The fruit and tree crop production had the fourth highest incidence rate (3.7 per 1000 workers) of skin disorder-related Workers' Compensation claims in Washington State. Vegetation was one of the major reported exposures. In order to test the effectiveness of a Poison Oak poster on farmworkers' plant recognition ability and on their related prevention knowledge, fourteen orchards matched on size and geographic location were randomized into the study (group A) or to the control (group B) condition. Group A workers were exposed to the poster; group B workers were not. On-site interviews were conducted with 197 (86.8%) of group A and with 231 (93.5%)of group B adult workers. All 427 interviews included demographic, work and skin disorder histories questions, in addition to the assessment of plant recognition, knowledge of its health effect and contact avoidance. An implementation section was added to Group A interviews. It included the following process evaluation endpoints: saw the poster, read it and recalled its key components. Most of the workers were male (79%), 18-34 yrs old (73%), with less than high school education (80%), born in Mexico (96%) and Spanish speaking (99%). Analysis results comparing the two study groups' adjusted average proportion of plant recognition and of prevention knowledge will be presented and related implications discussed.
Learning Objectives: 1. Identify factors that are important in the design and implementation of an orchard-based information dissemination study. 2. Identify factors that affect farm workers' exposure to health information that is posted in the orchard. 3. Determine the utility of using posters to disseminate health-related information in the orchard. 4. Learn about the methodology and analysis methods that are used to evaluate data that are generated from a randomized controlled group trial.
Keywords: Evaluation, Health Communications
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: University of Washington; Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
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.