Using Community-Based Participatory Research to Develop Geospatial Models Toward Improving Community Health for Disadvantaged Hispanic Populations in Charlotte, NC.

Hispanic immigrant communities across the U.S. experience persistent health disparities and barriers to primary care.

Por Nuestros Ojos: understanding social determinants of health through the eyes of youth.

Background: Understanding the social determinants underlying health disparities benefits from a mixed-methods, participatory research approach.

Objectives: Photovoice was used in a research project seeking to identify and validate existing data and models used to address socio-spatial determinants of health in at-risk neighborhoods.

Methods: High-risk neighborhoods were identified using geospatial models of pre-identified social determinants of health.

A trans-disciplinary approach to the evaluation of social determinants of health in a Hispanic population.

Background: Individual and community health are adversely impacted by disparities in health outcomes among disadvantaged and vulnerable populations. Understanding the underlying causes for variations in health outcomes is an essential step towards developing effective interventions to ameliorate inequalities and subsequently improve overall community health. Working at the neighborhood scale, this study examines multiple social determinates that can cause health disparities including low neighborhood wealth, weak social networks, inadequate public infrastructure, the presence of hazardous materials in or near a neighborhood, and the lack of access to primary care services.

A community based participatory approach to improving health in a Hispanic population.

Background: The Charlotte-Mecklenburg region has one of the fastest growing Hispanic communities in the country. This population has experienced disparities in health outcomes and diminished ability to access healthcare services. This city is home to an established practice-based research network (PBRN) that includes community representatives, health services researchers, and primary care providers.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) demonstrating primary care needs for a transitioning hispanic community.

Background: Hispanics are the largest and fastest growing minority group in the United States. Charlotte, NC, had the 4th fastest growing Hispanic community in the nation between 1990 to 2000. Gaining understanding of the patterns of health care use for this changing population is a key step toward designing improved primary care access and community health.

Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to understand a community's primary care needs.

Introduction: A key element for reducing health care costs and improving community health is increased access to primary care and preventative health services. Geographic information systems (GIS) have the potential to assess patterns of health care utilization and community-level attributes to identify geographic regions most in need of primary care access.

Methods: GIS, analytical hierarchy process, and multiattribute assessment and evaluation techniques were used to examine attributes describing primary care need and identify areas that would benefit from increased access to primary care services.