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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Mary Luna Hollen, PhD, RD¹, Ximena Urrutia-Rojas, DrPH, RN¹, Matt Stahl, BS¹, Isabel Vecino, MD², Enisa Arslanagic, MD², and Maria G. Hernandez, CHW¹. (1) Dept of Social & Behavioral Sciences, UNT Health Science Center School of Public Health, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd. EAD1-730, Fort Worth, TX 76107, 817-735-5172, mhollen@hsc.unt.edu, (2) Dept of Internal Medicine, UNT Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76107

The study utilizes promotores de salud to explore the social and behavioral determinants of health in Hispanic youth and families. Dimensions of culture, social parameters, and program process need to be better understood in the public health literature. The purpose of this study is to determine if concordance in the number of risk factors and the number of years in the US in Hispanic families in the Diabetes, Research, and Metabolic Studies (DREAMS) Project1 is associated with participant attendance in family sessions conducted by promotores de salud.

Previously identified overweight Hispanic children (n=240), at risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and their family members were enrolled in Project1 in the spring of 2005 and randomly assigned to the intervention group (n=120) utilizing Salud para su Corazón and Diabetes-trained promotores de salud in family sessions and bilingual culturally competent print material, or to a control group (n=120) receiving print material only.

Families in the intervention participated in cultural and youth/family-oriented health promotion activities throughout the six-week family sessions conducted by promotores de salud as well as followup during the remainder of the six-month intervention period. A series of evaluation instruments called cuentamelo (tell me the story) quantitatively and qualitatively measured the program. Preliminary results will be available in the summer of 2006. Regression analyses will determine the association of risk factors and years in the US to family session attendance. Results will support the utilization of promotores de salud in identifying social and behavioral determinants of health.

Learning Objectives:

• 1. Describe the mechanisms by which promotores de salud facilitate identifying the social and behavioral determinants of health.
• 2. Discuss how social and behavioral aspects of Hispanic families impact health prevention programs.
• 3. Articulate the importance of cultural dimensions of health.

Keywords: Special Populations,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered