Construction of an intercultural preventive strategy of alcohol use in rural Mapuche communities: A community-based participatory research.

Abstract

The research presented in this paper consists of a case study that analyses the elements necessary for a culturally grounded methodological strategy for the prevention of problematic alcohol consumption in rural Mapuche communities in the Araucanía region. To do this, we proposed to answer the questions: what are the particularities that alcohol consumption adopts in the local space? And what are the elements that should be considered for an intercultural preventive strategy for alcohol consumption? Oriented to the perspective of community-based participatory research, data were collected through group interviews with the local community, participant observation and in-depth interviews with people who consumed alcohol, were recovering from consumption and nondrinkers. A total of 84 people participated and the information gathered was analysed using ATLAS.ti software. The results show key aspects that must be considered for the design, including: strengthening the cultural identity, providing spaces for shared reflection in places where the community converges (schools and rural health centres), and problematising alcohol consumption from their own conceptions of normal and problematic consumption. Therefore, there is a need to focus on strengthening intracultural processes in community spaces, with a preventive strategy within the logic of action research, with increasing degrees of community participation.