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Findings from a Community-based Participatory Prevention Research Intervention Designed to Increase Social Capital in Latino and African American Communities

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Abstract

A community-based participatory research intervention, Poder es Salud/Power for Health, employed Community Health Workers who used popular education to identify and address health disparities in Latino and African American communities in a metropolitan area in the United States. We assessed participants’ social capital, self-rated health, and depressive symptoms at baseline and the end of the intervention. Social support and self-rated health improved while depressive symptoms decreased. Public health interventions involving diverse communities that are designed to build upon assets, such as existing levels of social capital, may improve health in those communities.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Grant R06/CCR021527-01). Special appreciation to the Community Health Workers Alicia Lopez, Linda Hornbuckle, Gonzalo Gonzalez, Robert Seay, Maria Avila, and Jovita Walker, and to all members of the Poder es Salud/Power for Health Steering Committee and Research Advisory Board, including, Pastor C.T. Wells, Denise Johnson, Fred Miller, Joe Gallegos, Maria Lisa Johnson, Pam Ballentine, Richard Loudd, Star Waters, Teresa Rios, and Ruth Kemp.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, CB 669, Portland, OR, 97239-3098, USA

    Yvonne L. Michael

  2. School of Community Health, Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA

    Stephanie A. Farquhar

  3. Multnomah County Health Department, Community Capacitation Center, Portland, OR, USA

    Noelle Wiggins

  4. Clackamas County Community Health Division, Oregon City, OR, USA

    Mandy K. Green

Authors
  1. Yvonne L. Michael
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  2. Stephanie A. Farquhar
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  3. Noelle Wiggins
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  4. Mandy K. Green
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Correspondence to Yvonne L. Michael.

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Michael, Y.L., Farquhar, S.A., Wiggins, N. et al. Findings from a Community-based Participatory Prevention Research Intervention Designed to Increase Social Capital in Latino and African American Communities. J Immigrant Minority Health 10, 281–289 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-007-9078-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-007-9078-2

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