Community Action Board Research Articles

The Development of a Text Messaging Platform to Enhance a Youth Diabetes Prevention Program: Observational Process Study.

Approximately 1 in 5 adolescents in the United States has prediabetes, and racially and ethnically minoritized youths are disproportionately impacted. Unfortunately, there are few effective youth diabetes prevention programs, and in-person interventions are challenging because of barriers to access and engagement. We aimed to develop and assess the preliminary feasibility and acceptability of a youth-informed SMS text messaging platform to provide additional support and motivation to adolescents with prediabetes participating in a diabetes prevention workshop in East Harlem, New York City, New York, United States. We collaborated with our youth action board and a technology partner (mPulse Mobile) to develop and pilot-test the novel interactive platform. The technology subcommittee of our community action board (comprising youths and young adults) used the results from focus groups that we had previously conducted with youths from our community to develop 5 message types focused on healthy eating and active living: goal setting, behavior tracking, individually tailored guidance, motivational messages, and photo diary. We used an iterative process to develop and pilot the program with our internal study team, including youths from our community action board and mPulse Mobile developers. We then conducted a pilot of the 12-week SMS text messaging program with 13 youths with prediabetes. Participants (aged 15-21 years; 10/13, 77% female; 3/10, 23% Black and 10/13, 77% Hispanic or Latinx) received an average of 2 automated messages per day. The system correctly sent 84% (2231/2656) of the messages at the time intended; the remaining 16% (425/2656) of the messages were either sent at the incorrect time, or the system did not recognize a participant response to provide the appropriate reply. The level of engagement with the program ranged from 1 (little to no response) to 5 (highly responsive) based on how frequently participants responded to the interactive (2-way) messages. Highly responsive participants (6/13, 46%) responded >75% (1154/1538) of the time to interactive messages sent over 12 weeks, and 69% (9/13) of the participants were still engaged with the program at week 12. During a focus group conducted after program completion, the participants remarked that the message frequency was appropriate, and those who had participated in our in-person workshops reflected that the messages were reminiscent of the workshop content. Participants rated goal setting, behavior tracking, and tailored messages most highly and informed planned adaptations to the platform. Participants described the program as: "interactive, informative, enjoyable, very convenient, reliable, motivational, productive, and reflective." We partnered with youths in the initial content development and pilot testing of a novel SMS text messaging platform to support diabetes prevention. This study is unique in the triple partnership we formed among researchers, technology experts, and diverse youths to develop a mobile health platform to address diabetes-related disparities.

A Community-Based Participatory Approach in Applying the Sociocultural Resilience Model in U.S–Mexico Border Communities

Abstract: Background: Behavioral models play a key role in identifying pathways to better health and provide a foundation for health promotion interventions. However, behavioral models based in epidemiological research may be limited in relevance and utility in practice. Objectives: We describe a participatory approach within a community-based participatory research partnership for integrating epidemiological and community perspectives into the application of the sociocultural resilience model (SRM). The SRM posits that cultural processes have a symbiotic relationship with health-promoting social processes, which contribute to the health advantages among Mexicanorigin and other Latinx populations. Methods: Community action board members engaged with academic partners to interpret and apply the SRM to a community-clinical linkages intervention implemented in the context of three U.S.–Mexico border communities. In a two-day workshop, partners engaged in a series of iterative discussions to reach common definitions and measures for SRM constructs. Results: Partners described daily cultural processes as the food they eat, how they communicate, and a collectivist approach to getting things done. For intervention activities, the partners opted for intergenerational storytelling, sharing of food, and artistic forms of expression. Partners included measures of cultural nuances such as border identity and the complexities that often arise from navigating bicultural norms. Conclusions: Collaborative approaches within community-based participatory research partnerships can facilitate the adaptation and measurement of conceptual health behavior models in community practice.

