Engaging Communities in Developing Technologically Innovative Approaches to Physical Activity Promotion Among Low-Income, Latino Girls

Theoretical Background and research questions/hypothesis:  Physical activity levels of Latino girls are lower than most other groups, placing them at increased risk of obesity and chronic disease across the lifespan. Two academic institutions and two community-based organizations established the Physical Activity Partnership for Girls (PG), a unique community-academic research partnership with the goal of understanding community needs and priorities for physical activity promotion among Latino girls (11-14 years).  The academic partners include experts in health promotion, physical activity, and mobile technology engineering; community partners include a local Girl Scout council and a promotora network.

Methods: Utilizing a community-based participatory research approach, the diverse expertise of each research partner was incorporated in every phase of the research process in order to develop an innovative approach to physical activity promotion that is evidence-based, culturally relevant, and sustainable and also makes use of new media resources popular with adolescent girls. The research study was divided into 4 phases: Partnership Development, Formative Assessments, Intervention Planning and Pilot Intervention. Community participation in this initiative was enhanced through the development of a Community Advisory Board (CAB) engaging multiple community stakeholders from a cross-section of constituents: community volunteers, health/medical groups, schools, government agencies, and community-based organizations (including physical activity providers and youth-serving organizations). The Partnership utilized various evaluation methodologies (on-line surveys, participatory photo-mapping, sound-enhanced data collection on PDAs and focus groups) to gather quantitative and qualitative data from multiple audiences (girls, parents, community stakeholders) as part of the formative assessment. Adult perspectives about barriers/promoters of active living in this community were obtained from parents (focus groups) and additional community stakeholders (internet-based survey). Data and knowledge gained during the formative assessment phase were evaluated collaboratively with community stakeholders at a retreat designed to identify intervention strategies building on the knowledge, strengths, and resources within this community.

Results: The inclusion of multiple community perspectives and the participatory research process generated a high level of interest among San Antonio’s local media (television, radio, internet, and print). This publicity immediately benefited the community partners by demonstrating their role in effectively mobilizing residents to take action in identifying effective solutions to promote health in this historically underserved community. 

Conclusions:  In order to develop a culturally relevant intervention, engaging multiple sectors of the community in the intervention planning process is essential.

Implications for research and/or practice: The CAB, with community knowledge and varied professional expertise, has the potential to serve as a valuable resource for mobilizing broad community support for the intervention.