Implementation and Evaluation of a 2-1-1 Texas Awareness Campaign.

Background: There are several populations considered to be undersevered in the United States, especially in rural and disadvantaged areas, where health services and resources are limited and geographically dispersed. To combat these issues, federal and state governments have developed 2-1-1 Texas, a toll-free public resource for information retrieval and referral to health services (e.g., food, housing, employment, healthcare, counseling). Objective: To assess awareness and utilization of the 2-1-1 Texas service on a large university campus in Texas. Methods: Members of a university-sanctioned student organization distributed promotional items to tailgating fans before a college football game between two Texas teams. Members approached fans to inquire if they had ever heard of or used 2-1-1 Texas, recorded individuals' answers, and asked pre-determined follow-up questions based on a decision tree. Members also educated fans about 2-1-1 Texas and its associated benefi ts. Results: A total of 890 fans provided responses. Eighty-eight percent (n=783) of respondents reported they had never heard of 2-1-1 Texas. Of those who were aware of 2-1-1 Texas (12.0%, n=107), 15.9% (n=17) reported having called in the past. Some of the reported reasons for calling 2-1-1 Texas included seeking information about childcare services, recycling locations, drug education, hurricane relief, and free dental and healthcare clinics. Conclusions: Findings indicate those needing health-related assistance may be unaware of the existence of free or inexpensive services. Despite the widespread availability of 2-1-1 Texas, additional marketing, awareness-raising, and educational events are needed to inform Texas residents about this and other related services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]