Applying the Boot Camp Translation Method to Increase Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness in the Houston Hispanic/Latino Community

AbstractBackgroundDespite increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD), Hispanics/Latinos (H/Ls) continue to be underrepresented in ADRD research. H/Ls comprise over 40% of the population in the Houston, Texas, metropolitan area. We engaged Houston H/L middle‐ and older‐age community members through a “Boot Camp Translation” (BCT), a community engaged strategy, to co‐create culturally‐responsive materials on ADRD awareness and risk reduction.MethodTwenty ADRD stakeholder organizations yielded 12 participants 35 y/o and older (Median age: 50 y/o). Participants met in three, 4‐hour virtual sessions and several phone conferences from February to June 2021. After an informative kick‐off session on ADRD clinical manifestations, epidemiology and risk reduction, participants answered these questions throughout the process: 1) main message(s) on AD for the Houston H/L community, 2) targeted audience, and 3) best method(s) to convey the message. After the process, BCT participants were invited to become part of a Community Action Board (CAB).ResultNine adults completed the BCT process. Compared to baseline, participants demonstrated improved subjective understanding and objective knowledge of ADRD at the end of the process. Local messaging centered around brain health to reduce AD stigma, importance of geriatric education for care providers, and self‐care in caregiving. Targeted audiences were the general H/L population across the lifespan, care providers and caregivers. Dissemination strategies focused on family and intergenerational relationships, with imagery and colors reflecting the diversity and vibrancy of the Houston H/L community. Final products included a “telenovela‐style” educational video series, and other graphic/ printed materials. Four of the nine participants remain active in the CAB at one year post BCT.ConclusionBoot Camp Translation is an effective way to build community trust, and design culturally relevant AD messaging. Experience was positive overall; participants developed a sense of ownership of the process, and created an atmosphere of cooperation and solidarity.

A Cross‐Regional and Cross‐Generational Approach to Addressing Recruitment Barriers: The Engaging Communities of Hispanics/Latinos for Aging Research (ECHAR) Network

AbstractBackgroundDespite being the largest and one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in the United States, Hispanics/Latinos (H/Ls) comprise only about 5% of NIH‐funded Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) research participant samples. Exclusion of H/Ls limits the generalizability of research findings and our understanding of brain health disparities. The Engaging Communities of Hispanics for Aging Research (ECHAR) Network is a collaborative, transdisciplinary network aimed at engaging, educating, and motivating H/Ls for participation in ADRD research by addressing several barriers to inclusion, including trust and ADRD‐related communication.MethodECHAR has been employing a novel, community‐engaged method – Boot Camp Translation (BCT) – to translate medical jargon into action‐based, community relevant messages by answering the questions: What are the key messages [about ADRD]? Who in my community needs to hear these messages? How do we get these messages to them? BCT was carried out in three metropolitan areas with large H/L populations: Denver, Colorado; Houston, Texas; and Las Vegas, Nevada. We also carried out BCT in groups of middle‐to‐older‐age adults as well as in younger adults. Over the course of several months, community stakeholders worked closely with the research team to co‐create ADRD communications targeted to local communities. An additional objective of ECHAR has been to invite BCT participants to form local community action boards (CABs); as members of the research infrastructure, CABs help further improve community relations and inclusion.ResultPre‐/post‐ comparisons showed significant improvement in subjective understanding (Cohen’s d = 0.75; p<0.001) and objective knowledge of Alzheimer’s disease (Cohen’s d = 0.79; p<0.001). Similarities were observed across the three sites; H/L community members identified key messages related to reducing stigma, emphasizing brain health and risk mitigation, and acknowledging the impact of Alzheimer’s disease on multi‐generational families/households. Participants also recommended sharing these messages with H/Ls across the lifespan using multi‐media avenues. Key cross‐regional and cross‐generational differences were also observed and will be described.ConclusionThe ECHAR Network has developed key, culturally responsive, ADRD‐related materials as well as dissemination strategies for H/L recruitment. Moreover, by establishing CABs in each city, we have developed sustainable research infrastructure to enhance outreach.

