ENLACE: Community Asset Mapping to Inform Physical Activity and Health and Safety Promotion Interventions in Lower Rio Grande Colonias
Creators: name: Institute, Latino Research
Publisher: name: The University of Texas at Austin
Year: 2024
Subjects: Enlace
Latino
Latina
Hispanic
women
promotora
community outreach
physical activity
border
rural
exercise
fitness
South Texas
dissemination
community
Community Health Assessment
participatory research
health educator

description: This binder titled "Community Asset Mapping to Inform Physical Activity and Health and Safety Promotion Interventions in Lower Rio Grande Colonias " was featured during a rountable presentation at the 2014 American Public Health Association (APHA) conference for the Latino Caucus by principal investigator, Dr. Deborah Parra-Medina. The presentation's learning objectives were to: (1) Describe the process of engaging low-income Latinas residing in Lower Rio Grande Valley Colonias in Community Asset Mapping Sessions; (2) Identify the salient community characteristics related to community health and safety and physical activity that emerged in the Community Asset Mapping Sessions; and (3) Explain how findings from Community Asset Mapping sessions informed the development of the ENLACE health promotion interventions. The target audience for this presentation includes health educators promoting physical activity in under-served communities. The study “ENLACE: A Promotora-Led Physical Activity Intervention Trial for Latinas in Texas” is a clinical trial (NCT00869583) funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH) (R01HL111718).
description: ENLACE is a community-based participatory research project designed to enhance Latina’s engagement in physical activity and promote social support and collective efficacy through access to culturally appropriate, economical physical activity resources in Lower Rio Grande Valley colonias. The multi-level approach to promoting physical activity among this underserved Latina population involves attention to environmental and socio-cultural factors as well as individual attitudes and skills. To assess local residents’ perspectives of their residential environs, we conducted a series of two-part Community Asset Mapping (CAM) sessions in 8 colonias. Promotoras in each community invited women to participate and conducted the CAM sessions. Participants (n=89) ranged from 20 to 60 years of age. In the first session, promotoras guided participants through the process of identifying health and safety concerns, enumerating local assets and resources to address each concern, and locating community resources and assets on a map. In the subsequent session, participants actually visited specific local sites to assess public safety, security and suitability for engaging in physical activity. The major physical and mental health concerns residents identified included obesity, hypertension, asthma, diabetes, stress, depression, feelings of alienation and lack of medical personnel and facilities. Findings from the participatory environmental scans indicated concerns related to lack of green spaces, trash, industrial pollution, and violence. Major assets across the eight colonias were the services and staff of local Community Resource Centers and religious organizations. Findings informed the development of the promotora-delivered physical activity and community health and safety intervention of the study.