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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 explores 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 in the Hispanic youth diabetes prevention program is to determine if concordance in the number of Hispanic family risk factors and the number of years in the US is associated with the self-reported baseline lifestyle behaviors questionnaire score.

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

Families in the intervention group 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. Control families received monthly educational print material by mail for six months. A series of evaluation instruments called cuentamelo (tell me the story) quantitatively and qualitatively measure 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 self-reported baseline lifestyle behaviors questionnaire score. Results will support the importance of social and cultural parameters in assessing 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 assessment.
• 3. Identify specific Hispanic family health scores associated with social and behavioral factors.

Keywords: Behavioral Research,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered