Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #108604

Janet Yuen, MPH¹, Anna Karina Celaya, MPH¹, Natalie Nakahara, MFA¹, Deborah C. Glik, ScD², and Marcy C. Jones¹. (1) Immunization Branch, California Department of Health Services, 2151 Berkeley Way, Rm. 712, Berkeley, CA 94704, (510) 540-2065, JYuen@dhs.ca.gov, (2) School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, P.O. Box 951772, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772

Despite ongoing outreach efforts and a variety of local health activities, Latinos continue to receive flu shots at a lower rate than most other ethnic groups. In fall 2003, to address the lower rates of influenza immunization coverage among Latinos, the California Department of Health Services launched a targeted campaign intended to increase awareness about the importance of flu shots among Latina women ages 50 years and older and those with chronic health conditions, such as diabetes. Latina women were targeted as a way to reach the Latino community since they are highly influential in making health decisions for the family. The campaign consisted of a 30-second television commercial and radio announcement along with an extensive outreach strategy utilizing innovative collateral materials. Focus groups and other formative research were conducted and input from a Latino advisory group was solicited. The University of California, Los Angeles, School of Public Health assessed the outreach component of the campaign and identified areas to improve the delivery of programs aimed at the Latino community. Results of the evaluation found a need for local health departments to create an outreach network for the dissemination of immunization materials in Spanish-speaking populations. The use of collateral materials in a statewide campaign proved to be an effective means of delivering health promotion messages. A random digit dial post-campaign telephone survey was also conducted to collect baseline data for future surveys evaluating the effectiveness of the campaign. Evaluation results will be used to improve the campaign in future flu seasons.

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