Addressing Disparities in Accessing Recommended Vision and Hearing Screening Follow Up Referrals By Providing Linguistically Appropriate Parent Educational Materials

Authors

Grace Fleming, The University of VermontFollow
Hiba Hussain, The University of VermontFollow
Natalie Tikhomirova, The University of VermontFollow
Julia Pellegrino-Wood, The University of VermontFollow
Nina Touch, The University of VermontFollow
Clara Loftis, The University of VermontFollow
Justine Mee, Champlain Valley Head StartFollow
Patti Smith Urie MA, The University of VermontFollow
Katherine Mariani MD, The University of VermontFollow
Sujata Singh, The University of Vermont Medical CenterFollow

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

2025

Focus Area

Social Determinants of Health, Cultural Competency

Abstract

According to the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), Chittenden County is the most racially and ethnically diverse county in Vermont and is home to a larger percentage of limited English-speaking households. Immigrants face challenges that directly impact long-term health outcomes, including language and cultural barriers, limited access to reliable information, and unfamiliarity with the US healthcare system. Recent studies demonstrate that children from immigrant backgrounds and low socioeconomic status (SES) are less likely to be screened for vision and hearing problems. These undetected issues can hinder reading proficiency and lower educational attainment. Disparities are worsened by higher rates of loss to follow-up among families with limited English proficiency. Champlain Valley Head Start (CVHS) is a federally funded program that provides early childhood education, health, and social services to low-income families. CVHS has reported low rates of follow-up from hearing and vision screening.

We aimed to increase follow-up rates in vision and hearing screenings by creating educational materials for CVHS with a focus on language accessibility and delivery methods (handouts, video, etc.). We conducted 15 interviews between June and August 2025. 14 out of 15 parents reported improved understanding of the subject area after viewing our educational handouts. Thematic analysis, completed in NVivo using inductive-deductive coding, identified major themes: barriers to care (time, transportation, stigma), educational modality preferences, health literacy, and follow up likelihood. Educational modality preferences varied, with 53% preferring visuals and 25% preferring information from their provider.

This project demonstrates that tailored, culturally relevant educational materials can enhance understanding and may help reduce disparities in follow-up for pediatric vision and hearing screenings within CVHS. Future work involves expanding translation through collaboration with physicians whose cultural and linguistic backgrounds reflect that of CVHS’s families, continued development of educational materials, and further partnership with CVHS to maximize community impact.

Comments

Poster presented at the UVM Health Equity Summit 2025 on October 23, 2025.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Fleming, Grace; Hussain, Hiba; Tikhomirova, Natalie; Pellegrino-Wood, Julia; Touch, Nina; Loftis, Clara; Mee, Justine; Urie, Patti Smith MA; Mariani, Katherine MD; and Singh, Sujata, "Addressing Disparities in Accessing Recommended Vision and Hearing Screening Follow Up Referrals By Providing Linguistically Appropriate Parent Educational Materials" (2025). UVM AHEC. 25.
https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/uvmahec/25