Online Program

318383
Outcome evaluation of a Spanish-language telenovela about gene-environment interactions


Monday, November 2, 2015

Joanne Sandberg, Ph.D., Department of Family & Community Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
Timothy Howard, PhD, Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine Research, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
Jennifer Talton, MS, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
Sara A. Quandt, PhD, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
Phillip Summers, MPH, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
Thomas A. Arcury, PhD, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
Background: Most adults in the US lack the knowledge base that enables them to understand how gene-environment interactions, including epigenetics, affect their health. This lack of knowledge may be particularly detrimental to Latinos living in immigrant communities because their work and home environments place them at elevated risk of negative environmental exposures. The research team developed a culturally appropriate Spanish-language video to teach Latinos from immigrant communities about gene-environment interactions. 

Method: 100 Latino men and women were recruited from urban and rural immigrant communities in North Carolina. Participants from non-farmworker and farmworker households were equally represented. 37% had not attended high school. Participants watched the video, and Spanish-speaking project staff led a short discussion using a flip-chart. Participants could ask questions as key points were reviewed. Pre- and post-tests included 10 genomic knowledge items and 3 health self-efficacy items. Genomic knowledge and health self-efficacy indices were created. Paired t-tests were conducted for each genomic knowledge item and the two indices.

Results: Six genomic knowledge items and both the genomic knowledge and health self-efficacy index values were significantly higher after viewing the video, signifying increased knowledge and self-efficacy.

Conclusion: Culturally and linguistically appropriate videos can increase the genomic knowledge of adults living in Latino immigrant community, including those with limited formal education. Appropriate educational materials may encourage Latinos in immigrant communities to reduce individual negative environmental exposures and enable them to use their genomic knowledge to advocate for healthier workplaces and neighborhoods.

Learning Areas:

Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Public health or related education

Learning Objectives:
Compare the pre- and post-test genomic knowledge of Latino participants who viewed a culturally appropriate video about the topic. Discuss the implications of the study results for the development of educational materials about genomics for Latinos with diverse levels of formal education.

Keyword(s): Latinos, Health Literacy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: In addition to being having a Ph.D. in sociology, I have been a co-investigator on multiple federally funded grants that have examined the health beliefs and practices of Latinos in new immigrant communities.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.