Baseline Socio-demographic characteristics and self-reported diet and physical activity shifts among recent immigrants participating in the randomized controlled lifestyle intervention: "Live Well".

The goal of this paper is to describe the baseline characteristics of Live Well (intervention to prevent weight gain in recent immigrant mother-child dyads from Brazil, Haiti, and Latin America) participants, and to explore self-reported changes in diet and physical activity post-immigration. Baseline data from 383 mothers were used for this study. Dyads attended a measurement day where they completed self-administered surveys collecting information about socio-demographics, diet, physical activity, other psychosocial variables, and height and weight. Haitian mothers' socio-demographic profile differed significantly from that of Brazilians' and Latinas': they have been in the US for a shorter period of time, have higher rates of unemployment, are less likely to be married, more likely to have ≥3 children, more likely to be obese, and have immigrated for family or other reasons. In multivariate models, self-reported changes in diet and physical activity since migrating to the US were significantly associated with BMI with non-linear relationships identified. Future research is needed to understand how diet and physical activity change while acculturating to the US and explore the adoption of both healthy and unhealthy dietary changes.

Research as curriculum: engaging undergraduates and community residents in immigrant health research partnerships.

BACKGROUND: Engaging undergraduate students in applied community research partnerships can promote greater health equity by providing students with the skills and capacity to work collaboratively with diverse populations. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this project was to develop a sustainable model to engage community members and students in public health research. METHODS: Using an integrated research-as-curriculum model, students, community members, and faculty collaborated on the study design and implementation. CONCLUSIONS: Community residents in the classroom provided insights that strengthened the research process and helped to develop our understanding of contextual factors that influence health and well-being. This model provides a mechanism by which to fully incorporate undergraduate students in interdisciplinary partnership research for health.

Community-engaged pedagogy: a strengths-based approach to involving diverse stakeholders in research partnerships.

BACKGROUND: To help build community capacity to partner in translational research partnerships, new approaches to training that incorporate both adult learning models and community-based participatory research (CBPR) are needed. OBJECTIVES: This article describes the educational approach-"community-engaged pedagogy"-used in a capacity-building training program with community partners in Boston. Drawing from adult learning theory and CBPR community-engaged pedagogy embraces co-learning and is rooted in a deep respect for the prior knowledge and experiences that community partners bring to the conversation around CBPR. This approach developed iteratively over the course of the first year of the program. Participating community partners drove the development of this educational approach, as they requested the application of CBPR principles to the educational program. METHODS: The dimensions of community-engaged pedagogy include (1) a relational approach to partnership building, (2) establishment of a learning community, (3) organic curriculum model, (4) collaborative teaching mechanism with diverse faculty, and (5) applied learning. CONCLUSIONS: Using a community-engaged pedagogical approach helps to model respect, reciprocity, and power sharing, core principles of CBPR. Although community partners appreciate this approach, traditionally trained academics may find this method unfamiliar and uncomfortable.

Occupational health and safety experiences among self-identified immigrant workers living or working in Somerville, MA by ethnicity, years in the US, and English proficiency.

In this community based research initiative, we employed a survey instrument predominately developed and administered by Teen Educators to assess occupational health risks for Haitian, Salvadoran, and Brazilian immigrants (n = 405) in Somerville, MA, USA. We demonstrate that a combined analysis of ethnicity, years in the US, and English proficiency better characterized the occupational experience of immigrant workers than considering these variables individually. While years in the US (negatively) and English proficiency (positively) explained the occurrence of health risks, the country of origin identified the most vulnerable populations in the community. Brazilians, Salvadorans, and other Hispanic, all of whom who have been in the US varying length of time, with varying proficiency in English language had twice the odds of reporting injuries due to work compared to other immigrants. Although this observation was not significant it indicates that years in the US and English proficiency alone do not predict health risks among this population. We recommend the initiation of larger studies employing c community based participatory research methods to confirm these differences and to further explore work and health issues of immigrant populations. This study is one of the small number of research efforts to utilize a contemporaneous assessment of occupational health problems in three distinct immigrant populations at the community level within a specific Environmental Justice context and social milieu.

The impact of Immigration and Customs Enforcement on immigrant health: perceptions of immigrants in Everett, Massachusetts, USA.

U.S. immigrants have faced a changing landscape with regard to immigration enforcement over the last two decades. Following the passage of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, and the creation of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency after the attacks of September 11, 2001, detention and deportation activity increased substantially. As a result, immigrants today are experiencing heightened fear of profiling and deportation. Little research exists on how these activities affect the health and well-being of U.S. immigrant communities. This study sought to address this gap by using community-based participatory research to investigate the impact of enhanced immigration enforcement on immigrant health in Everett, Massachusetts, USA, a city with a large and diverse immigrant population. Community partners and researchers conducted 6 focus groups with 52 immigrant participants (documented and undocumented) in five languages in May 2009. The major themes across the groups included: 1) Fear of deportation, 2) Fear of collaboration between local law enforcement and ICE and perception of arbitrariness on the part of the former and 3) Concerns about not being able to furnish documentation required to apply for insurance and for health care. Documented and undocumented immigrants reported high levels of stress due to deportation fear, which affected their emotional well-being and their access to health services. Recommendations from the focus groups included improving relationships between immigrants and local police, educating immigrants on their rights and responsibilities as residents, and holding sessions to improve civic engagement. Immigration enforcement activities and the resulting deportation fear are contextual factors that undermine trust in community institutions and social capital, with implications for health and effective integration processes. These factors should be considered by any community seeking to improve the integration process.

The Vida Verde Women's Co-Op: Brazilian immigrants organizing to promote environmental and social justice.

We reviewed the key steps in the launch of the Vida Verde Women's Co-Op among Brazilian immigrant housecleaners in Somerville, MA. The co-op provides green housecleaning products, encourages healthy work practices, and promotes a sense of community among its members. We conducted in-depth interviews with 8 of the first co-op members, who reported a reduction in symptoms associated with the use of traditional cleaning agents and a new sense of mutual support. Critical to the co-op's success have been the supportive roles of its academic partners (Tufts University and the University of Massachusetts, Lowell), effective media outreach, and a focus on advancing social justice. Next steps include implementing a formal business plan and assessing the appropriateness of cooperatives in other industries.

Transferring knowledge about human subjects protections and the role of institutional review boards in a community-based participatory research project.

Among the first tasks in a collaboration between Tufts University and community organizations in Somerville, MA, was designing an interview instrument to assess occupational health needs among immigrant workers. Human subjects protections was a critical issue, but community partners were not well informed about the need for such protections or the role of the institutional review board (IRB). During research meetings, members of the team from Tufts trained community collaborators to work with research participants and organized a presentation by a key university IRB administrator. We present findings from the process evaluation of this project and suggest ways to (1) assess community partners' understanding about working with research volunteers, (2) train collaborators, and (3) involve IRBs.