1. Improving Hispanic Health through an Integrative Approach: Outcomes from the Canyon Ranch Institute Life Enhancement Program

While there is robust documentation of the health disparities Hispanic/Latino populations face in the U.S., there is much less research on effective programs that improve the health and well-being of those individuals and communities. Results from the Canyon Ranch Institute Life Enhancement Program (CRI LEP), implemented in multiple low-income communities across the United States, demonstrate that an integrative model of health coupled with the best practices of health literacy create dramatic improvements in the health of Hispanic/Latino participants. Prior to starting a CRI LEP, a comprehensive formative community assessment is conducted to tailor program materials, including the development of community-specific “stories” that are integrated into participant guides and facilitator training. That formative research also informs the selection and training of an interdisciplinary team of health care professionals drawn from the local community. The CRI LEP is currently offered in a diverse array of communities, including predominantly Hispanic/Latino communities. The CRI LEP provides at least 40 hours of community-based participatory and hands-on group sessions (in English or in Spanish), fitness instruction, live cooking demonstrations, social support, a nutritionist-guided grocery store trip, and hour-long one-on-one planning consultations with each core team specialist. Evaluation from multiple cohorts and sites indicate healthy reductions among Hispanic/Latino participants in depression (-34.6%), stress (-30.5%), the number of mentally and physically unhealthy days in the previous month (-24.7%), blood glucose (-17.2%), C-reactive protein (-29.6%); and improvements in numerous other similar improvements in knowledge, attitudes, behaviors and indicators of physical and mental health status.