259507 A male promotores network for Latinos: Lessons learned from a CBPR project

Monday, October 29, 2012

Patricia Documét, MD, DrPH , Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pitsburgh, PA
Hernan Maldonado, MS, MPP , Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
Andrea Kamouyerou, MPH , Center for Global Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
Thomas E. Guadamuz, PhD, MHS , Center for Research on Health and Sexual Orientation and Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA
Leslie Bachurski, BA , Consumer Health Coalition, Pittsburgh, PA
Alfonso Barquera , Community Justice Project, Pittsburgh, PA
Roberto Boyzo , Latino Engagement Group for Salud, Pittsburgh, PA
Miguel Gonzalez , Latino Engagement Group for Salud, Pittsburgh, PA
Andrea Fox, MD, MPH , Squirrel Hill Health Center, Department of Family Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
Background: “New growth communities” (NGC), areas with low (<5%), yet growing, concentrations of Latinos represent 20% of all U.S. Latinos–10 million-. In NGC, Latinos are often isolated and few services address their specific cultural and language needs. There is scarce research on the effectiveness of male promotores and similar health promotion efforts in NGC. This CBPR project is based on a partnership of health and social service providers, community members and university researchers. This presentation describes the lessons learned during the implementation of this promotores network. Methods: Based on a 2010 assessment, the promotores network was structured such that there were 6 main and 5 alternate promotores. They were trained with a 20-hour curriculum to reach Latino immigrant men through social networks and provide help finding, connecting and referring them to health and social service, religious, and educational organizations. Results: Within the first 3 months, the promotores have: stayed involved in the program, successfully recruited 90 clients, gained media attention, developed leadership and trained their peers in areas of their acquired expertise (e.g., housing, human trafficking). Some challenges included not being able to: hire undocumented promotores, assess promotores' skills during training, fairly distribute work hours among promotores, and financially support innovative suggestions from promotores. Promotores reported experiencing stress treating severely ill or injured clients, and faced distrust by clients' employers . Conclusions: The CBPR approach fostered initiative empowering promotores; however, considerable flexibility was required to modify the original plan to better suit community needs while staying within a given budget.

Learning Areas:
Diversity and culture
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe three successes of a male promotores network in a new growth community (NGC) 2. List three challenges faced by a male promotores network in an NGC 3. Outline feasible solutions to the challenges faced by the promotores network in an NGC

Keywords: Latinos, Community-Based Partnership

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been conducting research for Latinos since 1998 on the topics of health care access, breast and cervical cancer screening and Latino men’s health and I have published my work. I am the PI of this project (“Lend a Hand for Health: A promotores network in a new growth community”) the promotores network) and I oversee all aspects of the study.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.