Somali prenatal education video use in a United States obstetric clinic: a formative evaluation of acceptability

Because of low health literacy and low priority in seeking prenatal information, health education videos were explored for acceptability by Somali refugee women in a clinical setting.

Focus groups led to the development of six targeted Somali prenatal education videos. Topics include: preparation for pregnancy, nutrition and exercise, pregnancy myths/facts, the father's role, episiotomies, and caesarean sections. Somali participants were recruited to view programs, and completed an 8-item survey prior to regularly scheduled prenatal appointments. Following the clinical visit, providers completed a 4-item survey indicating the video's helpfulness in facilitating client-provider communication.

All study participants "strongly recommended" and rated the videos as "appropriate for Somali clients", 57% indicated the information was "just the right amount," and 60% found the videos "extremely helpful." The primary language spoken at home was Somali (72.7%) and 54.5% indicated Somali as the preferred language to receive health information. Providers indicated 24% of appointments were "more interactive" with 72% finding videos "somewhat" or "extremely helpful."

Preliminary results from this pilot study suggest that a video format for prenatal education is acceptable to Somali clients with most clients preferring video health education materials presented in the Somali language.

Culturally tailored health education video series for Somali women appear well for use in a clinic setting to facilitate client-provider communication.