Case Study: Culturally Adapting Health Communication Materials

Client
Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Substance Abuse Services

The Public Health Challenge
Interactions between medications and alcohol can lead to serious adverse health events, especially among older adults who often take more than one medication and also experience decreased alcohol tolerance. Health Resources in Action was charged with educating older adults about the interaction between alcohol and medications, and to offer strategies to help prevent potential interactions. Additionally, elder populations with varying ethnic and racial backgrounds and who speak languages other than English as their first language were the target population.

The Strategy
Health Resources in Action's Health Communication Services developed an eight page booklet, Healthy Aging: Medications and Alcohol in English and then culturally adapted the brochure into three languages: Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese. To ensure that the content was appropriate for non-English speaking audiences, Health Communication Services undertook a process that addresses cultural practices and linguistic differences to ensure relevance and effectiveness among the target audience, and goes beyond simply translating the material. This process includes review of content by provider "gatekeepers" of community agencies, multiple review of translation by native-speaking individuals, use of culturally relevant images and pre-testing of materials with audience members in their native language.

The Impact
As of March 30, 2009, over 246,000 copies of Healthy Aging: Medications and Alcohol in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese have been distributed in Massachusetts to thousands of health and human service organizations serving elder populations.

The HRiA Advantage
Health Communication Services understands that audience research is crucial to the effective development and implementation of any health communication effort. Vast experience in exploratory focus group research together with strong ties to community organizations allowed Health Resources in Action to develop a culturally competent and relevant health communication tool, from copywriting to creative design and marketing.