Development of a specific stroke awareness tool for the Haitian community

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Disparities
• Medical Communication

Background:

• Existing stroke awareness tools lack accessibility for the Haitian Creole-speaking population in the U.S.
• The Florida Stroke Registry (FSR) identified a need for culturally tailored health information.
• Early recognition of stroke symptoms is critical for timely medical intervention and improved patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate Haitian Creole translations of the BE-FAST stroke awareness acronym.
• To assess the preferred translation for effectiveness in communicating stroke symptom urgency.
• To address a gap in stroke education for the Haitian community.

Main Methods:

• Development of two candidate Haitian Creole translations for the BE-FAST acronym: FEL VIT and FE VIT.
• An anonymous online survey distributed to Florida healthcare professionals.
• Analysis of survey responses using descriptive statistics, confidence intervals, and chi-square testing.

Main Results:

• FEL VIT was selected as the preferred Haitian Creole translation of BE-FAST (46.7% preference).
• FEL VIT was rated higher in conveying the urgency for rapid hospital presentation (48.8%).
• 93% of participants agreed a Haitian Creole tool would benefit their communities.

Conclusions:

• FEL VIT is a culturally appropriate and effective Haitian Creole adaptation of the BE-FAST acronym.
• This tool is ready for implementation in community stroke awareness campaigns targeting Haitian populations.
• Collaborative development across disciplines and cultures enhances the creation of impactful health education tools.