One in five Latinos over age 40 have diabetes, experts say, but 60 percent never had an eye exam.
The Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health?s Center for Communication Programs and Catholic Charities? Hispanic Apostolate are looking to change that with their latest campaign.
“It was clear that whatever messages about the importance of visiting the eye doctor were not getting out there,” said Sheila West, a professor at the Wilmer Eye Institute.
Blindness is just one of the debilitating effects of diabetes, West said, but three factors contribute to the lack of care.
“The first was the language barrier: Medical services often are not perceived as accessible because of the language thing,” West said. “The second is the financial issue: how you assure people that they can receive the care they need. The third one is really just sort of a system barrier: Oftentimes, care institutions are formidable to navigate. There was also a lack of knowledge about the importance of prevention.”
The ongoing campaign consists of print advertising, as well as radio advertisements and billboards. However, a large portion of the campaign relies on the word-of-mouth approach.
“We didn?t want it to be just about posters and brochures,” West said. “We wanted to work within the classic communication networks that exist in the Latino community, finding out how people get information and building on those networks.”
They found that much of the Latin community relies on information from local businesseslike groceries, barber shops and more.
“We have amigos, or friends, [in the businesses] to help us give this information to people and educate them about diabetes and the fact that it can harm your eyesight,” said Evelyn Rosario, coordinator of services at the Hispanic Apostolate. “Our staff are holding kiosks throughout the community, and we give information out every weekend.”
Rosario said the campaign has been well-received.
“I have been amazed,” she said. “People are becoming more aware and are more conscientious about making appointments.”