Community and Healthcare Perspectives on Implementing Hypertension Interventions for a Multiethnic Safety-Net Population.

To synthesize community and healthcare informants' perspectives on contextual considerations and tailoring recommendations for high-quality, sustainable implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for managing hypertension (HTN) in a multiethnic safety-net population. Structured focus-group discussions and semistructured qualitative interviews. High-quality, sustainable implementation of HTN-related EBPs can promote equitable care. Implementation challenges extend beyond individual patients to span multiple levels of context. Few studies have systematically engaged community and healthcare perspectives to inform the design of HTN intervention trials. A large safety-net healthcare system. We conducted four structured discussions with each of five race- or ethnicity-specific community action boards (CABs) to understand community members' HTN-related norms, assets, needs, and experiences across local healthcare systems. We interviewed 41 personnel with diverse roles in our partnered healthcare system to understand the system's HTN-related strengths and needs. We solicited EBP tailoring recommendations from both groups. We summarized the findings using rapid content analysis. Participants identified contextual considerations spanning seven themes: social determinants, healthcare engagement, clinical interaction, system operations, standardization, patient education, and partnerships and funding. They offered tailoring recommendations spanning nine themes: addressing complex contexts, addressing social needs, system operations, healthcare system training and resources, linguistic and cultural tailoring, behavioral engagement, relational engagement, illness-course engagement, and community partnerships. Engaging community and healthcare informants can ground implementation in the policy, community, healthcare system, clinical, and interpersonal contexts surrounding diverse patients at risk for disparities. Such grounding can reframe inequitable implementation as a multilevel social problem facing communities and healthcare systems, rather than individuals.

Perspectives from diverse stakeholders in a youth community-based participatory research project

IntroductionTEEN HEED (Help Educate to Eliminate Diabetes) is a community-based youth participatory action research (YPAR) study in which prediabetic adolescents from a predominantly low-income, non-white neighborhood in New York City participated in a peer-led diabetes prevention intervention. The aim of the current analysis is to evaluate the TEEN HEED program through examination of multiple stakeholder perspectives to identify strengths and areas for improvement that may inform other YPAR projects. MethodsWe conducted 44 individual in-depth interviews with representatives from six stakeholder groups (study participants, peer leaders, study interns and coordinators, and younger and older community action board members). Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis to identify overarching themes. ResultsDominant themes identified were: 1) YPAR principles and engagement, 2) Youth engagement through peer education, 3) Challenges and motivations for research participation, 4) Study improvements and sustainability, and 5) Professional and personal impacts of the study. ConclusionsEmergent themes from this study provided insights on the value of youth participation in research and informed recommendations for future YPAR studies.

Multiphase Veteran Engagement to Develop a Spinal Cord Injury Employment Survey.

Spinal cord injury is a condition that adversely impacts employment and economic stability. The Kessler Foundation National Employment and Disability Survey (KFNEDS) was developed to understand the experience of striving to work among persons with disabilities. However, this survey was not intended to capture the employment experiences of veterans living with spinal cord injury. The aim of this study was to engage veterans living with a spinal cord injury to adapt the KFNEDS for veterans living with this specific disability. Describe the process and outcomes of actively engaging veterans living with spinal cord injury in the revision of the KFNEDS. In this multiphase qualitative study, we used an iterative veteran-centered approach to engage veterans living with an SCI in all project phases. We consulted with a Veterans' hospital's Veteran Engagement Group and convened a study-specific Community Action Board to engage in a collaborative partnership with the research team. We recruited 17 veterans living with a spinal cord injury, employed or looking for employment since their spinal cord injury, to participate in focus groups and cognitive interviews that informed the adaptation of the KFNEDS-VS. A provisional version of the KFNEDS-VS included 37 survey questions in the following sections: Disability Screen, Employment Screen, Disability, Employment Overall, Looking for Work, At Work, and Workplace Accommodations and Supports. Revisions included wording changes for clarity, veteran and spinal cord injury-specific content that was missing from the questions or response options, and removal of irrelevant questions. Engaging veterans in multiple phases of the study lead to the development of a relevant survey that captures the lived experience of veterans seeking, obtaining, and maintaining employment following spinal cord injury.

