Evaluation of a peer health worker prenatal outreach and education program for Hispanic farmworker families

The evaluation identified factors that established confidence in the program model: there were existing barriers to health care and health information, the program served a culturally specific and disadvantaged population, and the prenatal curriculum was culturally sensitive.

Abstract

This article contains the findings from an evaluation of a prenatal education program to Hispanic migrant farmworker families using peer health workers. The focus of the evaluation was on establishing the validity of the intervention model in the target population. Data are presented on the program setting, characteristics of the clients served, and effects of the educational program on the clients and peer health workers. The evaluation identified factors that established confidence in the program model: (1) there were existing barriers to health care and health information; (2) the program served a culturally specific and disadvantaged population; (3) the prenatal curriculum was culturally sensitive; (4) the peer workers were accepted by the target community; and (5) the model did not threaten the medical community. The directions for future research are presented.