Southwest Center for Community Health Promotion

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The Arizona PRC, the Southwest Center for Community Health Promotion (SWCCHP), is the only PRC that works primarily along the U.S.-Mexico border and that focuses on underserved, multi-ethnic communities. Our PRC staff have long-term collaborative relationships with parmers in these communities. The; socioenvironmental context of this region makes it a unique area in which to address significant health disparities in community based participatory research (CBPR). This PRC focuses on CBPR intervention research. Its health priorities are health disparities, primarily diabetes, with a focus also on its precursors and co-morbidity (namely obesity, depression, nutrition, and physical activity), in these communities. These are based on regional and local needs assessments and on local, regional and national health statistics (especially those related to Hispanics). They were chosen in collaboration with our Regional and Local Community Advisory Boards (CABs) and community members, and health departments. This research is conducted within the framework of the PRC national and local logic models and within the conceptual framework of behavioral and environmental change, including the "change agents change" approach and the fostering of community capacity-social capital. The program focuses on making changes in physical activity and diet in patients (N=300-400), their families (N= 150-200 families @ 2.5 participants), and in community groups (N=300 - 500), and environmental and policy changes targeting these behaviors. Biological, anthropometric, and behavioral changes are tested as intermediate outcomes. Thus, during the next five years, the PRC in collaboration with its CABs and community partners will conduct and evaluate this CBPR, implement and evaluate the impact of participatory community coalitions and our local and regional CABs on policy change and the sustainability of behavioral interventions, and develop, implement, and evaluate methods to enhance the scope and impact of community health workers (CHWs) through chronic disease prevention and control activities and advocacy, analyzes results and disseminates the successful intervention components. Further, the PRC will engage in training and education primarily of CHWs and community members.