Measuring Our Success in Teaching Latinos about Asthma and Home Environments: Lessons Learned from an Intervention Developed through Photovoice.

BACKGROUND: Childhood asthma management is an environmental justice concern for immigrant Latino parents. Photovoice methods have empowered our community-based participatory research (CBPR) team of Latino parents of children with asthma to investigate and educate others about indoor environmental threats in our community. METHODS: Data collection and management in evaluating interventions in such settings is under-described in the literature. We developed a culturally tailored educational intervention, guided by social cognitive theory, using photographs from our archive. We pilot tested this intervention with a convenience sample of Latino parents (n = 19) attending an English language literacy class. We designed and implemented a pre- and post-evaluation survey on self-efficacy and knowledge and collected observational notes. However, we found that the responses to the knowledge questions were of limited value. LESSONS LEARNED: We describe the lessons we learned regarding data collection, management and evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: We provide suggestions for improving survey design and data management for culturally tailored educational interventions.

Development and Pilot Testing of a Bilingual Environmental Health Assessment Tool to Promote Asthma-friendly Childcares.

BACKGROUND: Childhood marks the highest risk for allergic sensitization to asthma triggers. Hispanic/Latino children are at higher risk for hospitalization for asthma than non-Hispanic White children. Childcare providers lack knowledge about reducing asthma triggers. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this paper is to describe a community-based participatory research (CBPR) initiative aimed at developing and pilot testing a bilingual walk-through assessment tool for asthma-friendly childcare environments. METHODS: Ten Latina mothers of children with asthma living in the Pacific Northwest collaborated with research partners to develop and pilot test a Childcare Environmental Health (CEH) assessment walk-through survey.Results and Lessons Learned: The women innovated the survey with photography and structural examinations of stress and provision of basic needs. The survey tool identified environmental threats to asthma in all three childcares surveyed. CONCLUSIONS: Parents are well-positioned to build trust with childcare providers, assess asthma triggers, and recommend practical mitigation strategies.