Latino Eye Health: A Communication Strategy for Diabetes

描述（由申请人提供）：糖尿病和糖尿病性眼病是拉丁裔社区的重大公共卫生问题，有证据表明该人群缺乏知识和寻求适当眼科护理的障碍。 目前的眼健康教育工作可以通过发展和传播新的健康传播策略的基础上的思维行为改变模型。 战略设计的基本原则包括 跨学科的方法，拉丁美洲社区的参与，多渠道的传播和教育娱乐元素。 该项目的目标是在马里兰州的巴尔的摩为拉丁裔糖尿病患者制定和评估眼健康交流策略。 初始阶段，形成性研究，将包括1：在随机选择的块组的拉丁美洲人的家庭调查。该调查将涵盖知识，态度，糖尿病和眼病，健康信息的来源和各种媒体的使用寻求护理行为; 2：焦点小组由主要领导人，社区成员和与拉丁美洲社区合作的机构成员组成，以提供输入，并完善健康传播策略本身。 拉丁美洲眼健康传播战略将基于传播理论的模型和原则，特别是社区参与，以加强宣传和建立可持续性。 设想的组成部分是广播节目、中篇小说、海报、移动的摊位/展览和小册子，其中载有关于预防拉丁美洲糖尿病患者视力丧失和获得眼科保健服务的明确信息。拉丁美洲眼健康传播战略的评估将分为两个方面：一个重复的家庭调查，以确定知识，态度和做法后，介绍了传播战略。第二项是一项为期三年的纵向研究，研究对象是在哨兵综合医疗诊所确诊的250名拉丁裔糖尿病患者。 将在三年内确定寻求眼科护理行为的变化。 改善寻求眼科护理的行为应有助于避免糖尿病视网膜病变和黄斑水肿造成的视力丧失，这是拉丁美洲工作年龄人口视力丧失的主要原因。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Diabetes and diabetic eye disease are significant public health problems within the Latino community, and there is evidence for lack of knowledge and barriers to seeking appropriate eye care within this population. Current eye health education efforts can be improved through development and dissemination of novel health communication strategies based on the Ideation Behavior Change model. Among the basic principles of strategic design are interdisciplinary approaches, Latino community participation, multiple channels for dissemination, and educational entertainment elements. The goal of this project is to develop and evaluate an eye health communication strategy for Latinos with diabetes, in Baltimore MD. The initial phase, formative research, will include 1: a household survey of Latinos in randomly selected block groups. The survey will cover knowledge, attitudes, and care seeking behaviors for diabetes and eye disease, sources of health information, and use of various media; 2: Focus groups comprised of key leaders, community members, and members of agencies working with the Latino community to provide input, and refine, the health communication strategy itself. The Latino Eye Health Communication strategy will be based on models and principles of communication theory, especially community participation to enhance advocacy and build sustainability. Components are envisioned to be radio spots, novellas, posters, mobile booths/show, and pamphlets with clear information on prevention of vision loss for Latinos with diabetes, and on access to eye care services. The evaluation of the Latino Eye Health Communication strategy will be two pronged: a repeat household survey to determine knowledge, attitudes, and practices after the introduction of the communication strategy. The second is a longitudinal study over three years of 250 Latinos with diabetes identified at a sentinel general medical clinic. Change in eye care seeking behavior will be determined over the three years. Improvements in eye care seeking behaviors should help in avoiding visual loss from diabetic retinopathy and macula edema, the leading causes of visual loss in the working age Latino population.