CUADERNOS DE INVESTIGACIN

INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGACIONES INTERDISCIPLINARIAS UNIVERSIDAD DE PUERTO RICO EN CAYEY

Escuela de Verano: Salud en Comunidad 2007

La salud es la prioridad en la comunidad

Mitchlery Cardona Ilia Perdomo Natalia Rodrguez Melissa Toncic

Cuaderno 4 Ao 2008

En la serie Cuadernos de Investigacin del Instituto de Investigaciones Interdisciplinarias de la Universidad de Puerto Rico en Cayey se presentarn resultados parciales y preliminares de algunas de las investigaciones auspiciadas por el Instituto, versiones preliminares de artculos, informes tcnicos emitidos por nuestras(os) investigadoras(es) as como versiones finales de publicaciones que, por su naturaleza, sean de difcil publicacin por otros medios.

Los(as) autores(as) son responsables por el contenido y retienen los derechos de publicacin sobre el material contenido en estos Cuadernos.

Copias de los Cuadernos se pueden obtener solicitndolos por telfono, por correo regular o por correo electrnico al Instituto. Tambin se pueden descargar de nuestra pgina electrnica en formato pdf.

Instituto de Investigaciones Interdisciplinarias Universidad de Puerto Rico en Cayey 205 Ave. Antonio R. Barcel Cayey, PR 00736

Tel. 787-738-2161, exts. 2615, 2616 Fax 787-263-1625 Correo electrnico: instituto.investigacion@upr.edu Pgina web: http://webs.oss.cayey.upr.edu/iii/

Diseo de Portada: Prof. Harry Hernndez Encargado de la serie de cuadernos: Dr. Errol L. Montes Pizarro Directora del Instituto: Dra. Isar P. Godreau Directora Auxiliar: Sra. Vionex M. Marti

Instituto de Investigaciones Interdisciplinarias Universidad de Puerto Rico en Cayey

LA SALUD ES LA PRIORIDAD EN LA COMUNIDAD

Natalia Rodrguez1, Melissa Toncic2, Ilia Perdomo3, Mitchlery Cardona4,
1

Institute of Interdisciplinary Research and Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico-Cayey 2 Department of Anthropology, Ithaca College 3 Depatment of Biology, University of South Florida 4 Department of Psychology, University of Puerto Rico-Ro Piedras Submitted as partial fulfillment of the Research Methodologies in Community Health Fieldschool (INTD 4996) requisites, June 2007. 2007 Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, University of Puerto Rico-Cayey.

________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT During the summer of 2007, the Institute of Interdisciplinary Research at the University of Puerto Rico in Cayey, in collaboration with the University of South Florida, Cayey Municipality and the National Institute of Health (NIH), offered a four-week internship that engaged students in community-based research projects. Our team used both quantitative and qualitative methods that included a survey comprised of 14 open and closed ended questions, personal interviews, and a focus group with adolescents. Thirtynine of the 44 participants surveyed, were active residents of the barrio of Las Vegas. Of the 39 residents that participated, we identified that 31% felt drug addiction was a major problem affecting the health of the community. Thirteen percent of the same sample population felt that a lack of security further compromised the overall health of the community. Upon further investigation we realized there was more to community health than the basic physiological ailments associated with the overall health of a community. Due to the nature of the interdisciplinary approach taken within this investigative process, we were able to recognize that social, economic, political, and environmental factors are all major components of community health. ________________________________________________________________________ economic, political, environmental and cultural factors that also affect the status of the health. In order to understand the different aspects affecting the health of the population sampled, investigators must conduct community-based research. This is precisely how our research team, composed of four students from different academic backgrounds, was able to develop the objective of this research project centered on community health. Interdisciplinary research allows for the strengths of two or more disciplines to

INTRODUCTION It has been said that health care is vital to all of us some of the time, but public health is vital to us all of the time (Definitions of community, n.d). This notion is applicable when discussing the health of a community independent of its size or geographic location. When discussing issues in public health, those involved with the research project, particularly newly trained investigators, tend to consider physiological ailments rather than taking into account the socio-

