Eat Well, Live Well with HIV/AIDS along the US/Mexico Border: A Nutrition Promotora Training Model

San Ysidro Health Center, situated 2 miles from the border with Mexico with a history of over 39 years of service in the community of San Ysidro, California. SYHC's Eat Well, Live Well Nutrition (EWLW) Promotora/es Training Program's objective is to improve the HIV positive Latino/as access to culturally and linguistically competent nutrition education and healthy cooking classes.

The EWLW program consists of a total of ten, 2-hour long sessions with five sessions of nutrition theory and five of hands-on cooking classes. Traditional Latino recipes are prepared in healthier way by program participants reinforcing learning objectives of the previous nutrition class session. In a customary sit down dinner participants and facilitator discuss each of the recipes, ingredients, nutritional values and likeability of each dishes prepared. Nutrition classes cover basic HIV/AIDS disease information such as nutrition basics, food safety, exercise, and side effect of antiretroviral medications.

The program was evaluated by looking at how closely stated goals and objectives were achieved and by patient satisfaction surveys. Overall success of the program was determined by the successful graduation of capable Nutrition Promotoras/es(NP). The effectiveness of the program was determined by the level of knowledge gained by NPs as measured by the pre-post tests administered after each session.

Through the successful implementation of a culturally and linguistically appropriate program such as the EWLW Promotoras Training Program patients acquired significant knowledge about HIV and Nutrition. NP's as community leaders that advocate for nutrition programs as part of crucial services offered to people living HIV.