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Can promotores be trained to deliver depression prevention programs to aging Latino immigrants?
Despite the deleterious consequences of depression, culturally appropriate interventions for the management of risk factors of depression and depressive symptoms are not readily available to aging lower-income Latinos living in the U.S. We trained promotores (community health care workers) to deliver an intervention to manage stress and prevent depression to aging lower income Latino immigrants living in the San Francisco Bay area
method
Ten promotores completed a 12-week training program to manage stress and prevent depression. Trained promotores delivered an 8-week program to 46 low-income adult Latino immigrants (35% > age 50). We assessed the fidelity of the promotores delivering the intervention by observing the frequency of 16 program delivery behaviors. We measured baseline and post- program self reported stress of immigration, perceived stress and depression of the participants who completed the 8-week program delivered by promotores
results
Promotores were able to follow the manual and implement the program. Participants reported a high level of satisfaction with the program delivered by promotores. Change scores of the participants’ self reported stress and depression showed significant improvement after the 8-week program (P< .05)
conclusion
Results suggest that promotores’ led programs may be and effective way to improve mental health in aging lower- income Latino communities
Learning Areas:
Diversity and cultureImplementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Provision of health care to the public
Public health or related nursing
Social and behavioral sciences
Learning Objectives:
Describe the process of training lay community health care workers (promotores) to deliver a program to prevent depression to lower-income aging Latino immigrants in the community
Keyword(s): Community Health Workers and Promoters, Mental Health Treatment &Care
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the principal investigator for this research project which was funded with federal funds from the National Institute of Aging, National Institutes of Health.
As an early investigator and a funded scholar in the Center for Aging in Diverse Communities at the University of California, San Francisco, I am focused on finding sustainable mental health interventions for the prevention of depression in aging low-income Latinos.
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.