2 collaborate with one another to create a new hybrid discipline. It eliminates the traditional gaps in terminology, approach and methodology. Upon completion of interdisciplinary research, opportunities of unexpected insights are certain to appear (Interdisciplinary research, 2006). The initial goal of our research was to identify what community health meant to the residents of El Barrio Las Vegas in Cayey, Puerto Rico. This goal came from a series of both formal and informal conversations with the community during a course of two weeks. As our research progressed, we understood there was more to community health than physiological ailments initially considered; it also included ideas of personal health as well as economic and social factors such as a lack of education an or recreational programs. By utilizing an interdisciplinary approach to our research, we were able to explore all possible factors that could affect the health status of Las Vegas residents. METHODOLOGY This project utilized a variety of instruments and methods in order to gain a better understanding about community health from the perspective of the residents from Las Vegas. These methods included: cultural mapping, participant observation, questionnaires in the form of surveys, interviews, and focus groups. For the data collected, we used SPSS to quantify some of the responses obtained from the surveys administered. Cultural Mapping Before delving into our research, a cultural map of the community had to be established. This allowed our group to get a feel of the community as well as locate key structures and aspects within its borders. At this point, our team relied on observations as well as brief conversations informing residents of the upcoming health fair. Participant Observation Participant Observation consisted in an initial first meeting established through word of mouth between one of the community leaders and the coordinator of the summer field school program. This meeting was an informal gathering that served the purpose of introducing our team to the community, informing them about our purpose and allowing them to tell us their experiences within the community. Upon completion of the first meeting, referrals of other community members and leaders were received. A second meeting with a resident that was unable to attend our initial meeting was set up for a later date. This resident was also given the chance to express their experiences within the community as well. Questionnaires/Interviews/Focus Groups From our series of meetings, questions were formulated based on repeated themes: drugs, violence, care for the elderly, and recreation for the youth. These questions were than broken down into three different categories: questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups. The questionnaires were administered to 44 of the residents who attended the June 16th health clinic held at the Jose Tati Rios community center in Las Vegas. They were meant to collect basic demographic information, as well as qualitative and quantitative data concerning some of the themes from our initial research. Five surveys were completed on June 19th in Tinito

3 Marin, another sector of the Las Vegas community. These participants were selected at random in order to explore similarities and differences within another sector of the Las Vegas Community. The interviews were composed of similar questions, but allowed the individual to elaborate and take as much time as necessary. A set of open-ended questions were also derived in order to be used at the discretion of the interviewers based on answers given by the interviewee. Two participants were chosen for individual surveys based on networking. Our initial interview was set up with a resident who had agreed to participate at the health clinic. The other was considered an active member in the community and our group felt it was necessary to hear their experiences in order to gain a more holistic insight to the meeting of the community health. Since the theme youth recreation was recurrent throughout our research, a focus group was administered to five young adults of the community. Our team wanted to understand their perspective first hand, since most of the participants bringing up the topic were adults and the elderly. Written consent was obtained from all participants. Again, the questions developed for this particular method were derived from those of the already included in the questionnaire and allowed for elaboration, but it also allowed the participants to agree or disagree with each others responses. Both the personal interviews and focus group were recorded with permission to ensure that as much information as possible could be collected. SPSS Once all data was collected, SPSS was used to compute statistics about our data in order to apply themes and theories to the results of our study. Charts and graphs, along with personal quotes were than used to prove or disprove any hypothesis and/or inferences that might have been made. RESULTS The results of our study led us to believe that perceptions of health varied among the residents of Las Vegas. One of the questions formulated in our surveys was as follows: What does health mean to you? In one instance, a participant mentioned that health is not only a priority within the town, but for the entire country as well. La salud es una de las cosas primordial en el pueblo y en el pas completo This particular response indicated that health was not entirely about physical ailments and the well being of the individual. Other responses that gave this impression included: well established relationships within the family and among the community; the importance of having access to recreational activities for the community, in particular the adolescent and youth population; talks and access to preventative methods in keeping oneself healthy; access to more efficient modes of public transportation; and tighter methods of security. While sorting through the data provided by the questionnaires, we found certain concerns about the health in the community. The concerns mentioned were services and/or activities that these particular residents felt were lacking within the community. Residents were asked to express their

