Mariposa Casas Program: Promotora led home based asthma management for US Mexico border families living with Asthma

Asthma is a major concern for US-Mexico border residents with 16% of adults and 17% of youth currently diagnosed with the disease. Socio economic and environmental health disparities in household quality and density, massive motorized border crossings, unpaved roads and erosion from increased rural development contribute to this burden of disease. In response to these structural issues, the Mariposa Community Health Center has developed a Promotora led home based asthma management program targeted to border families living with Asthma. The Mariposa Casas Project consists of a three month long intervention, divided into 3 Promotora home visits and a follow up encounter intended to increase asthma knowledge and improve quality of life by reducing trigger exposure. The project educational components include a train the trainer asthma curriculum for community health workers and an asthma curriculum for parents. The program is based on the NHLBI and EPA guidelines modified for language, cultural relevance and appropriateness. Promotoras conduct outcomes based evaluation (baseline and at 3 months), to monitor changes in family's knowledge of asthma, trigger mitigation and quality of life improvement. Knowledge and behavioral outcomes, process indicators and lessons learned will be shared as well as the key role an experienced Promotora has in bridging the gap among families, their health care providers and the school system. Presenter will also discuss how national asthma guidelines were adapted to meet the unique needs of this dynamic border population and the Community Health Worker Model.