Engaging Latinx Youth to Advance Immigrant Health Equity

This community impact study, PODER--Preparation and Outreach to Development Engagement in Research-- prepares 30 second-generation Latinx immigrant adolescents as “community researchers-in-training.” The students engage in data collection, analysis and interpretation, study dissemination, and public health action to address obesity and obesogenic diseases among Latinx immigrant families. The word poder in Spanish literally means “to be able to” but, figuratively, the word is used to convey empowerment. 

The primary goal is to develop a capacity-building program to promote Latinx adolescents’ engagement in studies that address health inequities among Latinx immigrant populations. The investigators seek to understand the lived experience of Latinx adolescents from under-resourced communities and to leverage that expertise to identify research priorities. An Adolescent Advisory Council (AAC) will be established to develop a corresponding research agenda to plan and conduct studies and disseminate findings in their home communities. Finally, researchers will develop a dissemination toolkit that can be used in other communities to bring this model to scale.