Health literacy project delivered education to Immokalee
5 – minute read
In the heart of Collier County lies Immokalee, a town known for its agricultural fields and close-knit community. It is the hometown to Florida Gulf Coast University graduate student Naidelyn Maldonado (’23, social work). Starting as a research assistant, Maldonado was promoted to project coordinator for the Latino community on the Immokalee Health Project, an FGCU initiative aimed to improve the well-being of residents through health education and medical screenings.
“It was brought to my attention that the Haitian and Latino populations find it challenging to focus on their health due to working long hours and focusing on providing sufficient income for their households,” says Maldonado, a first-generation college graduate working toward her social work master’s degree. The Immokalee Health Project became a platform for her to bring health literacy into her community and be a positive change at the grassroots level.
The FGCU study was funded by the Fort Myers-based nonprofit Collaboratory with an aim to help Latino and Haitian participants. The researchers focused on increasing participant knowledge of health conditions that affect those populations, such as those related to blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol. The ultimate goal was for participants to develop or increase their motivation to take better care of themselves.
Payal Kahar, an associate professor of public health, and Lirio Negroni, a social work professor, were the principal investigators on the study. They spent a year developing connections with the Latino and Haitian communities prior to beginning the project.
At each health event, their educators presented on topics related to exercise, nutrition and managing personal health care concerns. The researchers relied on more than two dozen bilingual community volunteers and students like Maldonado.
“We got to know each other and build a connection,” says Maldonado about the 15 nursing and social work students who served as translators and assisted in data collection and delivery of services. “Not only with this project, but pushing each other to continue with our education, so it was a great relationship to build.” The services of student volunteers ensured the health literacy initiative was accessible to participants.
“This is what regional colleges are meant to do,” says Kahar. “To make impacts – either small or big – but be there for people in the community in the most need.”
According to the Immokalee Foundation, a nonprofit that serves the community, approximately 40,000 people live in Immokalee during the peak winter season. It’s home to one of the largest migrant communities in the U.S.
“Growing up, my parents picked citrus, tomatoes, chilies, jalapenos, cucumber – everything,” says Maldonado. “A lot of our participants worked in the fields. I didn’t know them all, but they would often recognize me.”
With 256 participants in the Immokalee Health Project, less than 1% of the population took part in the study. But, each individual represented an entire household that could benefit from sharing the received health knowledge.
While Kahar and Negroni had community contacts, Maldonado and Marie Beldor, project coordinator for the Haitian community, helped identify locations where health events could take place. One of those venues was Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church – Maldonado’s parents’ parish.
“This was a great opportunity for me to learn more about my community. Some of us saw it as just the place where we grew up. But when you actually work there, it’s eye opening to realize the resources that are needed and how an individual can make a change in the community and help a lot of people like my parents,” she says.
The Immokalee Health Project events administered pre- and post-questionnaires and a one-hour interactive conference. They discussed managing stress, communicating with a healthcare provider and recognizing the signs and symptoms of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and asthma. FGCU nursing students and faculty checked blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol and body mass index. They provided health screenings for undiagnosed cases of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and Type 2 diabetes. When participants had positive results, nursing students and faculty provided additional information about services, medical counseling or a referral.
The researchers were looking for evidence that workshops and screenings can change the health profile of residents. They are currently analyzing the data and plan to publish their findings.
“There is so much to be done,” Kahar said. “The fact that the community members appreciate what we did and expect more from us would drive us to secure more grants and keep the work going.”
Maldonado says her goal in studying social work is to help people, and she appreciated the opportunity to work on the Immokalee Health Project. “It’s just a great feeling to give back to a community where I grew up and have this opportunity to learn so much more about it.”