Development of culturally, linguistically, and ethnically appropriate SHS messages for the Hmong Community

Exposure to SHS has been shown to be a leading cause of death in the United States. Data supports that the Hmong community has a challenging language obstacle for the development of effective SHS educational materials. Communication is largely "oral," with significant limitations in the words/concepts of western language. In addition, most Hmong immigrants lack western education and do not read or write in their native language. The purpose of this intervention was to develop ethnically, culturally, and linguistically appropriate educational tools for the Hmong community, specifically focusing on the dangers of exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) in the home and cars. Procedures: Two waves of Hmong key opinion leader face-to-face interviews (n=12) were conducted to identify key appropriate educational strategies and "messages." Two Hmong focus groups (n=14) were conducted to pilot the educational tools. Results: Two ethnically, culturally, and linguistically appropriate health educational tools (e.g., play script and radio commercial) for the Hmong community in Fresno County on the dangers of secondhand smoke in the home and cars based on the feedback of key informants and focus group participants. Lessons learned included the need for close collaboration with Hmong community groups and liaisons are crucial, partnering with Hmong student associations is useful in producing media and engaging Hmong youth in tobacco control interventions, and partnering with Hmong immigrant serving organizations is critical for accessing the targeted population for focus group testing. Further lessons learned and challenges will be presented.