Let’s Talk about TB

More than half of active tuberculosis (TB) cases in the United States occur among foreign-born individuals, most of which result from reactivation of latent TB infection (LTBI), a condition that can be prevented through appropriate screening and treatment. Hawthorne Education Center (HEC) serves up to 2,500 adult learners each year, approximately 85% of whom are foreign-born, with nearly three-quarters originating from countries with a high TB burden. HEC experienced frequent cases of active TB among its learners, leading to health concerns and disruptions to school operations. Previous efforts to address TB through traditional approaches had been ineffective, prompting HEC staff to seek long-term solutions. In 2004, HEC partnered with researchers at Mayo Clinic to address the issue through a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach.

Let’s Talk about TB is a TB prevention and control program at HEC and represented the first CBPR project for RHCP. The community–academic partnership included CBPR orientation, collaborative development of research strategies, and training workshops that built community capacity in focus group facilitation. Focus groups were conducted to explore learners’ perceptions of TB and identify barriers and facilitators to screening and treatment. Based on these findings, HEC staff, learners, and researchers co-developed culturally and linguistically appropriate educational tools, including posters, leaflets, and videos, to address common TB questions and concerns. Innovative educational interventions—such as classroom discussions, interactive learning activities, and demonstrations of TB testing—were implemented annually around World TB Day for three years. Learners were offered on-site TB testing, with those testing positive referred to the local health department for further evaluation and management. TB education and screening continue annually at HEC, supported by a streamlined referral process to the Olmsted County TB Clinic.

Publications

Perception of Tuberculosis Among Immigrant and Refugees at an Adult Education Center: A Community-Based Research Approach

Screening for Tuberculosis at an Adult Education Center: Results of a Community-Based Participatory Process

Evaluation of a Tuberculosis Education Video Among Immigrants and Refugees at an Adult Education Center: A Community-Based Participatory Approach

Sustainability of a Tuberculosis Screening Program at an Adult Education Center Through Community-Based Participatory Research

Current Concepts in the Management of Tuberculosis

Funding

National Institutes of Health: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (R03 AI82703)
Mayo Clinic: Department of Medicine, and Center for Clinical and Translational Science