Health Education Efforts in Uncertain Times: Helping to Ensure Healthy Pregnancies in a Time of Crisis

Hurricane Katrina caused immense upheaval and disrupted many lives. Among those affected were pregnant women. A public service announcement, website content, and a fact sheet were developed to inform pregnant women about the issues that could potentially affect their health and that of their babies. The aim of these products was to provide health messages that captured the attention of the intended audience amid the challenging environment of an emergency situation. Message dissemination methods-television, radio, and websites-were carefully selected, because using a combination of outlets is often helpful in reaching the widest audience possible.