Engaging cross-sector community resources to address immigrant worker health

Background/Objective: The effectiveness of traditional prevention approaches, which rely on worksite implementation to reach low-wage immigrant workers, is challenged by barriers including social discrimination, culturolinguistic differences, and employer attitudes. A viable alternative to worksite implementation is to build on and utilize existing community resources and infrastructure. We present effective approaches derived from an innovative network analysis project for community-based prevention for Chinese immigrant workers. Methods: To generate an inclusive network structure, we are using an expanding sample selection method. A “seed” roster of agencies (e.g., community agencies, faith-based organizations, unions, governmental agencies) was created. New agencies are added to expand the roster only if nominated by at least two agencies in the interviews. Bilingual staff conduct surveys with one administrator and one program provider, focusing on agency operation, capacity, and other agency connections and a specific focus on Chinese or other immigrant health, employment and related job concerns. Results: Currently 43 agencies are engaged in different phases of the study. Process evaluation revealed that essential navigation skills needed to identify the right agency gatekeepers for agency entry and specific knowledge about community dynamics and organizational structures improve the likelihood of agency engagement in research. Tailored communication strategies were needed to increase agency understanding about the research, which often was not directly or explicitly linked to agency mission/services. Conclusion: Effective community-based collaborative approaches are fundamental to reducing health disparities for immigrant workers. This research reveals knowledge and strategies required for successfully engaging an array of community agencies in this endeavor.