Health Information Literacy Outreach to Promote Farmworker Health

We provided the Levante students with eight iPads equipped with high-speed internet. None of them had issues using the iPad or connecting to the internet. Providing the students with the iPads was reported to be transformational. Their self-efficacy increased, and many of the students reported doing better in school because of the iPads. Their access to the internet also allowed them to do research on health topics that they or their family members were interested in or worried about.

We did in-person and webinar-based trainings. Through these trainings people gained the knowledge and skills necessary to look up health information and participants can now better differentiate between reliable and unreliable sources. Evaluation forms were given out.

We brought nine children from seasonal and migrant farmworker families to tour East Carolina University and to attend a training on health information resources. Dr. Erik Kneubuehl, associate vice chancellor; Dean Smith, director of student centers; Wanda Tyler, director of intercultural affairs; Dr. Dennis McCunney, director of the Center for Leadership & Civic Engagement; John Mountz, director of Greek life, and Justin Janak, director of student activities and organizations, all served on a panel and talked to the students and answered questions. The students voiced that their interest in attending a four-year university increased. Four current students of ECU explained their experience at the university and answered questions.

We presented at the NC Farmworker Advocacy Institute. Information presented included web-based resources from National Library of Medicine, strategies for accessing information about farmworker health outside of a university setting, how children of farmworker families can utilize health information, and information literacy assessment strategies.