Development & Evaluation of new materials for the iVivir a Todo Pulmón! TB fotonovela series

Background: Fotonovelas have been an effective tool for raising awareness about health issues and were deemed appropriate to fill the need for educational materials targeting Spanish speaking foreign-born individuals regarding tuberculosis (TB). In 2009 the -ivír a Todo Pulmón! Fotonovela series was developed. An extensive evaluation identified a need for additional topics and alternative ways to distribute the information for persons who have and have not accessed TB health services

Methods: Two new chapters were developed addressing TB testing and TB medication adverse reactions. Main messages, story lines and accompanying images were chosen and approved by the Project Advisor Committee. The decision was made to present chapters as individual booklets and to include an introductory summary and “quick facts.” Following committee approval, the materials were deemed ready for an assessment by community members. Previous chapters had been evaluated by focus groups. A similar format will be adopted for these additions. Discussions will concentrate on message clarity, appearance, feelings generated by the images, acceptability, and relevance of the message to the community. Participants will also be asked to provide feedback related to the individual booklets as stand-alone items and whether introductory summaries provide sufficient context for readers.

Results: The planned focus groups will be held in February and findings will be used to make changes as needed to improve the content of these chapters and new components.

Conclusions: Community involvement continues improving these educational materials and will ensure a successful national launch in June.