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Outcomes from a Male-to-Male Promotores Intervention in an Emerging Latino Community

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Abstract

Emerging Latino communities experience social isolation and lack services tailored to their culture. Few male-to-male promotores (community health workers in Spanish) interventions exist. This 6-month participatory study aimed to improve social support, healthcare access, depressive symptoms, and decrease alcohol consumption among Latino immigrant men. Promotores delivered non-directive social support to participants recruited from community venues. We analyzed baseline and 6-month questionnaires data (n = 89) using paired chi square tests. All participants were immigrants; 47% had not finished high school, 29% had depression symptoms, 35% reported past month binge drinking and 93% were uninsured. The intervention significantly improved having a usual source of care (24 to 43%), doctor’s visits (41 to 62%) and dentist’s visits (27 to 42%) in the past year. Other outcomes did not improve. Male promotores increased healthcare access among vulnerable Latino men. Addressing drinking behavior and depression may require longer interventions or specialized providers.

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Acknowledgements

The following Latino Engagement Group for Salud (LEGS) members were instrumental in the design and/or implementation of this study: Luis Archila, Leslie Bachurski, Alfonso Barquera, Jorge Enrique Delgado, Andrea R. Fox, Hernan Maldonado, Angel Miranda, Dawn Morgenstern, Eileen Olmstead, Leobardo Polanco, Herminio Ramirez, and Boris Tezak. The Squirrel Hill Health Center and the Consumer Health Coalition were instrumental in implementing this study.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute of Nursing Research at the National Institutes of Health [Grant Number R21NR011138 to PID].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Public Health Building, Room 6133, 130 DeSoto Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA

    P. I. Documet

  2. Latino Engagement Group for Salud, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA

    L. Macia & R. Boyzo

  3. Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, Scranton, PA, 18510, USA

    A. F. Thompson

  4. Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA

    R. Amruthapuri

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  1. P. I. Documet
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  2. L. Macia
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Correspondence to P. I. Documet.

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Documet, P.I., Macia, L., Boyzo, R. et al. Outcomes from a Male-to-Male Promotores Intervention in an Emerging Latino Community. J Immigrant Minority Health 22, 717–726 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-019-00939-w

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