4 concerns within their community. These included: drugs, lack of security, violence and dropouts. 31% of the participants stated that drug abuse, including alcoholism, was of their top concerns within their community. Although this number may not seem significant, it should be noted that only thirty of the thirty-nine participants chose to answer this question. 13% stated that lack of security was also a concern within their community, Figure1. The same concerns apparent in the surveys were also brought up in the interviews. A particular response from one of the interview participants emphasized the lack of security. This participant further elaborated by saying that more protection was needed. For example, there needed to be at least one or two cops patrolling the community at any given time. Hace falta ms proteccin 1 2 policas rondeando todo el tiempo In the interviews, it was also asked: what resources does the community have? In one of the answers it was repeatedly expressed that there was a lack of resources within the community. No hay recursos en la comunidad y la transportacin es psima. Transportation was not only mentioned by the adult population. The youth, spoken to via focus groups, emphasized their concerns surround the lack of transportation as well. It was mentioned that public transportation was meant for the elderly; schedules ran from about 5-6 in the morning until about noon. El transporte pblico se dedica a recoger a la gente mayores. Empieza de 5 a 6 am y al medioda no hay servicios. Other topics discussed in the focus group dialogue included: security, violence, recreational programs, academic counseling, the well being of the family. Within these topics, the well being of the family seemed to be the most prevalent one. From the perspective of the youth, family health and community health were interrelated. For example, dysfunctions within the family unit would be reflected at the community level. They felt it was these very problems that resulted in unwanted pregnancies, drug addiction, and crime. When asked about the types of services and/or activities that one would like to see in their community, several different answers were brought up. They included: 35 people would like to see more talks and/or interventions about health prevention; 34 wanted better access to health care services; 33 wanted to see more recreational activities; and 32 wanted better modes of transportation , Figure 2. As one of the final, closing questions to our survey, we asked: Which group do you think needs the most attention within your community? They were presented with the options of choosing between children, adolescents, adults or the elderly. Of the thirty-nine participants, eight chose not to answer. Nineteen participants identified adolescents as the group that needed the most attention; seven identified the children; and three identified with the elderly and adults, Figure 3. One of the participants stated that it was important to save the youth. Salvar a la juventud

5 DISCUSSION Often, questions arise as a result of community based research that further need to be investigated because conclusive answers can not be formulated. As a result of our investigation, many questions have been formulated that we believe should be considered an offspring for future investigative processes. For example, through the utilization of the three instruments used during our investigation, we were able to identify that 31% of the sample population, which included 39 persons, felt that drug addiction was the major issue affecting the community and 13% of the same sampled population concurred that community security was another major concern. It is still left to be discovered how future programs tailored to satisfy the needs of the community in these two areas can be structured to benefit all in the community. With regards to drug addiction, what programs currently exist that help educate and rehabilitate community residents? If such programs no longer exist, was it due to lack of funding by the municipality or was it a lack of participants that were prepared to partake in such programs? On the other hand, in dealing with community security, how many officers will it take to provide security to the community that is considered to be adequate by its residents? What will their hours of operation be? And at what time will their rounding prove to be most beneficial for the majority of the community? In dealing with the community youth, through the focus group that we conducted, we were able to gather from the participants their desire to obtain both academic and personal counseling. As a team, we feel that these two areas should be further looked upon by future investigators in order to determine what programs can be implemented that would foster an environment where local youths obtain the necessary help in both areas. Collectively, the data that we collected should be utilized by community residents and community leaders as a tool that could open the doors for further investigative research in the areas identified within this report. It is important to mention that the data collected is not conclusive and it does not represent the feeling of an entire community, rather it is the concerns expressed by 39 members of El Barrio Las Vegas. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Field School Faculty Las Vegas Community Asociacin Recreativa Las Vegas Municipio de Cayey NIH-RIMI Grant #1-P2MD001112-0 UPR-Cayey USF BIBLIOGRAPHY Definitions of community health. (n.d.). Answers.Com. Retrieved June 25, 2007, from:http://www.answers.com/topic/pub lic-health. Interdisciplinary research. (2006, November 30). Office of Portfolio Analysis and Strategic Initiatives National Institutes of Health. Retrieved June 25, 2007, from http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/interdisciplina ry/

Figures 1-3

31% 13%

N=39
Drogas (12) Seguridad (5) Violencia (4) Desertores Escolares (2) Sin Respuesta (9)

10% 5% 23%

Figure 1: Las Vegas Survey at Health Clinic

G ro u p s

49% 18% 5% 8% 21%

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Y outh (19) C hildren (7) A dults (2) S eniors (3) N o answ ers (8)

N=39

45

50

Figure 2: Survey Questions: Who needs more attention in your community?

