAFE) Child Accident Prevention Foundation of Australia
• Community Consultation Project for Families First, South Western Sydney AHS
• Evaluation of Multicultural Skills for Health Staff in South Western Sydney AHS