Faculty Publications

The Speak Up! Salon Project: Using Hair Stylists As Lay Health Educators About Unintended Pregnancy

Document Type

Article

Keywords

community intervention, lay health advisors/community health workers, reproductive health, women’s health

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Health Promotion Practice

Volume

19

Issue

1

First Page

31

Last Page

37

Abstract

The Speak UP! Salon Project trained 126 hair stylists from 60 salons as lay health educators to increase knowledge about contraceptives and inform clients about financial support for long-acting reversible contraceptives at local family planning clinics. Stylists’ informal social support system, combined with the rapport built with clients over time, make them excellent candidates for lay health educator projects. This 3-year salon-based intervention was implemented in nine counties in a Midwestern state. Results from a subsample of participants who completed an online questionnaire (n = 177) indicate that hair stylists are a feasible method to link target populations to health information and to the health care system. The benefits and challenges of collecting data in a salon environment are also discussed.

Department

Department of Health, Recreation, and Community Services

Original Publication Date

1-1-2018

DOI of published version

10.1177/1524839917690334

Repository

UNI ScholarWorks, Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa

Language

en

Link to Full Text

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