Blog
Dream it
•
Co-Create it
•
Do it
•
Share it
•
Dream it • Co-Create it • Do it • Share it •
Publication in Health Promotion Practice
Laundromats: Community-Based Partnerships to Increase Reproductive Health Literacy Outreach
Authors: Roxanne Mirabal-Beltran, Kelsey Rondini, and Laura Linnan
Laundromats are neighborhood places that many people visit often. Even though they are great community spaces, very few health education programs have taken place in laundromats, and almost none have involved real partnerships between researchers and the community.
Some past projects have shared information about reading and cancer prevention in laundromats, but there isn’t much information showing how well they worked or how they were created.
In this paper, we share what we learned from these past efforts and introduce Wash and Spin To Health / Washington Avanzando la Salud Hispana (W.A.S.H.). Our team used a community-based approach, meaning we co-created with the community!
We describe what worked well, what was challenging, and how this model can help bring more health education and cancer awareness to people right where they are — in their own neighborhoods!
Publication in Health Equity
Assessing Community Need and Receptiveness to Reproductive Health Literacy Delivered in a Laundromat Setting
Authors: Roxanne Mirabal-Beltran, Kelsey Rondini, Nandi Dube, Ana P. Torres, Katalina Hicks, and Alejandra Hurtado de Mendoza
The W.A.S.H. team wanted to explore a new idea: could laundromats be good places to share health information? In their publication, “Assessing Community Need and Receptiveness to Reproductive Health Literacy Delivered in a Laundromat Setting,” they report what they found!
Many people who use laundromats live in neighborhoods where it can be hard to get healthcare or learn about health topics. Laundromats are familiar, low-stress places where people spend time waiting, so the team wondered if this time could also be used to learn about pregnancy, family planning, and reproductive health. The team visited four DC laundromats and surveyed 60 women about reproductive health, what visits with their doctors or nurses were like, how they used the laundromat (days and times), and if they would be open to getting health information while they waited between loads.
While many women knew some things about reproductive health, there were still areas where more information would be helpful. For example, some did not know why taking folic acid is important before and during pregnancy, how long to wait between pregnancies, or how to recognize symptoms of infections that spread through sex. Some of the Spanish-speaking women had lower scores on topics like when you can get pregnant or when to start prenatal care. Most importantly, about 40 women of the 60 surveyed said they would like to learn more about reproductive health and that getting information while they wait for their laundry would be a useful and convenient way to do so.
The W.A.S.H team concluded that laundromats can be great community spaces for sharing health information!
