The Hispanic population of the United States is one of the fastest growing minority groups. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, Hispanics comprised 12.5% of the U.S. population and are expected to exceed 20% of the population by 2035. Hispanics suffer disparities in morbidity and mortality due to violent crime, accidents, diabetes, and cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity and physical inactivity (USDHHS, 2000). The leading cause of death for Hispanics is cardiovascular diseases. In addition, Hispanics are vastly underrepresented in the attainment of educational degrees and represent extremely small percentages of those employed in health/science-related professions. In order to address these two issues facing the Hispanic community, the Department of Kinesiology, Health Promotion and Recreation at the UNT-Denton together with the School of Public Health at the UNT Health Science Center propose Participation And Training in Health Sciences (Project PATHS), a three-year health promotion initiative. Project PATHS will engage North Dallas High School students, who are predominantly Hispanic, in culturally appropriate health/science promotion activities and experiences. The two primary goals of Project PATHS are to 1) increase the representation of Hispanics in the health/science professions, and 2) promote health related life style changes. Specific objectives include: 1) increasing the number of Hispanic students taking college entrance exams by 10%, 2) increasing the number of Hispanic students who report interest in health/science professions by 10%, 3) improving participants' healthy lifestyles related to Healthy People 2010 Leading Health Indicators. The intervention is based on an ecological model that will involve students through a school-based culturally competent curriculum and facilitate a supportive environment through the collaborative efforts of several academic institutions.
