22nd Annual Student Research Conference
Maternal Health Education Among Sugarcane Field Workers in Southeast Dominican Republic
Brian S. Hilliard*, Lara K. McKay, and Christopher G. Dove
Dr. Lin Twining, Faculty Mentor
Previous surveys indicate deficits in maternal health knowledge and practice among sugarcane workers in southeastern Dominican Republic. To address this situation a film titled Enciende una Luz (Light a Candle) was produced by the Healthy Mothers-Healthy Babies Foundation to teach information about the timing of births, pregnancy risk factors, and healthy pregnancy practices. Truman students traveled to communities in the Dominican Republic on two occasions to evaluate the educational efficacy of the film. Video screening participants took a survey before and after the showing to establish baseline and post-screening knowledge. At 95% confidence, participants showed educational improvement across four broad topic areas, though information retention was dependant on presentation format, environment, and repetition. To increase the pedagogical effectiveness of the film, students completed a second round of screenings that included a Kreyol-language version of the film, a children's sanitation workshop, and additional interactive programming.
Keywords: Education, Health, Poverty, Domican Republic, Maternal, International, Culture
Topic(s):Health Science
Biology
Sociology/Anthropology
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: 5-12
Location: PML
Time: 4:15