Document Type
Article
Publication Date
5-10-2020
School
Health Professions
Abstract
Background:Resiliency is the ability to prepare for, recover from, and adapt to stressors from adverse events. Social vulnerabilities (limited access to resources, political power, and representation; lack of social capital; aspects of the built environment; health inequities; and being in certain demographic categories) can impact resiliency. The Vietnamese population living along the Mississippi Gulf Coast is a community that has unique social vulnerabilities that impact their ability to be resilient to adverse events. Objectives: The purpose of this project was to address social vulnerability by implementing and evaluating a volunteer Community Health Advisor (CHA) project to enhance community resiliency in this community. Methods: A program implemented over eight three-hour sessions was adapted from the Community Health Advisor Network curriculum that focused on healthy eating, preventing chronic conditions (hyperlipidemia, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and poor mental health). Topics also included leadership and capacity development skills. Results: Participants (n = 22) ranged from 35 to 84 years of age. Most were female (63.6%), married (45.5%), unemployed (63.6%), had annual incomes of p < 0.0001), as did SF-8 scores (t = 5.759, df = 17, p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Strategies to reduce vulnerabilities in the Vietnamese community should include developing interventions that address health risks and strengths and focus on root causes of vulnerability.
Publication Title
Sustainability
Volume
12
Issue
9
Recommended Citation
Mayfield-Johnson, S.,
Fastring, D.,
Le, D.,
Nguyen, J.
(2020). Addressing the Social Vulnerability of Mississippi Gulf Coast Vietnamese Community Through the Development of Community Health Advisors. Sustainability, 12(9).
Available at: https://aquila.usm.edu/fac_pubs/17410
Comments
Published by Sustainability at 10.3390/su12093892.