The Center for Community-Based Health Promotion with Women and Children
The Center for Community-Based Health Promotion with Women and Children promotes Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR), a research method that unites communities and academic researchers in the common goal of addressing community-identified needs through a process of sharing power, establishing trust, fostering co-learning, enhancing strengths and ultimately building community capacity. While marginalized and disenfranchised groups have historically had reason to mistrust health researchers, CBPR has emerged as a viable method to promote equity and trust among partners throughout the research process.
Our Center promotes collaboration between interdisciplinary academics, community members, and healthcare profession students to address health disparities among women and their families, health disparities that are associated with social, political, and economic issues such as poverty, inadequate housing, racism, and lack of access to health resources. Our Center provides mentoring in CBPR methods and scholarship to faculty, students, and community members.
Contact Information
Pamela Recto, Ph.D., R.N.
Director and Assistant Professor
School of Nursing
Projects
La Vida en Los Tiempos de COVID-19
Project Title: La Vida en Los Tiempos de COVID-19: Stories of life under quarantine from women living on the West Side of San Antonio
Project Lead: Andrea Moreno-Vasquez, MPH, Senior Program Coordinator
The partnership with Las Mujeres Westside is a long-standing partnership with the School of Nursing’s Center for Community-Based Health Promotion with Women and Children. The group is comprised of mostly Latina women living on the West Side of San Antonio. In collaboration with other community partners, Las Mujeres Westside offers women support, provides opportunities, and impacts communities through service, education, and empowerment.
Traditionally, the group has gathered monthly in-person to participate in training, workshops, and health-related presentations. However, when the COVID-19 Pandemic hit, we had to transition to hosting meetings via Zoom swiftly. Our meetings are conducted in Spanish and usually begin with a circulo de palabra or talking/healing circle. Each group member can speak, and the other group members listen but do not respond or provide feedback (unless requested). During these circles, we started to hear many of the hardships that communities were facing as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic. In addition to expressing the insurmountable challenges their families and communities were facing, the Mujeres also highlighted how community members were leveraging resources, knowledge, and connections to assist each other in this time of great need.
These anecdotes during our palabra circles prompted us to delve a little deeper into each woman’s unique experience with the Pandemic. We presented the idea of collecting individual interviews from the group, and with the group’s support, we started the La Vida en Los Tiempos de COVID-19 or Life in the Time of COVID-19 Study.
Sixteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with women from two community partners: Las Mujeres Westside and Domesticas Unidas. We used convenience sampling to select women to interview for the study. The interviews were conducted via Zoom, telephone, and face-to-face and in the participant’s preferred language (English or Spanish). The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using the qualitative content analysis method and QDA Miner qualitative analysis software, and Microsoft Excel.
The study team is in the final stages of analyzing the data; categories that have emerged from the analysis include Faith and Having a Positive Outlook, Work and Finances, For the Community, Sentiments Towards the Pandemic, The Effect on Children, Looking to the Future, and Important Relationships.
Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic, Las Mujeres Westside and Domesticas Unidas have remained active and loyal to helping bridge the gaps in resources for families and communities.
Bonding in Sisterhood through a Dual Crises
Title: “Bonding in Sisterhood through a Dual Crises”: A Qualitative Study of a Virtual, Health-Related Program created by Women of Color during COVID-19 and Social Injustice
Project Lead: Shanae Rhodes, BSN, RN, Student in the Nursing Science Doctoral Program
Recent tragedies of heightened social injustices and the current COVID-19 Pandemic have exacerbated the health inequities affecting women of color. Despite the double impact of recent crises on this population, some have taken the opportunity to rise from the ashes. My Sister’s Keeper (MSK) was created by a group of four women from San Antonio, Seguin, and the Dallas/Fort Worth area in June 2020 in response to heightened social injustices and the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The mission of MSK, a community-based, virtual group, is “to empower women of color to have better health through information sharing and sister-bonding.” The program primarily serves African-American and Latina women but has recently expanded participation to include Asian women. Monthly sessions consist of two guest speakers: a professional expert (e.g. interdisciplinary healthcare providers) and a content expert (e.g. a person who is living or has lived with a particular illness). Topics covered at the sessions are selected by the participants. Additional services offered by MSK include, but are not limited to: providing up-to-date resources, offering a safe space to discuss culturally-relevant topics, and spiritual support and prayer.
Although virtual programs are emerging, little research has been conducted to explore the development and influence of a health-related resource developed by women of color for women of color. Through an established partnership with a virtual community of women of color, this study will qualitatively examine the development, evolving nature, and feasibility of an interactive learning forum designed to promote health awareness for women of color during a heightened time of social injustice and COVID-19. The study will lead to the development of a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) study focused on issues identified by the group of women.