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Lessons and Innovations from the Field: Community Health Workers as Frontline Interventionists Using Mobile Technology to Impact Birth Outcomes Among Low-income, First-time Mothers in the Louisiana Gulf Coast
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Anna Hassan, MPH
,
Department of Global Environmental Health Sciences, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA
Laila Fox, MUP
,
Department of Global Environmental Health Sciences, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA
Patricia Davis, BS
,
Department of Global Environmental Health Sciences, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA
Christine Dennis, BSN
,
Department of Global Environmental Health Sciences, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA
Onita Harris, MLA
,
Department of Global Environmental Health Sciences, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA
Starleen Maharaj, BA
,
Department of Global Environmental Health Sciences, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA
Kimisha Sawyers, BS
,
Department of Global Environmental Health Sciences, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA
Courtney Schultheis, BS
,
Department of Global Environmental Health Sciences, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA
Maureen Y. Lichtveld, MD, MPH
,
Department of Global Environmental Health Sciences, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA
Louisiana has faced numerous environmental challenges in recent years, including the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Environmental stressors can impact already vulnerable populations, leading to negative mental and physical health outcomes among those living in the affected community. The Transdisciplinary Research Consortium for Gulf Resilience on Women’s Health focuses on women of reproductive age living in vulnerable Gulf Coast parishes and aims to strengthen community resilience and attain better birth outcomes. Community health workers (CHWs) formed the backbone of a novel community-based participatory research project by utilizing mobile health technology to promote education and access beyond the health care system. Six locally-trained CHWs were fully integrated as university staff to pioneer an innovative and authentic community-academic collaboration. The CHWs, in partnership with WIC clinics, recruited WIC-eligible, first-time mothers and administered psychosocial assessments during each trimester, upon delivery and six months post-partum in a longitudinal cohort design. The assessments were used to measure key predictors associated with adverse birth outcomes such as stress, anxiety, poor self-efficacy and depression. The CHWs utilized an interactive mobile platform to send health education and resources to participants according to each individual’s gestation, locality and interests. Over 200 pregnant women were recruited by the CHWs; participants were predominately African American (67%), between the ages of 18-29 years old (98%), never married (56%) and were currently enrolled in Medicaid (62%). The CHW team will present challenges, successes and lessons learned in developing and maintaining strong CHW-participant engagement and trust, while both supporting and educating this high-risk population.
Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Advocacy for health and health education
Environmental health sciences
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related research
Learning Objectives:
Discuss the unique and influential impact community health workers can have on their community. Demonstrate the success of combining trust and education in increasing participant adherence to care and positive behaviors. Identify a successful collaboration between academia and community advocates. Assess the success and reach of mobile health technology.
Keyword(s): Community Health Workers and Promoters, Community-Based Research (CBPR)
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: The CHWs are formally trained CHWs and natives of New Orleans. They have expansive knowledge of resources and culture of SE Louisiana and are advocates for the first-time mothers. Program Manager has extensive technological and database management experience both abroad and locally in New Orleans. Assistant Director created and delivered CHW Training for our Gulf Coast CHW cohort. The PI has worked in field of environmental health disparities for over 30 years.
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.
