Perspectives on a US-Mexico Border Community's Diabetes and "Health-Care" Access Mobilization Efforts and Comparative Analysis of Community Health Needs over 12 Years.

Cecilia Ballesteros Rosales,Maia Ingram,Jill Eileen Guernsey De Zapien,Jean Chang,Scott C Carvajal,Lisa K Staten,Maria L Fernandez

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2017.00152

Abstract

This paper describes a community coalition–university partnership to address health needs in an underserved US–Mexico border, community. For approximately 15 years, this coalition engaged in community-based participatory research with community organizations, state/local health departments, and the state’s only accredited college of public health. Notable efforts include the systematic collection of health-relevant data 12 years apart and data that spawned numerous health promotion activities. The latter includes specific evidence-based chronic disease-preventive interventions, including one that is now disseminated and replicated in Latino communities in the US and Mexico, and policy-level changes. Survey data to evaluate changes in a range of health problems and needs, with a specific focus on those related to diabetes and access to health-care issues—identified early on in the coalition as critical health problems affecting the community—are presented. Next steps for this community and lessons learned that may be applicable to other communities are discussed.

Highlights

In the mid-1990s, a core partnership emerged committed to understanding and acting upon health problems found among a highly underserved community located along the US–Mexico border in Southeast Arizona
Following the initial study in 1996, every effort was expended to collaborate in advocating for resources from the local, state, and federal levels to respond to what was reportedly a higher prevalence of diabetes and poor rates of control in this small community compared to the state and national rates [14]
This paper describes two population health improvements, improved health-care access and improved diabetes control that dramatically improved within an underserved and impoverished community at the US–Mexico border across a span of 12 years

Summary

Introduction

In the mid-1990s, a core partnership emerged committed to understanding and acting upon health problems found among a highly underserved community located along the US–Mexico border in Southeast Arizona. The partnership started with a group of local community residents in the municipality of Douglas, Arizona, and allies at the nearest public university (University of Arizona) and state of Arizona’s Department of Health Services (ADHS). This group of grassroots health activists, researchers, and policymakers had anecdotal evidence for a major health problem in the area associated with inadequate access to the health care as well as diabetes and diabetes-related complications and charged that systematic data collection was needed to better grasp the scope and depth of the problem [1]. The survey data collected applied high rigor in terms of public health surveillance metrics and included a sample population approaching 1,000 residents

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Discussion

Conclusion