Research has clearly demonstrated that exposure of pregnant women to passive smoke adversely affects fetal development and birth outcomes. The effected outcomes include lowered birth weight and increased risk of developing childhood illnesses, such as asthma. Despite reduced rates of smoking during pregnancy, most health messages continue to address this issue. Prenatal education materials about passive smoke exposure are limited and a database review did not reveal any materials specifically targeting Latina populations. Though simple translation of English materials into Spanish is commonly used to present health messages to Latinas, cultural factors should be considered in order to create and tailor effective health messages for this population. This project has developed a brochure that introduces the concept of passive smoke to pregnant women and assists them in developing coping strategies for dealing with passive smoke exposure. The material is unique in that it was expressly designed to address passive smoking. Throughout the next few months the material will be further developed into a targeted message for pregnant Latinas. This specialized information will be distributed to clients at a public maternal and child health clinic in an urban area with a predominantly Latina clientele. Impact of this information will be assessed through one on one and group discussion of the topic with clinic patients and follow up discussions with clients regarding outcomes of personal attempts to control passive smoke exposure. Preliminary results of this project will be presented at the APHA convention.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to: 1. define passive smoke 2. identify component parts of passive smoke that cause harm to non-smokers 3. recognize the specific effects of passive smoke to pregnancy and child health outcomes 4. list 5 strategies to recommend for coping with passive smoke 5. develop an assessment plan of a pregnant woman's passive smoke exposure 6. identify ways a message can and should be culturally tailored to its audience 7. develop a culturally specific health message based on presentation guidelines
Keywords: Latinas, Maternal and Child Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.