The goal of the study proposed in this research training plan is to conduct a formative evaluation of the process by which a model of institutional-community collaboration promotes community involvement in the implementation of the 'Allies Against Asthma in Puerto Rico1 program. In this way, the applicant aims to develop a framework to assess community empowerment as a social action process that is integral to all aspects of community health promotion practice. The objectives of the study are: [1] Asses how 'top-down'and 'bottom-up'approaches to community health promotion practice merge at each stage of the program cycle, given the emphasis the 'Alianza'places on both community empowerment and individual responsibility for asthma management. [2] Describe and provide feedback to program stakeholders of how the process of community empowerment was advanced by promoting community involvement in the prevention of asthma. [3] Analyze the power relations between the champions of the 'Alianza1 and community members and determine how they can become more empowering for the latter, given the fact that the former enter the relationship from positions of power as institutional representatives. [4] Describe how this framework for action promotes program sustainability and contributes to address the high burden of asthma endured by the participant low-income community. These objectives will be achieved by employing the data collection methods of community meetings, in-depth interviews, participant observation, and document review. Data analysis and interpretation will be ongoing throughout the study. After transcribing the audio recordings produced during the course of the proposed meetings and interviews, the study will use content analysis, aided by a qualitative analysis software package. The applicant will use her field notes, the documents obtained, and reflective memos in the process of triangulation, which will add context, depth, and rigor to the study. The study proposed in this research training plan is related to 'Priority Area 2: Reduce the Burden of Asthma for People with the Disease1 and 'Priority Area 3: Eliminate the Disproportionate Burden of Asthma in Minority Populations and Those Living in Poverty'of 'Action Against Asthma', a report issued by the US Department Health and Human Services that assists in setting the course for the 'National Asthma Education and Prevention Program'(NAEPP) of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The relevance of this research to public health is that it deals with health promotion practice and its application to the use of empowerment objectives to address the problem of asthma at a community level.