20 25

30

35

15

10

0 5
A a c ti P r rlla v id a En eve s d d e fe n c e s/ rm io Ch ed n ad d e es A S cc S a erv eso lu ic i a d os de A R e c tiv c r id a ea d tiv e s as

Number of participants (N=39)

35 34 33

Tr

an

sp

32

or

ta

cio

Si

Re

Figure 3: Las Vegas Survey Activities or Services

sp ue s ta

La salud es la prioridad en la comunidad

Melissa Toncic, Natalia Rodrguez Ilia Perdomo, Mitchlery Cardona

2007 III

Primeros Pasos

Familiarizarnos con la comunidad - Recorrido de la comunidad - Mapa cultural - Reunin en el centro comunal - Conversacin con un miembro de la comunidad

Qu hicimos?

Desarrollo de cuestionarios - 39 residentes de Las Vegas - Edad promedio: 51 aos Entrevistas - 4 adultos Grupo focal con jvenes - Edades 17 22 aos - 4 hombres y 1 mujer - Consentimientos de padres

Qu nos dijeron?

Entrevistas

Cuando se pregunt qu significa salud para usted?, una de las personas entrevistadas mencion lo siguiente: La salud es una de las cosas primordial en el pueblo y en el pas completo

Community Concerns Survey Results

Percent of Population 31% 13% N=39
Drugs (12) Security (5) Violence (4) School Drop-outs (2) No Answer(9)

10%

5%

23%

Preocupaciones en la comunidad Entrevistas

- falta de seguridad Hace falta ms proteccin 1 o 2 policas rondeando todo el tiempo - adiccin a drogas - falta de transportacin pblica

Grupo Focal de Jvenes

Preocupaciones en la comunidad

Falta de transportacin

El transporte pblico se dedica a recoger a la gente mayores. Empieza de 5 a 6 am y al medioda no hay servicios.

Preocupaciones en la comunidad

Entrevistas

Cuando le hicimos la pregunta qu recursos tiene su comunidad? a uno de los entrevistados su respuesta fue la siguiente: No hay recursos en la comunidad y la transportacin es psima.

Preocupaciones en la comunidad
Grupo Focal de Jvenes
En el dilogo que se desarroll en el grupo focal, adems del tema de transportacin, tambin se tocaron los temas: - Seguridad - Violencia - Programas recreativos - Consejera acadmica - Bienestar familiar

Who needs more attention within the community? (Survey Results)

49% 18%
Groups

5% 8% 21%

Adolescents (19) Children (7) Adults (2) Elderly (3) No Answer (8)

N=39

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Number of Responses

Quines necesitan ms atencin dentro de la comunidad?

Mediante las entrevistas se tocaron el tema de la juventud. Uno de los entrevistados enfatizo que se necesitaba: Salvar a la juventud

Entrevistas

What activities and/or services would you like to see in your community? (survey results)
35 35 34 33 32

N=39

Number of Responses

30 25 20 15 10 5 0
Ta h e lks p r alt ab ou ev h en t ti o n R A c ecre ti v a t i te i o n s a s ti o A He cce al ss th to Se rv i ta or An No sw ce er l n

Activities and/or Services

Tr

an

sp

Resultados Preliminares

La salud en comunidad est vinculada a la salud de la sociedad de una forma integral. Los temas sobresalientes incluyen la preocupacin por los jvenes los programas recreativos la seguridad la transportacin la adiccin a las drogas y al alcohol el bienestar familiar

Resultados Preliminares

Los resultados demuestran que los participantes le interesaran ver servicios tales como: - Transportacin pblica - Vigilancia policaca - Charlas de prevencin de enfermedades - Clnicas de salud - Programas recreativos tanto para jvenes como adultos

Resultados Preliminares
Siempre se empieza por poquito y se termina por mucho

--Residente de Las Vegas 2007

Agradecimientos

Facultad Residentes de Las Vegas Asociacin Recreativa Municipio de Cayey NIH UPR-C

