Population Health

April 21, 2021

Community groups support frontline workers’ public health needs throughout pandemic

Caty Padilla, executive director of nonprofit Nuestra Casa, and Luz M. Fajardo, language program coordinator, give away masks at a drive-through event in Mabton, WA in August 2020.New research from the University of Washington Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences reveals that community-based organizations’ outreach efforts have met critical public health needs among Washington’s agricultural and other frontline communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the study, 68% of agricultural community members in Yakima and Chelan counties received public health information from community-based organizations during the pandemic. These results demonstrate the helpfulness of community organizations in health crises and suggest their potential utility in supporting vaccination efforts. Further, the findings indicate the importance of providing funding for the continuation of these community networks.

This study was done in collaboration with the nonprofit Front and Centered and was supported through a Population Health Initiative COVID-19 population health equity research grant.

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