IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2023i7p5311-d1110544.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Dissemination and Implementation of a Text Messaging Campaign to Improve Health Disparities among Im/Migrant Workers

Author

Listed:
  • Ellie Cherryhomes

    (Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77550, USA)

  • Shannon Guillot-Wright

    (Center for Violence Prevention, Department of Family Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77550, USA)

Abstract

The use of short message service (SMS) text messaging technology has grown in popularity over the last twenty years, but there is limited data on the design and feasibility of campaigns to reduce work-related injury, particularly among rural workers, non-native English speakers, and illiterate or low-literacy populations. Although there is a critical need for tech equity or ‘TechQuity’ interventions that reduce injury and enhance the wellbeing of under-reached communities, the barriers and benefits to implementation must be empirically and systematically examined. Thus, our team used D&I science to design and implement an 18-week texting campaign for under-reached workers with a higher-than-average risk of fatal and non-fatal injury. The experimental project was conducted with English-, Spanish-, and Vietnamese-speaking commercial fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico to test the design and feasibility, and messaging focused on preventing injury from slips, trips, and falls, as well as hurricane preparedness. The ubiquity of mobile devices and the previous success of texting campaigns made this a promising approach for enhancing health and preventing injury among an under-reached population. However, the perceived benefits were not without their barriers. The lessons learned included the difficulty of navigating federal regulations regarding limits for special characters, enrolling migratory participants, and navigating areas with limited cellular service or populations with limited accessibility to technology. We conclude with short- and long-term suggestions for future technology interventions for under-reached worker populations, including ethical and policy regulations.

Suggested Citation

  • Ellie Cherryhomes & Shannon Guillot-Wright, 2023. "Dissemination and Implementation of a Text Messaging Campaign to Improve Health Disparities among Im/Migrant Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(7), pages 1-11, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:7:p:5311-:d:1110544
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/7/5311/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/7/5311/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kaplan, I. M. & Kite-Powell, H. L., 2000. "Safety at sea and fisheries management:: fishermen's attitudes and the need for co-management," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 24(6), pages 493-497, November.
    2. Rebecca J. Guerin & Samantha M. Harden & Borsika A. Rabin & Diane S. Rohlman & Thomas R. Cunningham & Megan R. TePoel & Megan Parish & Russell E. Glasgow, 2021. "Dissemination and Implementation Science Approaches for Occupational Safety and Health Research: Implications for Advancing Total Worker Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-19, October.
    3. Levine, D. & McCright, J. & Dobkin, L. & Woodruff, A.J. & Klausner, J.D., 2008. "SEXINFO: A sexual health text messaging service for San Francisco youth," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 98(3), pages 393-395.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Martha J. Decker & Nancy F. Berglas & Claire D. Brindis, 2015. "A Call to Action: Developing and Strengthening New Strategies to Promote Adolescent Sexual Health," Societies, MDPI, vol. 5(4), pages 1-27, October.
    2. Nicola Magnavita, 2023. "Workplace Health Promotion Embedded in Medical Surveillance: The Italian Way to Total Worker Health Program," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-11, February.
    3. Barak, Adi & Spielberger, Julie & Gitlow, Elissa, 2014. "The challenge of relationships and fidelity: Home visitors' perspectives," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 50-58.
    4. Sonia Livingstone & Jessica Mason, 2015. "Sexual rights and sexual risks among youth online: a review of existing knowledge regarding childrenand young people’s developing sexuality in relationto new media environments," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 64567, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    5. Liliana Tenney & Amy G. Huebschmann & Carol E. Brown & Natalie V. Schwatka & Lee S. Newman, 2022. "Leveraging an Implementation Science Framework to Measure the Impact of Efforts to Scale Out a Total Worker Health ® Intervention to Employers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-20, January.
    6. Carmen Koschollek & Anna Kuehne & Johanna Müllerschön & Stephen Amoah & Helene Batemona-Abeke & Taty Dela Bursi & Pierre Mayamba & Adama Thorlie & Christina Mputu Tshibadi & Virginia Wangare Greiner &, 2020. "Knowledge, information needs and behavior regarding HIV and sexually transmitted infections among migrants from sub-Saharan Africa living in Germany: Results of a participatory health research survey," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(1), pages 1-21, January.
    7. Sara L. Tamers & Jessica M. K. Streit & Casey Chosewood, 2022. "Promising Occupational Safety, Health, and Well-Being Approaches to Explore the Future of Work in the USA: An Editorial," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-7, February.
    8. Ellen Wartella & Vicky Rideout & Heather Montague & Leanne Beaudoin-Ryan & Alexis Lauricella, 2016. "Teens, Health and Technology: A National Survey," Media and Communication, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(3), pages 13-23.
    9. Ellen Wartella & Vicky Rideout & Heather Montague & Leanne Beaudoin-Ryan & Alexis Lauricella, 2016. "Teens, Health and Technology: A National Survey," Media and Communication, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(3), pages 13-23.
    10. Rebecca J. Guerin & John P. Barile & Matthew R. Groenewold & Hannah L. Free & Andrea H. Okun, 2023. "COVID-19 Workplace Mitigation Strategies and Employee Leave Policies Implemented during the Height of the Pandemic, United States, Fall 2020 and 2021," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-13, February.
    11. Mathematica Policy Research & Public Health Institute, "undated". "Using Health Text Messages to Improve Consumer Health Knowledge, Behaviors, and Outcomes: An Environmental Scan," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 4dbdfc0c86c641b3a89230ebf, Mathematica Policy Research.
    12. Béné, Christophe & Arthur, Robert & Norbury, Hannah & Allison, Edward H. & Beveridge, Malcolm & Bush, Simon & Campling, Liam & Leschen, Will & Little, David & Squires, Dale & Thilsted, Shakuntala H. &, 2016. "Contribution of Fisheries and Aquaculture to Food Security and Poverty Reduction: Assessing the Current Evidence," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 177-196.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:7:p:5311-:d:1110544. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.