Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL USA.
Environ Health. 2011 Apr 1;10:27. doi: 10.1186/1476-069X-10-27.
Novel low-cost approaches for conducting rapid health assessments and health promotion interventions among underserved worker groups are needed. Recruitment and participation of construction workers is particularly challenging due to their often transient periods of work at any one construction site, and their limited time during work to participate in such studies. In the present methodology report, we discuss the experience, advantages and disadvantages of using touch screen handheld devices for the collection of field data from a largely underserved worker population.
In March 2010, a workplace-centered pilot study to examine the feasibility of using a handheld personal device for the rapid health assessment of construction workers in two South Florida Construction sites was undertaken. A 45-item survey instrument, including health-related questions on tobacco exposure, workplace safety practices, musculoskeletal disorders and health symptoms, was programmed onto Apple iPod Touch® devices. Language sensitive (English and Spanish) recruitment scripts, verbal consent forms, and survey questions were all preloaded onto the handheld devices. The experience (time to survey administration and capital cost) of the handheld administration method was recorded and compared to approaches available in the extant literature.
Construction workers were very receptive to the recruitment, interview and assessment processes conducted through the handheld devices. Some workers even welcomed the opportunity to complete the questionnaire themselves using the touch screen handheld device. A list of advantages and disadvantages emerged from this experience that may be useful in the rapid health assessment of underserved populations working in a variety of environmental and occupational health settings.
Handheld devices, which are relatively inexpensive, minimize survey response error, and allow for easy storage of data. These technological research modalities are useful in the collection and assessment of environmental and occupational research data.
需要寻找新颖的低成本方法，以便在服务不足的工人群体中进行快速健康评估和促进健康干预。由于建筑工人在任何一个建筑工地的工作时间往往是短暂的，而且他们在工作期间参与此类研究的时间有限，因此招募和参与建筑工人具有特别的挑战性。在本方法报告中，我们将讨论使用触摸屏手持设备从服务不足的工人群体中收集现场数据的经验、优势和劣势。
2010 年 3 月，进行了一项以工作场所为中心的试点研究，以检验在佛罗里达州南部的两个建筑工地使用手持个人设备对建筑工人进行快速健康评估的可行性。一个 45 项的调查工具，包括关于烟草暴露、工作场所安全实践、肌肉骨骼疾病和健康症状的健康问题，被编程到苹果 iPod Touch®设备上。语言敏感（英语和西班牙语）的招聘脚本、口头同意书和调查问题都预先加载到手持设备上。记录了手持管理方法的经验（调查管理时间和资本成本），并与现有文献中的方法进行了比较。
建筑工人非常接受通过手持设备进行的招聘、面试和评估过程。一些工人甚至欢迎有机会使用触摸屏手持设备自行完成问卷。从这次经历中出现了一系列的优缺点，这些优点和缺点可能在各种环境和职业健康环境中对服务不足的人群进行快速健康评估时有用。
相对便宜的手持设备最大限度地减少了调查反应误差，并便于数据存储。这些技术研究模式在收集和评估环境和职业研究数据方面非常有用。
