Music and singing as arts-based methods to build capacity for and migrant involvement in health research - a mixed-methods study

Sep 30, 2026

The World Health Organisation calls for evidence-based policy and practice addressing refugees’ and migrants’ specific health needs, requiring meaningful involvement as partners in co-producing that evidence. However, linguistic barriers and mistrust can inhibit partnership development. This study explores inter-sectoral, inter-cultural partnership development for refugee and migrant health research using the Irish World Music Cafe as an arts-based approach. Results report very high enjoyment, shifting network centrality from health-sector actors early to migrant-related community organisation actors by the fifth cafe.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Aims

Methods

Results

Conclusions

vi106 European Journal of Public Health, Vol. 35, Supplement 6, 2025 Abstract citation ID: ckaf180 .292 325 Music and singing as arts-based methods to build capacity for and migrant involvement in health research: a mixed-methods study Frances Garry1, Anne MacFarlane1, Helen Phelan1, Jon Salsberg1, Padraig MacCarron1, Ahmed Hassan2, Anna Papyan1 1University of Limerick, Ireland, Limerick, Ireland 2Doras, Limerick, Ireland PTH 8: Miscellaneous 1, B304 (FCSH), September 5, 2025, 11:30 - 12:30 Introduction: The World Health Organisation calls for evidencebased policy and practice about the specific health needs of refugees and migrants. Refugees and migrants need to be meaningfully involved as partners in the co-production of that evidence. However, there are challenges that inhibit partnership development 2nd World Congress on Migration, Ethnicity, Race & Health Abstract Book vi107 e.g., linguistic barriers, mistrust. Culturally attuned methods, such as arts-based methods, support trust-building in intercultural social groups and, thus, may create participatory spaces that facilitate new inter-sectoral research partnerships. Aims: Explore inter-sectoral, inter-cultural partnership development for refugee and migrant health research using an arts-based method known as the Irish World Music Cafe. Methods: Following the principles of purposeful sample, twenty-five participants from the community (n ¼ 9), health (n ¼ 4) and arts or health academic sectors (n ¼ 12) were recruited for five 2hour music cafes (four on-line and one in-person) . A questionnaire administered at the end of each music café evaluated participants’ enjoyment of the music cafes and their networking opportunities. These data were analysed using frequency analysis and social network analysis to see if health, community or academic sector actors were most central in the participant group. Semi-structured interviews were conducted after the cafes ended to complement the quantitative date. These were analysed using inductive, thematic analysis. Results: The overall rates of enjoyment of music cafes were very high. Participants from the health sector were most central in the network at the first two music cafes. However, their centrality decreased and migrants from community-based organisations emerged as the more central actors in the network by the end of the fifth music café . Participants described several examples of how specific characteristics of music and singing shaped interactions and partnership building in the music cafes. Conclusions: Music cafes as arts-based methods warrant further investigation as methods to optimise inter-sectoral, inter-cultural partnership development for refugee and migrant health research.

FAQs

What partnership challenges does the study address for refugee and migrant health research?

It addresses challenges that inhibit partnership development, including linguistic barriers and mistrust, which can block meaningful involvement as research partners.

What arts-based method was used in the study?

The study used an arts-based method known as the Irish World Music Cafe.

What did the study find about participants’ enjoyment and network centrality?

Overall enjoyment of the music cafes was very high. Network centrality shifted over time, with health-sector participants most central at first, then migrants from community-based organisations becoming more central by the fifth cafe.

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by Riley West