Article Review: Camine con Nosotros: Connecting Theory and Practice for Promoting Physical Activity among Hispanic Women
Article Review: Camine Con Nosotros: Connecting Theory and Practice for Promoting Physical Activity among Hispanic Women
Citation:
Soto, F. G., Kane, W. M., Going, S., Ford, E. S., Marshall, J. R., Staten, L. K., & Smith, J. E. (2000). Camine Con Nosotros: Connecting Theory and Practice for Promoting Physical Activity among Hispanic Women. Health Promotion Practice, 1(2), 178. Doi:10.1177/152483990000100217
Purpose:
The researchers’ main aim includes explaining the Camine Con Nosotros concept which they regard as a theory-based physical activity plan for the Hispanic women. Furthermore, the article focuses on describing the procedure of choosing a theoretical plan of the program and linking the theory and practice.
Summary:
- The research observes that caregivers who work with the Hispanic communities experience additional challenges that often deter them from applying theories when planning healthcare strategies.
- Some of the challenges faced by these physicians include the diverse nature of the Hispanic population, inaccessibility of reliable data, and factors linked to the cross-cultural applicability of the modern behavioral theories.
- The article argues that the utilization of theories provides a strategic approach for building effective programs. However, the researchers emphasize the need of focusing more on the practitioners’ needs when designing such frameworks. The research articulates that poor knowledge of psychological and cultural issues attached to a particular community can make practitioners select and apply unpractical theories or misinterpret the relationship between their major variables. In this context, the article challenges the program planners to ensure that they are aware of the cultural and psychological aspects of the target population to adopt models that accurately address the issues related to the habit to be studied.
- The researchers acknowledge that applying theories cannot fully warrant the success of the program; however, they assert that theories provide a platform in which programmers can better plan, execute and evaluate an intervention. Moreover, theories aid the understanding of elements affecting particular habits and help physicians to identify circumstances that have the potential of attaining particular results.
- In view of the Camine Con Nosotros theory, the researchers proposes a plan that initiates with the identification of goals and objectives, to selecting the theoretical framework, then connecting theory to practice, and eventually installing or designing evaluations tools.
- The study’s findings highlight that, in contrast to the traditional situation where the Hispanic population was concentrated in some regions of United States, the number of this group is expected to increase in every part of the country. The article thus argues that the identified changes in the Hispanic population’s demographic ought to affect the healthcare procedures. Accordingly, the researchers recommend for the need of installing health promotion plans that account for the scenario and ones that are flexible enough to account for a growing population.
- The researchers are convinced that health behavior models are an essential resource for healthcare providers dealing with the Hispanic communities. Theorists can significantly improve the situation and develop more reliable models by emphasizing more on the process. Furthermore, the researchers identify that explaining the rationale for the program design, describing the intervention elements in detail and availing accurate details of the process and evaluation tools are essential in fostering knowledge of the proposed plan.
Conclusion:
