Aplicabilidad de las teorías de comunicación en salud en el campo de la educación nutricional / Applicability of health communication theories in nutrition education

RESUMEN La solución de los problemas de salud relacionados con nutrición requiere el diseño, ejecución y evaluación de intervenciones efectivas que incrementen el bienestar de la población. El objetivo fue analizar la aplicabilidad de las teorías existentes de comunicación en salud para el campo de la educación nutricional. Se recopilaron y analizaron las teorías de comunicación y modelos de comportamiento en salud utilizados con mayor frecuencia para la promoción de la salud. La modificación de comportamientos relacionados con alimentación y nutrición, que conduzca a hábitos alimentarios saludables requiere de intervenciones planeadas teniendo en cuenta las características socioeconómicas, culturales, experiencias alimentarias previas, actitudes, creencias, percepciones, motivaciones, normas culturales, redes sociales y familiares y condiciones ambientales.

Aging in rural, indigenous communities: an intercultural and participatory healthcare approach in Mexico.

From an ethno-gerontological perspective, new models are needed to fulfill the health needs of the indigenous older adult population in Mexico. In this paper we developed a comprehensive healthcare model, interculturally appropriate, designed to meet the needs of Mexican indigenous older adults. The model was constructed using a qualitative design with semi-structured interviews of older adults, health providers, and available health resources in three Mexican indigenous regions. An ethnographical review was carried out to contextually characterize these communities. At the same time, a comprehensive bibliographic revision was made to identify socio-demographic markers. Results pointed out that Mexican indigenous older adults are not covered by any type of social health insurance program. Their health problems tend in large part to be chronic in nature due to the lack of early diagnosis and treatment. There is a need for trained human resources in the field of gerontology encompassing the sociocultural context of the indigenous groups. The geographical location of these communities limits the permanent presence of healthcare givers and thus limits access to continuous care. Traditional healthcare givers, able to speak the native language, are a great asset allowing the invaluable possibility of direct verbal communication. Based upon the data gathered from indigenous older adults and service providers, in tandem with evidence from the literature, we identified key elements for successful intervention and designed an intervention model. We concluded that indigenous older adults are a more vulnerable group, given that aside from being elderly in a country where the health needs of these populations exceed the capacity of existing healthcare services, their ethnicity serves as an added barrier preventing their access to the limited available healthcare resources. To achieve uniformity in providing health care, today's health systems need to address intercultural and participative aspects of healthcare models.

Development of an educational intervention to promote healthy eating and physical activity in Mexican school-age children.

Mexico has the highest and most alarming rates of childhood obesity worldwide. A study conducted in the State of Mexico revealed that one of every three children presents overweight or obesity. The objective of this paper is to provide a step-by-step description of the design and implementation of an educational intervention to promote healthy eating and physical activity called "Healthy Recess". The educational intervention was designed using the six stages of the Health Communication Process. This methodological model allowed identifying the needs of school-age children on information and participation in activities. In order to improve the strategy, adjustments were made to the print and audiovisual materials as well as to assessment tools. Typography was modified as well as the color of the images in student's workbook and facilitator's; special effects of the videos were increased; the narration of the radio spots was improved and common words and phrases were included. The Health Communication Process is an effective tool for program planners to design interventions aimed at managing prevalent health problems such as overweight and obesity in school-age children.