The goal of the research proposed is to conduct a formative evaluation of the process by which a model of government-community partnership promotes community involvement in the implementation in Puerto Rico of the 'Community Intervention Program for Health Promotion and Primary Prevention of Asthma'. The objectives 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 'Community Intervention Program for Health Promotion and Primary Prevention of Asthma' places on both community empowerment and individual responsibility for asthma management; [2] describe and provide feedback to program stakeholders of how, in this context, the process of community empowerment was advanced in the process of procuring community involvement in the prevention of asthma; [3] describe how the framework for action employed by the program of interest has addressed the disproportionately high burden of asthma endured by the low-income communities where it has been implemented. These objectives will be achieved through face-to-face in-depth interviews that will incorporate the views and perspectives of all the members of the 'Community Health Advisory Committees' (or COPSCOs) in charge of implementing the program of interest. In-depth interviews will be analyzed through the use of content analysis employing NVIVO7 software. The research proposed in this training plan is related the '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). This is due to the fact that the 'Community Intervention Program for Health Promotion and Primary Prevention of Asthma' is implemented in low-income communities of Hispanic Origin and is the product of a partnership that promotes collaboration between the Puerto Rico's health authorities and community organizations and agencies. The relevance of this research to public health is that it deals with approaches to health promotion practice and its application to the problem of asthma at a community level. ? ? ?
