Community Needs Assessment

Surveys will be constructed in cooperation with the funding organization and community contacts. A focus group consisting of service providers, industry leaders, and community partners will be conducted to test the appropriateness of content and language of the survey. Survey data will be collected from 350 Thoroughbred farm and backstretch workers who will be recruited from Thoroughbred farms, Keeneland, the Thoroughbred Training Center, and from community events. Approximately 35 farms will be recruited to participate through a convenience sample using industry contacts. This may require contacting up to 70 farms. One to two researchers will visit each site, one of whom will be fluent in Spanish. Short surveys in both English and Spanish will be presented to workers in a group setting at the site. Researchers will read through the questions as the workers fill out their responses, either in a paper format or through an online link accessible through their phones. Researchers will be present to assist workers who have questions or need assistance. Researchers will enter, clean, and analyze the survey data and create a report to be provided back to the funding agency. We anticipate that this report will be completed by no later than December 2016. Assistance in securing farm participation from survey sponsors will critical to meeting worker recruitment goals in a concentrated period of time.