The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #38322

Isabel C. Scarinci, PhD, MPH¹, Bettina M. Beech, DrPH, MPH², Desiree Louwerse, MA², Jackie Stone, BPS³, and Terry Bailey, RN³. (1) Division of Preventive Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, MT 609, 1530 3rd Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35294, (205) 975-7177, iscarinci@dopm.uab.edu, (2) Center for Community Health, University of Memphis, 5050 Poplar Ave, Suite 1800, Memphis, TN 38157, (3) WIC Program, Memphis and Shelby County Health Department, 814 Jefferson Avenue, Memphis, TN 38105

Sowing the Seeds of Health (Sembrando las Semillas de la Salud) is a theory-based and culturally sensitive educational program on reproductive health and family planning for low-income Latinas. This program is a result of a successful partnership between the University of Memphis and the Women's, Infant, and Children (WIC) program in Shelby County. In the past five years, Memphis has received a great influx of Hispanics, particularly due to employment opportunities. Given that most of them just immigrated to the United States, this represents a great opportunity to design prevention programs to deter this population from engaging in high risk behaviors as well as to promote accessibility to health care, especially preventive screening. This presentation will focus on the development, piloting, and feasibility testing of an educational program on reproductive health and family planning culturally tailored to low-income Latinas. The primary goals of the program include: (1) improve Latina's knowledge regarding breast/cervical cancer and screening, sexually transmitted diseases, and family planning; (2) increase the number of Latinas who get Pap Smear and breast clinical examination, and engage in monthly breast self-examination; and (3) increase the number of Latinas (who are interested in family planning) who receive family planning services. The content of the program is presented as an analogy to plants and how to take care of a garden. Results of pre-test, post-test and three-month follow-up will be presented as well as participants' satisfaction with the program and lessons learned.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the steps in the development of an intervention that is culturally relevant to low-income Latinas;
• Recognize the importance of coalition building in intervention development.

Keywords: Latinas, Reproductive Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.