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Concurrent Session D4
Prioritizing Vulnerable Populations:
Sharing Visions and Strategies to Reduce
Health Disparities
Impact of Buenos Dias, Artritis, A Spanish Health Communications
Campaign Promoting Physical Activity among Spanish-Speaking
People with Arthritis
Teresa Brady, PhD, CDC/NCCDPHP; Jed Lam, MA, Aeffect
Background: Buenos Dias, Artritis (BDA) is a health communications
campaign designed to promote physical activity among
Spanish-speaking people with arthritis (PWA). The purpose of this
study was to evaluate the effects of BDA as implemented by 4 state
health departments (SHD). Theoretical Framework: Social-Cognitive
theory Hypothesis: PWAs in communities receiving BDA will report
increases in knowledge, confidence, and physical activity when compared
to communities that did not receive BDA. Methods: A quasiexperimental
design was used. Each SHD conducted BDA in one
community by placing radio ads and/or outdoor advertising, brochures
in community locations and newspaper ads or other print materials.
Data were collected from these Test communities (TC) and 2 Control
communities (CC), selected to have similar proportions of Hispanic
populations, at baseline (T1), immediately post-campaign (T2) and
6 months after baseline (T3). Data were collected by random-digit
dial telephone survey from purchased lists of numbers from Hispanic
areas. T1 respondents were ineligible for T2 survey. Results: By design,
T1 and T2 data were collected for approximately 1200 respondents
at T1(1213) and T2 (1167), and 600 T3 respondents. Characteristics
of T1 sample: 41% ages 55-64, (range 45-75), 68% from Mexico, 69%
education less than high school graduate, and 75% female. Changes
in knowledge and confidence were seen. TC demonstrated significant
increase in the percentage who believed “moderate exercise can help
you beat arthritis” at T3, (T1=84%, T3=89%) but control respondents
also had a significant increase . However, the TC significant increase in
beliefs that “moderate exercise can be helpful even if done 10 minutes
at a time” (T1=84%, T3=91%), and they could “reduce arthritis pain
by exercising regularly” (T1=76%, T3=82%) were not matched by CC
increases. Exercise behavior increased significantly in TC but not
CC at T2 and T3. TC demonstrated significant increases in percentages
“exercising at least 10 minutes per day” at T2 and T3 (T1=72%,
T2=76%, T3=86%), and “exercising at least 3 days per week” at T2 and
T3 (76%, 82%, 81% respectively). No comparable increase was seen in
CC. Respondents in TC reported significant increases in 2 behavioral
responses to BDA’s call to action at T3 (thought about exercising more,
T1=66%, T3=78%; increased my exercise T1=42%, T3=53%). Conclusion:
As implemented in 4 communities, BDA produced significant
increases in physical activity at T2 and T3, with limited number of
changes in knowledge or confidence. Implications: The Buenos Dias,
Artritis campaign can foster increases in physical activity among
Spanish-speaking people with arthritis.
A Pilot Study: Health Literacy Initiative for Immigrant, Pregnant
Women in Central New Jersey (17913)
Caitlin Sulley, BFA, Central New Jersey Maternal and Child Health
Consortium
Title: A Pilot Study: Health Literacy Initiative for Immigrant,
Pregnant Women in Central New Jersey Background: Immigrant
women have difficulty accessing prenatal services and acting on health
information. Multiple factors challenge immigrant families’ abilities to
obtain and maintain health care, leaving them at-risk for poor health
and birth outcomes. In Perth Amboy, New Jersey, 36% of residents are
foreign-born. 75% of residents speak non-English languages at home.
The majority are Hispanic or Latino. High rates of teen mothers (15%),
unmarried mothers (69%), preterm births (8%), and low birth weight
births (11%) exist. Theory: Coordinated efforts to improve health literacy
and prenatal education for immigrant women can lead to healthier
pregnancies and improve access to and satisfaction with prenatal care.
Incorporating health literacy skill-building into existing prenatal
health education for patients and healthcare providers will strengthen
services, increase patient engagement with services, and empower
patients to advocate for their own and their family’s health and wellbeing.
These short term benefits will lead to improved communication
and preventive care, which promote better perinatal outcomes
and reduce health disparities. Objectives: The pilot project objective
is to improve health literacy skills of immigrant pregnant women
and influence their perinatal outcomes. Intervention: The teachback
method was used by two clinical prenatal sites: an FQHC and a hospital
outpatient clinic, and two community-based programs: a home
visitation program and a prenatal group education program, to ensure
patients/clients understood prenatal information communicated to
them. After attending a health literacy and prenatal health training,
healthcare workers used educational materials written in participants’
native languages to impart literacy skills and prenatal knowledge. A
trained group education facilitator taught eight consecutive weekly
sessions in English and Spanish each lasting 1.5-2 hours. Evaluation
Measures: Twenty-six group education participants1completed a selfadministered
13-question survey assessing the intervention. Developed
with a professional evaluator, it was processed using health literacy
software to ensure a 4th grade reading level. Results: • 100% of survey
respondents indicated: knowing more about pregnancy using two or
more information sources to retrieve pregnancy-related information,
and indicating they would attend their post natal appointment. • 85%
reported satisfaction with group education, socializing with other participants,
and educational materials. 1March-June 2010 data. 43 newer
surveys being analyzed.
SOPHE-NACDD 2011 Joint Academy and Midyear Scientific Meeting 37