Developing culturally tailored interventions in occupational safety and health for Hispanic immigrant workers

The occupational health disparities experienced by Hispanic immigrant workers (HIW) have led to repeated calls in the literature for the development of culturally tailored interventions for HIW. Drawing on the experience gained from several NIOSH initiatives, this symposium will present several key components to developing and disseminating culturally tailored educational materials for HIW. The first presentation informs the process of tailoring materials by discussing structural and cultural barriers that HIW face from a risk perception/risk acceptance model. Discussion will include which barriers are unique to HIW and which are common to all workers, and what gaps exist in the literature. The second presentation addresses the preliminary investigation that occurs in the decision-making process for developing a communication intervention. Methods and approaches for obtaining different types of information useful for tailoring materials will be explored. The third presentation addresses NIOSH's experience developing culturally tailored educational materials and interventions. Discussion will include methods that have been employed for ensuring appropriate content and format and common mistakes in materials development. The final presentation deals with identifying and working with partner organizations in the Hispanic immigrant community. Topics will include the different types of organizations and infrastructure that exists in the Hispanic immigrant community, what to look for in a potential partner, and types of interventions that these partnerships may lead to in the future. Special attention will be paid to recent collaborations between NIOSH and the Mexican Government and their future potential.