Our Voice in a rural community: empowering Colombian adolescents to advocate for school community well-being through citizen science

BackgroundSanta Ana is home to an Afro-descendant rural population of the island of Barú in Cartagena, Colombia. While a popular area for tourism, Santa Ana’s population is affected by multidimensional poverty, precarious work conditions, homelessness, broken streets and sewer systems, limited quality education, and a lack of recreation and sport spaces. While Santa Ana’s Community Action Board aims to unify efforts and resources to solve these problems, the state’s capacity to meet the requirements of the Board is limited.MethodsWe evaluated the relationship between healthy lifestyles and characteristics of Santa Ana’s school using the Our Voice Citizen Science Research Method. This systemic approach combines information and communication technologies with group facilitation to empower adolescents to: 1) collect and discuss data about factors in their local environments that facilitate or hinder well-being within their school community; 2) identify relevant local stakeholders who could help to address the issues identified; and 3) advocate collectively for local improvements to support increased well-being at a community level.ResultsEleven citizen scientists ages 13 to 17 years from the science club of Institución Educativa Santa Ana were recruited and together conducted 11 walks within the school to collect data about the facilitators and barriers to student well-being. They identified barriers to well-being related to school infrastructure, furniture, bathrooms, and sense of belonging. They then advocated with school stakeholders and reached agreements on concrete actions to address identified barriers, including fostering a culture among students of caring for school property and presenting their findings to the community action board. This methodology allowed the community to realize how students can become agents of change and take collective action when motivated by solution-oriented methodologies such as Our Voice. Project ripple effects, including greater empowerment and participation in collective actions by students, also were observed.ConclusionsThis study underscores the importance of the school’s built environment in the well-being of students in rural areas. The Our Voice method provided the opportunity to inform school-based interventions, and promoted ripple effects that expanded productive dialogue to the community level and generated systemic actions involving actors outside of the school community.

Use of Focus Groups to Inform a New Community-Based Youth Diabetes Prevention Program.

There have been few youth-led diabetes prevention programs. Our objective was to conduct focus groups to explore peer influences on adolescent lifestyle behaviors and strategies for implementing a youth peer education model for diabetes prevention. We conducted six focus groups with 52 youth (ages 13–22; 62% male, 38% female; 64% Hispanic, 36% non-Hispanic Black) from East Harlem, NYC. We used a Thematic Analysis approach to identify major themes, compared findings, and resolved differences through discussion and consensus. Three dominant themes arose: (1) Adolescents generally encounter more unhealthy peer influences on diet and more healthy peer influences on physical activity; (2) Adolescents endorse youth-led diabetes prevention strategies and describe ideal qualities for peer leaders and methods to support and evaluate leaders; (3) Adolescents prefer text messaging to monitor behaviors, track goals, and receive personalized guidance. Using study findings, our Community Action Board developed a peer-led diabetes prevention program for prediabetic adolescents.

The Community as the Unit of Healing: Conceptualizing Social Determinants of Health and Well-Being for Older American Indian Adults.

Background and ObjectivesMultiple racial and social inequities shape health and access to health care for American Indian Elders, who have a lower life expectancy than all other aging populations in the United States. This qualitative study examines how upstream social determinants of health influence Elders’ ability to access and use health care.Research Design and MethodsBetween June 2016 and March 2017, we conducted individual, semistructured interviews with 96 American Indian Elders, aged 55 and older, and 47 professionals involved in planning or delivering care to Elders in 2 states in the U.S. Southwest. Transcripts were analyzed iteratively using grounded theory approaches, including open and focused coding. A group of American Indian Elders and allies called the Seasons of Care Community Action Board guided interpretation and prioritization of findings.ResultsParticipants described multiple barriers that hindered Elders’ ability to access health care services and providers, which were largely tied to funding shortages and bureaucratic complexities associated with health care and insurance systems. Where available, community resources bridged service gaps and helped Elders navigate systems.Discussion and ImplicationsLongstanding structural inequities for American Indians manifest in barriers to health equity, many of which are situated at the community level. These are compounded by additional disparities affecting older adults, rural residents, and marginalized citizens in general. Findings underscore the importance of health and policy initiatives for American Indian Elders that emphasize the community as the focus of intervention.

