Oral

Given the range of issues that are related to immigration status and the disposition of immigrants here in the United States, seeing immigrants as clients and/or customers of health communications and social marketing ventures has not been well explored by us in the public health field. Health education programs that are developed with the concept of being culturally competent require greater depth in reaching the immigrant segment of the racial and ethnic populations who are the focus of attention. Concerns of immigration status in terms of documented or undocumented persons being reached compounds the challenge of developing appropriate health and social marketing techniques and mechanisms for immigrants generally and for local efforts where the need is manifest. In this session we will present unique features of immigrant populations that require non-traditional approaches to addressing their health and social needs. Further, we will examine the immigrants (both documented and undocumented) needs for effective health information and ways of providing it that makes it useful to knowing what can be done for healthier behaviors. Various forms of communication will be explored which are efficient in dealing with time available to immigrants for learning about specific healthy measures they can take that are relevant to their lives.

Session Objectives: As a result of this session, participants will be able to: 1) Determine the various issues they need to take into account in focusing on marketing to the immigrant populations. 2)Use health communication and social marketing approaches that have been effective in dealing with immigrant populations.

CE Credits: CME, Health Education (CHES), Nursing