Tu Salud ¡Sí Cuenta! Your Health Matters! A Community-wide Campaign in a Hispanic Border Community in Texas.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate a community-wide campaign, Tu Salud ¡Si Cuenta! (TSSC), in improving eating behaviors and anthropometric outcomes in Hispanic border communities.

DESIGN

A quasi-experimental study with matched intervention and comparison communities. Cross-sectional assessments with randomly sampled adults, examined by actual exposure and site (unexposed intervention, exposed intervention, and unexposed comparison).

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Predominately Mexican Americans located in Brownsville, TX (intervention) and Laredo, TX (control).

INTERVENTION

The TSSC campaign included television and radio segments, community health worker discussions, and newsletters delivered in Brownsville from 2005 to 2010.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Healthy and unhealthy eating indices and average hip and waist circumferences.

ANALYSIS

Univariable and multivariable regression models.

RESULTS

The sample (n = 799; 400 comparison and 399 intervention) was 98% of Mexican origin; 54% had completed grade 9 or higher. Exposure to any TSSC component was associated with a lower rate of unhealthy food consumption. Compared with the unexposed intervention group, the exposed intervention for the newsletter had a higher rate of healthy eating (adjusted rate ratio = 1.18; P < .01). Compared with the unexposed intervention, the exposed intervention for the community health worker discussion had a smaller hip circumference (adjusted mean difference = -5.77 cm; P < .05) and a smaller waist circumference (adjusted mean difference = -5.25 cm; P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

This study provides evidence for the use of community-wide campaigns for nutrition and obesity-related outcomes in Hispanic communities.