Vanessa Simonds|Frances Kim|Deborah LaVeaux|Velma Pickett|Jessica Milakovich|Jason Cummins
Guardians of the Living Water: Using a Health Literacy Framework to Evaluate a Child as Change Agent Intervention
Montana State University|Montana State University|Montana State University|Little Big Horn College|Montana State University
background american indian communities united states experience considerable health inequities including increased exposure environmental contaminants consequently community members apsalooke crow nation identified lack waterrelated environmental knowledge among children area concern aim purpose study provide feasibility evaluation increasingly sophisticated environmental health literacy program children method communityacademic partnership developed piloted guardians living water program increase environmental health literacy among children families crow reservation nutbeams framework health literacy schema based functional interactive critical literacy shaped program evaluation used withinsubjects quasiexperimental design without control group interviews children parents used assess feasibility program preposttests assessed changes knowledge skills behavior results compared preintervention responses postintervention indicated significant increases selected knowledge attitude components based qualitative interviews children caregivers camp valuable experience increased knowledge water quality science reinforced cultural knowledge discussion success program stems trust initially built partners expanded throughout community program evaluation benefited health literacy framework integration apsalooke values conclusion findings suggest communitybased intervention designed increase environmental health literacy among youth social networks feasible acceptable american indian community