Joseph P. Zanoni, MILR¹, Linda S. Forst, MD, MPH, MS², and Leslie Nickels, MEd². (1) University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health, Great Lakes Centers, 2121 W. Taylor Street, MC 922, Chicago, IL 60612, (312) 996-2613, jzanoni@uic.edu, (2) School of Public Health/Occupational and Evironmental Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 914 S. Wood Street, M/C 684, Chicago, IL 60612

Dr. Linda Forst leads the Great Lakes Partnership for Agricultural Safety and Health; partners include the UIC School of Public Health, Community Health Partnership of Illinois and Migrant Health Promotion (Michigan and Texas). The Partnership implemented an eye injury prevention program for Latino Farm workers utilizing a community health worker approach in the summer of 2003. Employer cooperation and leadership in the program was encouraged through meeting and discussion and the use of tools such as a program summary, program questions and an Employer Advisor. Data was gathered from employer responses to questions and interviews with the community health workers before and after the program was conducted. Results of the data analysis will be discussed and implications for the employer leadership role in eye injury and illness prevention health and safety programs will be presented.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the community health worker intervention and employer leadership,
• List the content areas of the eye injury prevention program,
• Explain the method of employer interviews and involvement, and
• Describe data collection, results and implications of the research.

Keywords: Occupational Health Programs, Community Health Promoters

Related Web page: www.fenet.org

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.