Art (and science) of adaptation: Best practices in reaching Latinos with eye health information

Diabetic eye disease and glaucoma are major causes of vision loss in the United States, disproportionately affecting Latinos. There is no cure for glaucoma or diabetic retinopathy, but research has shown that early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent vision loss. Left untreated, these diseases can lead to blindness.

The National Health Education Program (NEHEP) of the National Eye Institute established the “Ojo con su vision” program to promote eye health among Latinos and to assist health professionals and community health workers in educating them about vision health. As part of its outreach efforts, NEHEP has developed a library of eye health resources tailored for Latinos, including toolkits, public service announcements (PSAs), infographics, infocards, brochures, and others.

Rather than simply translating existing English language materials, NEHEP utilizes a rigorous adaptation process to ensure they are culturally and linguistically appropriate. For more extensive products, such as toolkits, NEHEP also conducts rapid assessments and audience testing and refines materials based on the results of this research.

During this presentation, NEHEP will share the art and science of adapting materials for use with Latinos. Examples will be drawn from recent adaptation efforts, including low vision and glaucoma infographics, National Diabetes Month infocards, and Glaucoma Awareness Month PSAs. Results and lessons learned from the adaptation of the Vision and Aging, Diabetes and Healthy Eyes, and Keep Vision in Your Future toolkits will also be presented to highlight the importance of cultural adaptations for health education efforts intended to reach Latinos.