Contribution of Livelihoods to the Well-Being of Coffee-Growing Households in Southern Colombia: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Coffee cultivation is one of the main agricultural activities in Colombia, which increases the well-being of coffee-growing families. In order to determine the impact of coffee production, the capital endowment and well-being of coffee-growing families in the municipality of Pitalito, in the south of Colombia, were analyzed using the community capital index (CCI). Likewise, the relationships between the variables were identified through a Pearson correlation analysis, and the increase in well-being was identified and modeled by employing structural equations. The structural equation model showed a suitable fit to the data, indicated by the non-significant value of the χ2 statistic (p = 0.85), a high CFI (0.97), a low RMSEA (<0.001), a low stability index (0.23) and a low variance inflation factor (VIF = 1.42). At the capital level, political capital in synergy with social capital increased the well-being of coffee-growing families; meanwhile, capitals such as natural and physical-built capital did not have the greatest impact on well-being. Political capital variables such as the “possession of the coffee identification card” (CPI), as well as the variable “participates in the activities carried out by the community action board of the village” (PAC), increased by 9.9% and 8.66%, respectively, in the well-being of coffee-growing families measured by the CCI. The social capital variables that boosted the CCI were the benefits of the National Federation of Coffee Growers (FNC) (BFN, %V(variation): 8.32) and associativity (Aso, %V: 7.51). Other variables that make up human capital with high incidence in the CCI were family size (FSi) and the number of people who can read in the family (FLE) with a variation of 9.12% and 8.6%, respectively. However, other variables such as labor cost for disease management (CDM) and labor cost for harvesting (HCL) had no significant effect on the variation of the CCI. It was found that the level of well-being increases due to variables such as associativity and participation in grassroots organizations in the community, such as being a member of the National Federation of Coffee Growers, a quality represented by the possession of a coffee identification card that, in synergy with other variables, reduce inequality and poverty.

Protocol for #iBeatCRC: a community-based intervention to increase early-onset colorectal cancer awareness using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach

IntroductionThe last two decades have seen a twofold increase in colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence among individuals under the recommended screening age of 50 years. Although the origin of this early-onset...

La praxis política de las juntas de acción comunal del municipio de Soledad, Atlántico frente a su empoderamiento social

Posiblemente, las capacidades relativistas de quienes participan en los procesos de las juntas de acción comunal respecto a su manera de razonar son la causa de su desconocimiento en relación con su campo de acción. Por lo tanto, se consolidan como el mejor laboratorio científico para estudiar su empoderamiento social desde el punto de vista socio-jurídico. De ahí que se haga necesaria una participación ciudadana objetiva que permita tomar buenas decisiones y una organización comunitaria que asuma la acción política de forma constante, pero regulada bajo vigencias sanas.

El Liderazgo de mujeres en organizaciones sociales. Análisis en las Juntas de Acción Comunal de Tunja- Colombia

This article presents the results of a qualitative investigation carried out on ten women presidents of the Community Action Boards (JAC) of Tunja, Colombia, in order to understand the leadership exercised in their administration. For this, were used a documentary analysis and a semi-structured interview, in which were studied three dimensions: leadership, family and government. It found the existence of obstacles from society and the communities they serve, as well as pressure from the family, which makes it difficult for them to carry out this work and pushes them not to be reelected in these positions.

