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Though pesticide exposure to farmers and farmworkers has been well documented, less attention is paid to exposures that are incurred by their family members. One documented source of pesticide exposure for farm families is the laundering of clothing worn in fields. The aim of this project was to develop a risk communication program to promote laundering safety guidelines to farm family members in British Columbia, Canada.
Methods
Qualitative, in-home interviews with British Columbian farmers, farm workers and farm family members were undertaken to determine preferred communication formats and media use patterns. These interviews determined that a majority of this farming community spoke Punjabi and that most showed a preference for "Bollywood style" programming. Three Bollywood-style Public Service Announcements (PSAs) of varying lengths were developed and produced using a Community Engagement model, bringing together local crew and talent from the farming region. The content for the video was reviewed by the BC Ministry of Agriculture as well as researchers at the University of British Columbia prior to shooting.
Results
The PSAs were shown at Sikh temples and cultural events, and aired on local Punjabi TV during 2010. Local, national and international Punjabi and English language newspapers and radio programs featured the story and video. Preliminary evaluation of this program suggests that this method of video production is an effective tool for communicating pesticide safety and leads to a greater identification of issues within a target community.
Discussion
Communicating health and safety information across cultures can be difficult, particularly when literacy and language issues occur. Using videos as a vehicle for health and safety promotion is one approach to manage these issues. Community involvement in the creation of these types of communication products is key to developing interesting and relevant programming.