THE MAURICIO GASTÓN INSTITUTE FOR LATINO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC POLICY Por Ahí Dicen: Beyond service learning: The role of undergraduate students and community residents as resources for health equity research 141st APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition November 6, 2013 Presentation by: Mayara FontesMayara Fontes, Economics, UMass Boston, Boston, MA Maria Idali Torres, PhD, MSPH, The Gaston Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA Phillip Granberry, PhD, Gastón Institute, UMass Boston, Boston, MA Ivette Cruz, Puerto Rican Cultural Center, Springfield, MA THE MAURICIO GASTÓN INSTITUTE FOR LATINO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC POLICY

Presenter Disclosures (1)The following personal financial relationships with commercial interests relevant to this presentation existed during the past 12 months: Mayara Fontes “No relationships to disclose”

THE MAURICIO GASTÓN INSTITUTE FOR LATINO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC POLICY What is Por Ahí Dicen?  Project is based out of Springfield, MA  Partnership between UMass Boston- Gastón Institute, the Puerto Rican Cultural Center of Springfield, MA and UMass Center for Health Equity Intervention Research (UMass Medical School)  Each partner brings their expertise to the project. Each team is comprised of various stakeholders, all informed by a community advisory committee. Por Ahi Dicen UMass Medical UMB- Gaston Institute Puerto Rican Cultural Center

THE MAURICIO GASTÓN INSTITUTE FOR LATINO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC POLICY Center of Health Equity Intervention Research (CHEIR) Por Ahí Dicen (PAD) is funded by a 5-year NIH P60 award for the Center of Health Equity Intervention Research (CHEIR) from the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) #P60MD Principal Investigators for the larger award are Jeroan Allison, MD, MS, and Milagros Rosal, PhD.

Project Components Leadership Development Ethnographic Mapping Pre- Intervention Community (Baseline) Survey Media Campaign Development Public Service Announcement Campaign Post- Intervention Survey Project Focus: Implement and evaluate the effectiveness of the media campaign developed on Puerto Rican mothers’ outcome expectations, self-efficacy, and mother-child communication regarding sexuality and sexual health protection.

Research Methodology: Community Participatory Action Research (CB-PAR)  Collaborative approach (Directed by both Researchers + Community Partners)  All partners participate in the process of selecting research questions and methods for data collection. Participation throughout the full life- cycle of the project contributes to developing capacity of both researchers and community partners.  Data will be used to seek solutions, reduce harm and/or risk factors, improve health and promote equity.  Findings and reports will be accessible to participants, decision makers such as elected officials, planners and others who can change current policies, programs and practices, including the public at large. Torres, I. (2013) Deepening Partnerships to Advance Scientific Knowledge and Social Change through Community-Based Participatory Action Research [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from:

 One UMass Boston student and one PRCC community member were paired to make up each field research team.  100 randomized blocks with over 4,000 households were enumerated.  Approximately 2,000 addresses were randomly selected for the first phase of the survey.  190 interviews completed as of Field Research Methods

BIDIRECTIONAL LEARNING Successful partnerships for community-based participatory research (CBPR) have high capacity to transcend these power relationships related to different skill levels and experiences between university- trained researchers and community residents. In practice: Transcending Traditional Power Structures: Researchers, students and community partners share their skills and experiences In order to learn from each other’s contributions as part of a mutually beneficial research project. Researchers recognize and value students’ and community partners’ capacity for weighing and setting priorities which may be different from the original research plan. Transfer of Knowledge and Skills: Researchers facilitate research literacy skills among students and community partners. Community partners facilitate community literacy among university researchers and students on. Granberry, Phillip et. al. (2013). Preparing Latino community residents and undergraduate students to conduct health equity research: Action and reflection on a neighborhood mapping project. Manuscript under review by the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health..

Participant Process Outcomes 1.Demystification of Research 2.Increased Research and Community Literacies 3.Development of Trust

Process Outcomes: Demystification of Research  Students and community partners were introduced to basic concepts of research such as population, sampling and randomization.  The enumeration process instigated curiosity about the research topic.  Individuals with little or no research experience began to see the potential for research as a tool for community development.

Process Outcomes: Increased Research and Community Literacies  Research Literacy: Students and community partners understood the need to suspend judgment during the research process.  Community Literacy: Students and community partners overcame preconceptions about the research area.

Process Outcomes: Development of Trust  Project structure encouraged reflection on individual experiences which then were shared with the group.  Conflicting interpretations of research methods were raised  Trust developed because value was given to all participants’ experiences.  This resulted in better implementation of the research protocol

My Experience What I have learned from the process: Doing research requires curiosity, determination, patience, commitment and capacity to respect and acknowledge people’s point of view. Working with the community members  Felt part of the community  Working and learning together – No sense of a group being better than the other.  Encouraged to travel 4 hours every weekend  Engaged in the success of the project  Knowledge transferred

THE MAURICIO GASTÓN INSTITUTE FOR LATINO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC POLICY References Granberry, Phillip et. al. (2013). Preparing Latino community residents and undergraduate students to conduct health equity research: Action and reflection on a neighborhood mapping project. Manuscript under review by the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. Torres, I. (2013) Deepening Partnerships to Advance Scientific Knowledge and Social Change through Community-Based Participatory Action Research [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from:

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