Macro- and meso-level contextual influences on health care inequities among American Indian elders

BackgroundAmerican Indian elders, aged 55 years and older, represent a neglected segment of the United States (U.S.) health care system. This group is more likely to be uninsured and to suffer from greater morbidities, poorer health outcomes and quality of life, and lower life expectancies compared to all other aging populations in the country. Despite the U.S. government’s federal trust responsibility to meet American Indians’ health-related needs through the Indian Health Service (IHS), elders are negatively affected by provider shortages, limited availability of health care services, and gaps in insurance. This qualitative study examines the perspectives of professional stakeholders involved in planning, delivery of, and advocating for services for this population to identify and analyze macro- and meso-level factors affecting access to and use of health care and insurance among American Indian elders at the micro level.MethodsBetween June 2016 and March 2017, we undertook in-depth qualitative interviews with 47 professional stakeholders in two states in the Southwest U.S., including health care providers, outreach workers, public-sector administrators, and tribal leaders. The interviews focused on perceptions of both policy- and practice-related factors that bear upon health care inequities impacting elders. We analyzed iteratively the interview transcripts, using both open and focused coding techniques, followed by a critical review of the findings by a Community Action Board comprising American Indian elders.ResultsFindings illuminated complex and multilevel contextual influences on health care inequities for elders, centering on (1) gaps in elder-oriented services; (2) benefits and limits of the Affordable Care Act (ACA); (2) invisibility of elders in national, state, and tribal policymaking; and (4) perceived threats to the IHS system and the federal trust responsibility.ConclusionsFindings point to recommendations to improve the prevention and treatment of illness among American Indian elders by meeting their unique health care and insurance needs. Policies and practices must target meso and macro levels of contextual influence. Although Medicaid expansion under the ACA enables providers of essential services to elders, including the IHS, to enhance care through increased reimbursements, future policy efforts must improve upon this funding situation and fulfill the federal trust responsibility.

Engaging the Faith Community in Designing a Church-Based Mental Health Screening and Linkage to Care Intervention

African Americans are disproportionately burdened by mental health issues (e.g., stress, chronic depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder). Upon review of mental health local/state/national data, a highly-engaged faith-based Community Action Board (CAB) raised concerns about the mental health needs of African Americans and addressed mental health as a priority health area in African American Kansas City churches. African Americans tend to experience barriers to mental health services (e.g., limited access, high cost, mental health-related stigma, non-culturally tailored mental health care). African American churches have many strengths that could increase reach, acceptability feasibility, and impact of mental health interventions tailored for African Americans. The CAB conducted a health needs assessment survey (N=463; 11 churches) to identify health concerns and potential strategies to inform the design of a church-based mental health intervention. Using a faith-community-engaged approach, the CAB developed the survey and used its findings to design a religiously-tailored, multilevel mental health intervention focused on prevention, screening, and linkage to care. The needs assessment identified intervention strategies (e.g., church-based screening, stress reduction/exercise programs, pastors promoting mental health) that were: (1) rated as highly important/feasible to implement, (2) included in the intervention design, and (3) successfully implemented in African American churches by faith leaders and university students and faculty.

Engaging Church Leaders in a Health Needs Assessment Process to Design a Multilevel Health Promotion Intervention in Low-resource Rural Jamaican Faith Communities

Diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are major Jamaican public health issues. Churches may be untapped settings to extend reach and impact of diabetes and CVD prevention programs, particularly in low-resourced, rural Jamaican areas. We engaged the Jamaican Lifestyles Health Ministry Association Community Action Board in designing and conducting a health needs assessment (HNA) process to identify health conditions, priority health concerns, and potentially relevant intervention strategies to address concerns with their church-community members in rural areas. Findings from the HNA process (survey and community forum) were used by faith leaders to guide the design of a culturally-religiously tailored, multilevel diabetes/CVD risk reduction intervention, Project Faith Influencing Transformation (FIT)-Jamaica (JA). Use of HNA and collaborative intervention design processes were key to successfully completing the design of a faith-based health promotion intervention in JA churches in a timely manner.

