The Role of Environmental Health Literacy When Developing Traffic Pollution Fact Sheets for Puerto Rican Adults

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Health Communication
• Health Literacy

Background:

• Racial/ethnic and linguistic minority populations often face higher exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP).
• Effective communication of environmental health risks is essential for these communities.
• Puerto Rican adults in Boston are a key demographic for understanding TRAP exposure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and refine communication strategies for TRAP risks tailored to Puerto Rican adults.
• To improve the readability and cultural relevance of environmental health fact sheets.
• To assess community engagement processes in developing health communication tools.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory research involving two sets of focus groups with Spanish-speaking Puerto Rican adults (N=16).
• Thematic analysis of focus group transcripts to guide revisions of fact sheets.
• Iterative assessment of revised fact sheets for readability and relevance.

Main Results:

• Initial focus groups identified needs for improved communication materials.
• Revised fact sheets, incorporating increased text size, graphics, chunking, and technical details, were viewed more favorably.
• Participants found the revised materials easier to read and more relevant.

Conclusions:

• Enhancing fact sheets with specific design elements improves environmental health communication for this population.
• Community engagement and iterative feedback are vital for creating culturally relevant and understandable health information.
• Systematic evaluation of health literacy and engagement processes is needed for effective environmental health tools.