Findings from a participatory community health assessment tailored to a predominately immigrant community

Community Health Assessment (CHA), an approach to identifying community health needs and assets towards health improvement is of increasing interest as the influence of place on individuals’ health is becoming a more central public health concern. In predominately immigrant neighborhoods current CHA tools and approaches fail to capture the impact of migration and acculturation on individuals, families and the community at large. These insights are essential to understand the relationship of the acculturative processes and observed racial and ethnic health disparities in the United States. Employing community-based participatory research principles in a community health assessment we developed tailored, mixed methods data collection instruments for Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood. In Little Village over 50% of residents are foreign born,  83% of Mexican heritage and 33% speak English less than "very well". Through community health surveys, individual interviews (n=14), focus groups (n=10) and oral histories (n=8), we explored community perceptions of health priorities and barriers as well as  assets to community health.  Through participatory data analysis emergent themes include impact of daily concern for safety on family and community, acculturative press and work and occupation as community health determinants.  After broad dissemination of findings in the community,  partner-identified community-based health promotion strategies are recommended.