Creation and Use of Social Ecology Based Interventions via a Collaboration of Library, Visual Communication and Occupational Therapy Departments to Improve Health Literacy.

Low health literacy has a direct impact on the health outcomes of non and low-English speaking populations. The social ecology theory supports the influencing of various social systems to increase engagement with health literacy materials.
The poster shows a librarian sparked synergy of graphic design and occupational therapy systems as potential solutions to address specific health literacy and access issues. To influence the social environment around people to improve health literacy, occupational therapy students worked with visual communication students in their systems design integration course with the support of the Occupational Therapy liaison librarian.

The social ecology theory, as established by Urie Brofenbrenner, looks at the idea that external factors influence people in our physical and social environments. These factors encircle a person and go from individual factors in concentric circles into the community and the overarching policies that cover those communities. It acknowledges the complexity surrounding each and every one of us through various levels of influence. The professors and community members felt this interdisciplinary collaboration of the systems was successful. The student collaboration yielded traditional health literacy materials such as flyers and brochures and innovative materials such as phone applications, kit boxes for social support programs, graphic novels, advertising campaigns, and interactive community murals. These were created to address the needs of a variety of populations ranging from children with asthma, children living with trauma, teenagers with mental health concerns, night shift worker health disparities, accessibility on public transit, and caregivers of people with dementia within the Hispanic population.