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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Genevieve Polk¹, Ann DiGirolamo, PhD, MPH¹, Bethann Cottrell, PhD², and Ericka Escalante, MSc³. (1) Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Road, NE, Atlanta, GA 30322, 404-727-3492, gpolk2@sph.emory.edu, (2) Health Assessment and Promotion, DeKalb County Department of Health, 445 Winn Way, Decatur, GA 30031, (3) Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica, Av. Universidad No.655, CP62508, Cuernavaca, Mexico

According to the WHO, health is a “state of physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (1998)”. One component of well-being addressing both mental and social aspects is empowerment. The main objectives of this study were: 1) to examine how women in a semi-rural Central Mexican community discuss empowerment and 2) to understand how empowerment can be measured in a culturally sensitive manner using previously-tested scales and open-ended questions. The scales measured two important components of empowerment: social support and perceived control. The open-ended questions included items about definitions of individual and family well-being and levels and sources of social support. This semi-structured interview was administered to a sample of 15 grandmothers and mothers of young children, before and after their participation in a one-week community-based workshop to address these issues. The preliminary results reveal that women's understanding of well-being is focused on the economic stability and health of their families. Positive marital relationships were also of extreme importance to these women. Women reported low levels of social support. The social support received came from their husbands and other family members, but not from friends. Both the qualitative and quantitative results of this study will be presented, along with information on how women discuss and perceive well-being. Understanding cultural definitions of empowerment is important when addressing multiple aspects of well-being within a community. Funding provided by Rollins School of Public Health (GFE Fund) and Fogarty International Center of NIH.

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