Texto Presentacin Oral Proyecto La Salud es Prioridad en la Comunidad Buenas tardes somos Melissa Toncic, Ilia Perdomo, Mitchelery Cardona y Natalia Rodrguez. Yo (Melissa) soy estudiante de Ithaca College en Ithaca, Nueva York. Mi concentracion es antropologa. Somos estudiantes del segundo ao del proyecto de investigacin llamado Salud en Comunidad. El mismo es auspiciado por Municipio de Cayey, la Universidad de Puerto Rico en Cayey, la Universidad del Sur de la Florida y NIH. Como estudiantes de diferentes concentraciones, tenamos diferentes ideas de lo que significaba nuestro proyecto de investigacin y en qu se iba a concentrar. Introduccin Al comenzar el proceso de estudio de la comunidad hicimos un recorrido general por la comunidad para relacionarnos con ella e invitarles a participar de la Clnica de Salud auspiciada por la Escuela de Verano como parte del curso. En esa visita a la comunidad, tuvimos la oportunidad de conversar con residentes dndonos una idea de dnde ibamos a trabajar. Este recorrido por la comunidad nos dio la oportunidad de disear un mapa cultural el cual se basaba en observaciones que describen los aspectos fisicos de la comunidad. Como grupo, caminamos por la comunidad, interactuando con algunos residentes, y tomando notas sobre lo que observbamos. Casa estudiante percibi algo distinto. Esto nos ayud a no centrarnos en algo especfico. Otra forma de acercarnos a la comunidad fue teniendo una reunin en el centro comunal Jos Tati Ros donde dialogamos con ocho miembros de la asociacin recreativa de la comunidad. Este grupo, estaba compuesto por personas adultas, de edad avanzada, y una joven. En la reunin con este grupo los temas sealados fueron drogas, violencia, seguridad, y la necesidad de atender a los ancianos. Este fue el primer momento en que nos dimos cuenta que para esos residentes las salud en comunidad implicaba tener un balance de diferentes elementos. Tuvimos curiosidad porque queramos saber si este grupo reflejaba el sentir comn de otros miembros de Las Vegas. El grupo de residentes no refiri a una persona clave en la comunidad para tener una conversacin. En la misma, la persona comparti con nosotras preocupaciones similares a las del dilogo con el grupo de la asociacin. Entonces, identificamos que exista un patrn y para verificar si era cierto acordamos enfocarnos en estudiar ms de cerca parte de la comunidad. Cmo estudiamos ms de cerca la comunidad A partir del dilogo con el grupo de residentes donde vimos los diferentes elementos que componen su definicin de salud en comunidad decidimos crear un cuestionario. Este contena preguntas que permitieran al participante expresarse sobre lo que entendan por salud en comunidad y sobre otros temas que les preocupaban dentro de su comunidad. Con esto desebamos conocer si se desarrollaba algn patrn entre las situaciones antes expuestas y las prximas a conocer.

Algunas de estas preguntas eran: Qu elementos son necesarios para que una comunidad sea saludable? Conoce sobre esfuerzos que se estn realizando para traer las actividades y/o servicios que le gustara obtener en la comunidad? El cuestionario se administr en la Clnica de Salud la cual tuvo lugar en el centro comunal del barrio Las Vegas el sbado 16 de junio de 2007. El total de personas que participaron fue de 44 personas de las cuales 38 eran residentes de este sector. Adems, se recorri el sector Tinito Marn de este barrio donde se administraron cuestionaros adicionales a los de la clnica. Estos cuestionarios fueron ingresados en una base de datos para anlisis cualitativos y cuantitativos. Adems, luego de observar los resultados obtenidos en los cuestionarios decidimos ampliar la forma en que continuaramos conociendo lo que algunos residentes de la comunidad de Las Vegas pensaban en cuanto a lo que crean necesario para que su comunidad sea saludable. Optamos entonces por realizar entrevistas individuales. Las personas que participaron de las mismas fueron recomendadas por las personas claves con las cuales ya se haba hecho contacto dentro de la comunidad. Participaron 4 personas las cuales se localizaban entre el sector Ponderosa, Tinito Marn y la calle Isabel Coln. Para obtener una perspectiva ms amplia quisimos dialogar con algunos jvenes residentes del Barrio Las Vegas. Se realiz un grupo focal con 5 jvenes voluntarios entre las edades de 17 a 21 aos quienes dieron su aprobacin para participar en el mismo y tambin obtuvimos el consentimiento de sus padres. Este grupo de jvenes activos y no activos en la comunidad. El enfoque tanto de las entrevistas individuales como del grupo focal era conocer las perspectivas en torno a la salud en la comunidad, sus recursos y lo que les gustara ver en ella. Como marco de referencia utilizamos la pregunta qu significa salud para usted? y Qu recursos tiene la comunidad? Una de las personas entrevistadas mencion lo siguiente: La salud es una de las cosas primordial en el pueblo y en el pas completo Cules fueron sus respuestas? Mediante los cuestionarios identificamos lo siguiente: Preocupaciones de la Comunidad: (Grfica) En los cuestionarios encontramos que los aspectos que ms afectan a la comunidad son: Drogas con un 37.47% Seguridad con un 15.65% Violencia con un 12.50% Desertores escolares con un 6.28% En realidad de las 39 personas que participaron solo 30 respondieron a esta pregunta. De las cuales 12 dijeron que las drogas era una preocupacin de la comunidad, 5 respondieron

