Hombres en Acciòn (Men in Action): A Community Defined Domestic Violence Intervention with Mexican Immigrant Men

Studies suggest that knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about domestic violence influence the behaviors of Mexican men. However, few interventions have targeted men in efforts to provide domestic violence awareness and health education to a relevant at-risk community that is also challenged by low literacy. Mexican immigrant men, particularly those less acculturated to the dominant U.S. culture, are significantly less likely to access services and more likely to remain isolated and removed from their communities and, more importantly, from their families. The purpose of this study was to explore and examine how cultural beliefs and behaviors influence the potential of domestic violence from the perspective of the Mexican origin, male immigrant. The research drew on existing community academic partnerships to collaboratively develop a pilot intervention that uses popular education techniques and a Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) framework. The specific aims were: (1) to use the principles and practices of CBPR to ensure that the issues addressed and results obtained are relevant to Latinos in Multnomah County, (2) to identify the beliefs, attitudes, and culture about domestic violence and male health for a population of men who are immigrants and of Mexican origin, (3) to develop and prioritize intervention strategies that are community defined, (4) to implement and evaluate a four week pilot project that utilizes community defined, literacy independent curriculum and popular education techniques to address male and family wellness and the prevention of domestic violence. Nine men participated in this study who reported inadequate or marginal functional literacy at approximately a 4.5 grade level. The findings also revealed a strong consensus among the participants‘ that there is confusion surrounding what constitutes domestic violence and/or what behaviors and social barriers place them at risk for health conditions. In summary, we found that the domestic violence in the Latino communities cannot be approached as a single issue; it needs to be embraced from a wellness perspective and the impact of domestic violence and health knowledge is navigated by experiences of one‘s past and present. Combining the tools of CBPR with the tools of popular education may allow researchers to address the Latino male‘s concerns with literacy while also examining other, less immediately visible, concerns. When you take the focus off such a delicate subject such as domestic violence and reframe the issue in terms of holistic health, you will then find a more cooperative and less defensive population to work with

Hombres en Accion (Men in Action): A Community Defined Domestic Violence Intervention with Mexican, Immigrant, Men

Studies suggest that knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about domestic violence influence the behaviors of Mexican men. However, few interventions have targeted men in efforts to provide domestic violence awareness and health education to a relevant at-risk community that is also challenged by low literacy. Mexican immigrant men, particularly those less acculturated to the dominant U.S. culture, are significantly less likely to access services and more likely to remain isolated and removed from their communities and, more importantly, from their families. The purpose of this study was to explore and examine how cultural beliefs and behaviors influence the potential of domestic violence from the perspective of the Mexican origin, male immigrant. The research drew on existing community academic partnerships to collaboratively develop a pilot intervention that uses popular education techniques and a Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) framework. The specific aims were: 1) to use the principles and practices of CBPR to ensure that the issues addressed and results obtained are relevant to Latinos in Multnomah County, 2) to identify the beliefs, attitudes, and culture about domestic violence and male health for a population of men who are immigrants and of Mexican origin, 3) to develop and prioritize intervention strategies that are community defined, 4) to implement and evaluate a four week pilot project that utilizes community defined, literacy independent curriculum and popular education techniques to address male and family wellness and the prevention of domestic violence. Nine men participated in this study who reported inadequate or marginal functional literacy at approximately a 4.5 grade level. The findings also revealed a strong consensus among the participants\u27 that there is confusion surrounding what constitutes domestic violence and/or what behaviors and social barriers place them at risk for health conditions. In summary, we found that the domestic violence in the Latino communities cannot be approached as a single issue; it needs to be embraced from a wellness perspective and the impact of domestic violence and health knowledge is navigated by experiences of one\u27s past and present. Combining the tools of CBPR with the tools of popular education may allow researchers to address the Latino male\u27s concerns with literacy while also examining other, less immediately visible, concerns. When you take the focus off such a delicate subject such as domestic violence and reframe the issue in terms of holistic health, you will then find a more cooperative and less defensive population to work with

Interpretations of Interpretations: Combining Community-Based Participatory Research and Interpretive Inquiry to Improve Health

Background: Latina immigrants from Mexico suffer significantly increased morbidity and mortality from cervical cancer when compared with non-Hispanic White women, largely owing to lack of screening and appropriate treatment. Objectives: To demonstrate that by combining the tools of community-based participatory research (CBPR) with the tools of interpretive inquiry, it is possible to address explicit community concerns surrounding a particular problem such as cervical cancer while also examining what other, perhaps less immediately visible, matters consume the time and attention of community members. Methods: We first briefly discuss and compare CBPR as an approach to research and interpretive inquiry as a qualitative research method. We then provide a case study from our own research using a CBPR approach to examine beliefs and attitudes about cervical cancer prevention among Oregon Latinos. Methods in that study included extensive discussions with our community advisory board (CAB) and promotores (community health workers) regarding barriers to cervical cancer screening for Latinas and community health concerns in general, and in-depth interviews with more than 50 Latino immigrants. Conclusion: Combining the tools of CBPR with the tools of interpretive qualitative inquiry may allow researchers to address explicit community concerns while also examining what other, less immediately visible, issues consume the time and attention of community members. In our specific case, combining the insights of our community partners with the results of our interpretive analysis helped us shift the focus from cervical cancer alone to a focus on gender relations and family health as we design future interventions

Acta oto-rino-laringologica ibero-americana

Background: Latina intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors often face great barriers to depression care. We sought to use a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to create and evaluate a community-based depression care program for Latina IPV survivors. Methods: We created a multifaceted, culturally tailored intervention, based on principles of chronic illness management. A promotora provided case management services and led 12 weekly group sessions. Participants completed surveys at baseline and 6 months and participated in open-ended exit interviews. Results: Ten Spanish-speaking Latina women participated in the intervention. The program had excellent attendance, with 100% of women attending at least 10 group sessions, and high satisfaction. We found a large decrease in depression severity (Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ]-9, 17.3–7.2; p = .001), as well as improvements in depression self-efficacy, self-esteem, and stress. Conclusion: This study offers promising preliminary data to support the use of community-based approaches to reducing depression disparities in Latina IPV survivors