A Six Year Review of Participatory Assessment and Learning Tools and Outcomes from a Community Health Club Program in South Texas: Q&A and Discussion

Proposal: In 2017 UT Health San Antonio partnered with a team of Community Health Workers (CHW) in the Texas’ Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) to implement a Community Health Club program. This Community Based Participatory Research model aims to mobilize marginalized border communities for social change by enhancing health literacy and fostering community engagement. The Club model is designed to continually evolve to address the prioritized needs of the community, where each stage of implementation is determined collaboratively through a community-campus partnership. The strength of this model in South Texas is demonstrated by its sustained community engagement over six years, including through the COVID-19 pandemic.
The cyclical and reinforcing three stage process of community assessment, curriculum design, and evaluation drives the model’s sustainability. Campus partners use a range of participatory assessment tools and techniques to help community members identify and prioritize health topics. Assessments inform the creation of participatory learning curricula and activities. CHWs then disseminate health information via weekly Club meetings, which are evaluated using surveys, interviews and focus groups. The cycle repeats annually, thereby ensuring the centrality of our community voice and priorities.
The purpose of this presentation is to describe the various methods used to engage the LRGV Club community in annual participatory assessments, the outcomes and curricula that resulted from those assessments, and the collective impact of the Club program. Over 500 unique individuals have joined one of eleven Clubs formed in the LRGV since 2017, including over 150 people who joined our virtual COVID-19 myth-busting and vaccine promotion program. Using a range of assessment methods, including priority ranking, pocket voting, surveys, interviews, systems mapping, and root cause/problem trees, campus partners have developed curricula addressing community priority topics like nutrition, mental wellness, COVID-19, support for individuals with cognitive decline, and cancer prevention. Evaluations demonstrate a consistent impact on participant health literacy and knowledge, and improved physical, mental and social well-being. Our commitment to this community-campus partnership, driven by community priorities, has fostered an exchange of knowledge and resources, ultimately resulting in greater community empowerment and professional identity formation of health professions students.
The lead faculty mentor for this partnership has over 20 years of experience with Community Based Participatory Research and evaluation of global Community Health Club programs. The lead CHW for this partnership has over 15 years of experience with community and pastoral health, including 6 years implementing Community Health Clubs.