seguridad, 4 violencia y 2 desertores escolares. Recursos necesarios en la comunidad En el cuestionario se pregunt Que tipos de servicios y/o actividades les gustara ver en la comunidad? Con la intencin de identificar la necesidad mas latente dentro de la comunidad. El servicio ms solicitado segn la encuesta fueron las charlas sobre prevencin de enfermedades con una cantidad de 35 personas. En segundo lugar est el acceso a servicios de salud con 34, en tercer lugar las actividades recreativas con 33 y en cuarto lugar la transportacin con 32. Grupos que necesitan ms atencin Luego de una serie de preguntas se les pidi a lo participantes que sealaran el grupo que estos pensaban necesitaba mas atencin. Esta grafica representa distintos grupos dentro del barrio Las Vegas. Se identific que el grupo ms necesitado de atencin en la comunidad son los jvenes con un 49% que representan a 19 participantes de 31 personas que respondieron a esta pregunta. Le siguen los nios con 18%, los ancianos 8%, y los adultos con 5%. Se debe indicar que un 20% no ofreci respuesta alguna a esta pregunta. Otro mtodo que utilizamos fueron las entrevistas y por medio de estas encontramos que: resalt el tema de los jvenes ameritando atencin a este grupo. En una de las entrevistas se mencion que se necesita, Salvar la juventud. Adems surgieron otros temas como: falta de seguridad, adiccin de drogas y falta de transportacin. Al igual que en las encuestas, las preocupaciones que surgieron de las entrevistas se dirigieron hacia los mismos temas. Uno de los entrevistados enfatizo la falta de seguridad donde dijo, Hace falta ms proteccin 1 o 2 policas rondeando todo el tiempo Adems de este tema tambin se encontraron en las entrevistas los temas de adiccin a drogas y falta de transportacin publica. En las entrevistas Cuando le hicimos la pregunta qu recursos tiene su comunidad? uno de los entrevistados dio la siguiente respuesta: No hay recursos en la comunidad y la transportacin es psima. En el caso del grupo focal los jvenes enfatizaron en la falta de transportacin donde uno de estos senalo El transporte pblico se dedica a recoger a la gente mayores. Empieza de 5 a 6 am y al medioda no hay servicios. Por medio del grupo focal con los jvenes, adems de los resultados ya presentados, pudimos identificar que sus preocupaciones se centraban en el bienestar de la familia. Estos relacionaban la salud en la comunidad con la salud dentro de la familia. Para estos, si haba disfuncin en la familia la misma se reflejara en la comunidad en aspectos como los embarazos no deseados en las jvenes, adiccin a las drogas y el crimen.

Conclusin En el proceso de realizar este proyecto aprendimos que la salud en comunidad est vinculada a la salud de la sociedad de una forma integral. Este fue el sentir de los participantes en el barrio Las Vegas de Cayey. Luego de recopilar toda la informacin tanto cualitativa como cuantitativa conclumos que se desarrollaba un patrn, ya que los temas sobresalientes eran los mismos. Estos incluyen, la preocupacin por los jvenes, la necesidad de programas recreativos, la seguridad, la transportacin, la adiccin a las drogas y al alcohol y el bienestar familiar. Los datos presentados dan fundamento para crear programas en las siguientes reas: Transportacin pblica Vigilancia policaca Charlas de prevencin de enfermedades y acceso a servicios de salud Clnicas de Salud Programas recreativos tanto para jvenes como adultos

Este estudio no es concluyente, ms bien es el primer paso que podemos dar como comunidad para desarrollar nuevas dinmicas que promuevan la salud comunal dentro del barrio Las Vegas. El conocer esta comunidad tal como es, es la gua que ayudar a implementar las prcticas necesarias para que la comunidad este saludable. Es importante mencionar que el tiempo de estudio de la comunidad fue limitado. Entendemos que la informacin que estamos presentando es parte de la voz de la comunidad, por ende la misma debe ser escuchada para tomar accin con un sentido de urgencia. Como nos mencionaron en Las Vegas: Siempre se empieza por poquito y se termina por mucho.

2007 Instituto de Investigaciones Interdisciplinarias