RURAL COMMUNITY HEALTH DEVELOPMENT: US Public Health Students Work from 2001-2009

Since 2002, Temple University has run a six-week, rural Costa Rican health program with more than sixty students. They have two weeks intensive Spanish and learn rural group-dynamic skills; conduct household needs assessments and use ethnographic methodologies to develop health education workshops. The communities have benefited from feedback to clinical staff about the community's desire for a lay-health committee, a pharmacy, earlier prenatal care, emergency care services, and adequate police resources. The first three were successfully implemented between 2004 and 2006. Other workshops provide information on hypertension, diabetes, cancer, fitness, diet, HIV/AIDS, hand washing, domestic violence, first-aid training, adolescent drug use and vegetable gardening. In 2009, students offered five workshops in nutrition and hand washing in primary schools, 15 home visits to elderly diabetics, a one-day health fair, daily aerobic and Karate classes, and constructed two vegetable gardens. The 2009 student program evaluations indicated on a scale from 1-5 (5=strongly agree) a positive atmosphere (4.8); an overall well taught program (4.7); improved students' analytical and critical evaluate abilities (4.6), and reports of ‘learning a great deal' (4.6). Students' subjective comments: "Presentations, meetings, and Spanish classes gave amazing prep work. The hands-on experiences and the community work gave a visual and personal feel for the topic." "I enjoyed the multiple methods of learning, such as lectures, group work, and presentations." "The direct contact with our focus groups in Ortega and with host families really helped me feel more comfortable with Spanish and with teaching nutrition." "With a word, this was priceless.”