Dear Marty,
For my research I conduced a qualitative critical ethnographic case study.  Data was collected with pre and post individual and focus group interviews and observational notes.  My study found that the photonovel functioned as an effective health literacy tool due to the use of visuals and simplified language.  My results also showed the the participatory photonovel process formed community and increased the women's feelings of self importance.  
Most interestingly, there was a subtle, yet notable shift in the women's consciousness around nutrition.  Before the study, the women felt seemingly helpless about their changes in diets upon migration.  After the study, there was a shift in their focus and they talked about what they could do to change their diets and get more exercise.  This movement from disempowered to empowered was profoundly powerful, and was very meaningful to me as the researcher.

This study can be found at:
Nimmon L. (2007). Within the eyes of the people: Using a photonovel as a consciousness-raising health literacy tool with ESL-speaking immigrant women. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 98(4), 337-340.

On behalf of the Institute of Population and Public Health (IPPH), the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA), the Canadian Public Health Initiative (CPHI) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), I won a Canadian Population and Public Health Masters Research Award for my research with photonovels and immigrant women.  It was also shortlisted for the Language and Literacy Researchers of Canada Masters Research Award.

This study is being published into a book, but I cant decide the title yet.  Something like: 
Breaking Out With Photonovels: A Consciousness Raising Health Literacy Project With ESL Speaking Immigrant Women.
Should be out this spring on amazon.com

Have a great day,

Laura

-
Laura Nimmon 
Ph.D Student
Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada Doctoral Fellow
Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Senior Graduate Trainee 
www.photonovel.ca

Language and Literacy Education
University of British Columbia
2125 Main Mall
Vancouver, BC
Canada V6T 1Z4


-----Original Message-----


> Date: Mon Nov 24 19:29:46 PST 2008

> From: "Marty Romney" <mromney at comcast.net>

> Subject: [HealthLiteracy 2508] Re: Evidence-based? ... Literacy benefits?

> To: "The Health and Literacy Discussion List" <healthliteracy at nifl.gov>

>

> Dear Laura,

> 

> Thank you so very much!  The information you have provided is exceedingly

> helpful and I will look for the article.  I am finding it a challenge to

> find validated qualitative instruments used with photonovellas. How else can

> you demonstrate that your interventions have had a positive impact?

> 

> I am actually reading some qualitative research texts but see no references

> to photonovellas.

> 

> Thanks again - have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and good luck with your

> doctoral work.

> 

> marty

> 

> 

> On 11/24/08 12:08 AM, "Laura Nimmon" <nimmon at interchange.ubc.ca> wrote:

> 

> > Dear Marty,

> > 

> > I thought you might find this South African study interesting:

> > 

> > James, et al. (2005), used a pre-post test follow up design to study the

> > effects of a systematically developed photonovel on knowledge, attitudes,

> > communication, and behavioral intentions with respect to sexually transmitted

> > infections after a single reading by 1,168 secondary school students in South

> > Africa. James, et al. found that reading the photonovel contributed to a more

> > positive attitude to condom use in male and female learners six weeks after

> > the intervention. The study shows that an effect was also found on future

> > intentions to use condoms in the next year. The authors noted that these

> > positive attitudes are important in influencing intentions to use condoms;

> > however, they suggested that there needs to be further educational strategies

> > that encourage open communication about AIDS because awareness, positive

> > attitudes, and knowledge about the problem may not be sufficient to create

> > actual behavioural change. Therefore, while the authors found photonovels to

> > be an ef

> >  fective strategy to access youth and prepare them for adequate preventive

> > behaviours, the study also identified the need to combine print media with

> > other planned theory-based interventions that build confidence and skills to

> > initiate the preventive behaviour.

> > 

> > James, S., Reddy, P., Ruiter, R., Taylor, M., Jinabhai, C., Van Empelen, P.,

> > et al. (2005). The effects of a systematically developed photo-novella on

> > knowledge, attitudes, communication and behavioural intentions with respect to

> > sexually transmitted infections among secondary school learners in South

> > Africa. Health Promotion International, 20(2), 157-165

> > 

> > Laura

> > 

> > -

> > Laura Nimmon 

> > Ph.D Student

> > Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada Doctoral Fellow

> > Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Senior Graduate Trainee

> > www.photonovel.ca

> > 

> > Language and Literacy Education

> > University of British Columbia

> > 2125 Main Mall

> > Vancouver, BC

> > Canada V6T 1Z4

> > 

> > 

> > 

> > 

> > -----Original Message-----

> > 

> >> Date: Sat Nov 22 03:38:37 PST 2008

> >> From: "Marty Romney" <mromney at comcast.net>

> >> Subject: [HealthLiteracy 2504] Re: Evidence-based? ... Literacy benefits?

> >> To: "The Health and Literacy Discussion List" <healthliteracy at nifl.gov>

> >> 

> >> I welcome everyone's thoughts on the evaluation piece.

> >> 

> >> Thanks,

> >> 

> >> Marty

> >> 

> >> 

> >> On 11/20/08 2:30 PM, "Julie McKinney" <julie_mcKinney at worlded.org> wrote:

> >> 

> >>> I'm glad that Marty brought up evaluation! So...John, Susan and others,

> >>> can we call phonovellas an "evidence-based" strategy? For public health?

> >>> How about for literacy teaching?  (My guess is it's not an easy yes or

> >>> no!)

> >>> 

> >>> We have not heard from many adult literacy teachers: for you all, what

> >>> benefits do you see in literacy gains using photonovellas vs. other

> >>> authentic materials?

> >>> 

> >>> And one question for Susan: what is the difference between using a

> >>> phonotovella and using the TWS (teach with stories)method?

> >>> 

> >>> Thanks to all for great questions and answers!

> >>> 

> >>> Julie

> >>> 

> >>> Julie McKinney

> >>> Health Literacy List Moderator

> >>> World Education

> >>> jmckinney at worlded.org

> >>> ----------------------------------------------------

> >>> National Institute for Literacy

> >>> Health and Literacy mailing list

> >>> HealthLiteracy at nifl.gov

> >>> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to

> >>> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/healthliteracy

> >>> Email delivered to mromney at comcast.net

> >> 

> >> 

> >> ----------------------------------------------------

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> >> Email delivered to nimmon at interchange.ubc.ca

> > -

> > 

> > ----------------------------------------------------

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> 

> 

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-