Improving health literacy through community access cable television: Experiences from the Somali TV Project

Background: Minnesota has the largest concentration of Somali refugees in the United States, with population estimates ranging from 25,000 to 60,000. Although specific data for Somalis are lacking, evidence shows that immigrant and refugee communities have difficulty accessing culturally appropriate health education and information due to language, cultural beliefs and illiteracy.

Objectives: The Somali TV Project aims to improve health knowledge and promote healthy behaviors among Somali immigrants and refugees while maintaining Somali cultural values and traditions.

Methods: The Somali TV Project developed Caafimaadkeena—Our Health, a series of nine culturally-appropriate, Somali-language education videos and a live call-in show in partnership with a Somali community access cable television station in Minnesota. Health topics included: childbirth experiences, breastfeeding and child spacing, infectious diseases (HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Hepatitis B), breast and cervical cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and nutrition and exercise. The video programs were aired regularly over the past 2 years on Somali TV and were widely distributed to health care and social service providers throughout Minnesota and the United States.

Results: Focus groups with Somali community members indicated the programs were very effective health education tools. Participants were able to identify key health messages conveyed by the programs and found the delivery of the messages understandable and culturally appropriate. Community members also suggested additional health topics for future programs. Since 2004, approximately 12,000 Somali's were reached through video broadcast, and over 1,200 videos have been distributed nationally to over 100 health care and social service providers serving Somali refugee communities.