Health on the Hilltop: Wellness in the Refugee Population

IMPACT. 1: 7 of 12 ESL students attended more than half of the classes -- 2. Agreements established with health class participants to reduce sugar intake -- 3. 14 health class participants with 5 attending more than half of sessions.PRIMARY CONTACT: John Curfman (curfman.4@osu.edu)The Columbus refugee population is diverse and growing. Additionally, Columbus is poised to become the largest diaspora of Somali in 2015. Access to healthcare is reduced in this population due to the significant language barrier and potential misunderstandings that occur. Faced with an increased availability of sugar and fast food restaurants, adjusting to an American diet is easy, but making healthy choices for themselves and their families are much more difficult. This project provided ESL classes to Somali and Latina women, designed nutrition and wellness education curriculum, and coordinated free clinic operations and provided nursing care to indigent populations