Análisis del Costo-Beneficio, para el tránsito de cultivos de carácter ilícito, a cultivos lícitos para facilitar el desarrollo de los agronegocios en la región del Catatumbo

Objetivo: Contrastar el Costo/Beneficio del cultivo ilegal versus el cultivo legal, producto de la erradicación voluntaria en el Municipio de Hacarí, Norte de Santander. Método: La investigación se cimento en el paradigma positivista, metodología cuantitativa y enfoque correlacional. La población objeto de estudio se circunscribe a los encargados de las juntas de acción comunal del municipio y los cultivadores quienes abordaron la sustitución voluntaria del cultivo de la coca. La técnica de recolección de información aplicada, fue la encuesta a través de la aplicación de un cuestionario. Resultados: Se encontró que no existe información sobre las hectáreas, las rotaciones de cultivo e inversiones en insumos, además se pudo evidenciar el número de hectáreas sembradas con coca crecieron y que los cultivadores quienes sustituyeron no han recibido ayuda por parte del gobierno, asimismo, se evidenció que están aún hay presiones indebidas, con el agravante de que la sustitución ha sido voluntaria y con costos elevados. Discusiones: Pese a que existen programas del estado, todavía hay poca credibilidad en la solución al problema, los costos de insumos son cada vez elevados y se siente el descuido social de la región y la presión de los fuerzas al margen de la ley. Conclusiones: El cultivo por hectáreas de cultivos ilícitos genera más jornales que una de lícito, los cultivos ilícitos son más rentables en el tiempo. Las rastras del proceso investigativo asumido han arrojado respuestas esperanzadoras donde se demuestra técnicamente que existe un potencial agrícola aun no explotado en su totalidad, que es de uso legal y que resulta más atractivo que los cultivos de uso ilícito.

La organización social en el Catatumbo: formas de lucha desde la base

Diagnosticar los conflictos es una estrategia del Enfoque de Transformación de Conflictos para construir la paz. Al aplicarse a las formas organizativas de la Junta de Acción Comunal en el Catatumbo se desenmascaran algunos de los problemas estructurales en la disputa por el territorio. El campesinado catatumbero es un actor clave en la lucha de defensa por la vida en Colombia, y es labor del trabajador social unirse y comprender las dinámicas comunitarias para afinar la perspectiva crítica de la realidad y quebrantar la burbuja académica que separa la universidad de la comunidad y la cotidianidad en el campo colombiano.

Analysis of selected factors affecting the life situation of persons with moderate intellectual disability

Abstract Introduction: The aim of this work was to assess the situation of people with moderate intellectual disability (MID), considering the legal, political, economic, social and technological determinants (PEST factors). Materials and methods: This work consisted of an in-depth legal analysis based on the Community Action Board (CAB) model, which is a part of the Rapid Policy Assessment and Response (RPAR) methodology. Having analyzed the PEST factors, as part of the analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT), the CAB identified the strengths and weaknesses of the situations of persons with MID. Results: The following deficiencies were identified in the provisioning of legal and political assistance to persons with MID: disability definitions were incompatible with international law, lack of legal provisions comprehensively regulating the situation of persons with intellectual disability (ID), two-instance disability evaluation system, lack of sufficient coordination of state bodies, lack of supervision over decisions on the need for special education, poor employment opportunities after completing education. Optimal conditions for education in a special school have a positive impact on the situation of persons with MID, but their lack in a public school setting proves to have adverse effects. The most important forms of support include: places of daily stay, sheltered employment, supported employment on the open labor market, protected flats, support from an assistant. Conclusions: 1. The deficiencies in legal and political regulations in Poland make it difficult or impossible for persons with MID to receive adequate assistance. 2. Investing in special schools and ensuring their formal cooperation with public schools offers adequate education to persons with MID. 3. Poor access to special forms of support for people with MID causes their social exclusion.