Imagined Anatomy and Other Lessons from Learner Verification Interviews with Mexican Immigrant Women

Abstract

Objective To identify clearer, learner-preferred, educational approaches for aspects of cervical cancer education found to be difficult to understand for low literacy, Mexican, immigrant women. Setting Kansas City, Kansas; Garden City, Kansas; San Antonio, Texas. Participants Forty-five Mexican immigrant women in the United States for five years or less, ninth grade education or less, and predominantly Spanish speaking. Methods Interviews were conducted to evaluate preference and best comprehension among options for specific cervical cancer educational elements, including reproductive system terminology, the purpose of Pap tests and meaning of results, Human Papilloma Virus, and illustrations of anatomy and PAP procedure. Results We identified terminology, translation, content, and illustrations preferred by participants and areas of inadequate existing knowledge needed for comprehension of concepts being taught. Analogies, illustrations, and introduction of medical terms in conjunction with equivalent common Spanish terms were effective ways of building bridges from existing knowledge to new knowledge. Participants desired detailed information and shared new information with others Conclusion We learned the importance of assessing patients’ existing body knowledge. The detail desired by participants challenged common simplification approaches to teaching low literacy learners. Participant willingness to share information challenged ideas of cultural taboo. Results provide evidence for more effective delivery of women’s health education and call for further research on best approaches to teaching low literacy learners.

A randomized controlled trial of a smoking cessation self-help intervention for dual users of tobacco cigarettes and E-cigarettes: Intervention development and research design

“…This methodology allows investigators to assess the suitability of the educational materials for the intended audience with respect to attraction, cultural acceptability, understanding (literacy), efficacy, and persuasion, in an effort to reduce miscommunication of messages [30–32]. A sample of 10 participants is generally considered sufficient when conducting learner verification; therefore, 10 newly recruited participants were recruited for each of the two iterations [31].…”

Development of a Targeted Smoking Relapse-Prevention Intervention for Cancer Patients

“…Further, provider involvement in cessation assistance and relapse-prevention was limited [11]. Our findings, along with others [14,15], demonstrated that the large majority of cancer patients who are smoking at the time of diagnosis make an attempt to quit smoking, thus making this a “teachable and optimal moment” for delivering a smoking relapse-prevention intervention.…”

“…Although prior research has also successfully utilized the learner verification process to develop educational materials [14, 15], this method has not been used widely across research studies. The use of learner verification in the current study supports its ability to target and assess specific elements of educational materials such as the design, language, relevance, and message comprehension.…”

Educação em saúde: uma visão desde antropologia

“…Treinta y siete participantes, madres somalíes, identificaron los siguientes temas: a) estrategias para evaluar el hambre, la saciedad y cuándo alimentar -creencias compartidas de que bebés regordetes hacen niños sanos, lo que lleva a una preocupación de los proveedores de salud por el peso de estos niños; b) el contexto de la adecuación de la leche materna en la población, esto implica las creencias y prácticas sobre la lactancia exclusiva hasta los seis meses, las dificultades de la lactancia materna y las barreras ambientales y culturales a la lactancia, lo que lleva a la implementación temprana, casi universal, de la leche de fórmula; c) los enfoques educativos preferidos incluyen visitas a proveedores con los intérpretes, materiales educativos en idioma somalí, y el asesoramiento de miembros de la familia con más experiencia y más edad, y d) la necesidad de que los proveedores de salud escuchen, expliquen y sean empáticos al referirse a cuestiones específicas, repetir la información importante, ofreciendo asesoramiento preventivo y un suficiente tiempo de visita. Este estudio presenta los conocimientos acerca de las creencias y prácticas de madres somalíes que pueden orientar directamente discusiones con estas familias (32,33).…”