Improving Health Equity for Spanish-Speaking Latine Communities: Community Priorities, Challenges, and...

Area of Science:

• Community-based participatory research (CBPR)
• Health equity research
• Public health interventions

Background:

• COVID-19 highlighted health disparities in Spanish-speaking Latine communities.
• Nuestra Comunidad Saludable (Our Healthy Community) is a multilevel intervention to improve COVID-19 testing and vaccination uptake.
• Community engagement is crucial for addressing health inequities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To disseminate findings from the Nuestra Comunidad Saludable intervention trial.
• To translate research into actionable community priorities and recommendations.
• To advance health equity for Spanish-speaking Latine populations through empowerment-based dialogue.

Main Methods:

• Convened an in-person, bilingual community forum.
• Utilized an empowerment theory-based approach.
• Facilitated structured dialogue among community members, healthcare providers, organizational representatives, and researchers.

Main Results:

• Thirty-six participants identified eight key priorities for advancing Latine health equity.
• Priorities include reducing health service gaps, expanding mental health access, improving HIV care understanding, strengthening disability services, protecting immigrant rights, increasing political support, enhancing provider access, and addressing social determinants of health.
• Generated community-driven recommendations for practice, intervention, policy, and research.

Conclusions:

• Empowerment-based community forums can effectively identify health priorities and challenges.
• Addressing social determinants of health is critical for improving Latine health outcomes.
• The identified priorities and recommendations can guide future efforts to achieve health equity for Spanish-speaking Latine communities.