Conducting a Mixed-Methods Study with Older Adults in Five Languages: Lessons from the Field

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Sociology

Background:

• One-third of Canada's older adults are foreign-born, a demographic with limited research.
• Existing literature offers insufficient guidance for studying the physical activity and mobility of this population.
• The Canadian older population is becoming increasingly diverse.

Purpose of the Study:

• To share practical implementation lessons from a mixed-methods study.
• To address the research gap concerning foreign-born older adults' (FBOAs) physical activity and mobility.
• To facilitate future research with diverse, understudied older adult populations.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods study involving 49 visible minority FBOAs from diverse ethno-cultural groups.
• Research conducted in five languages, emphasizing practical implementation.
• Focus on community engagement, linguistic accessibility, and communication strategies.

Main Results:

• Identified key challenges in engaging foreign-born older adults (FBOAs) in research.
• Provided practical strategies for linguistic accessibility and literacy considerations.
• Offered organizational suggestions and insights on working with interpreters and transcribers.

Conclusions:

• Successful implementation of mixed-methods research with diverse FBOAs requires careful planning and culturally sensitive approaches.
• Sharing these lessons learned can significantly aid future research in this understudied area.
• This research note serves as a guide for researchers engaging with multicultural older adult populations.