Mapeando en tiempos de la COVID-19 / Mapping out in COVID-19 times

Introducción y objetivos: La COVID-19 hace evidente la urgencia de crear un sistema equitativo en el acceso a la salud. Así, se decide realizar un enfoque salutogénico basado en los activos para la salud. Para ello, se pretende identificar los principales problemas de salud de nuestra comunidad y conocer los recursos comunitarios disponibles, con el fin de establecer alianzas y proyectos futuros de colaboración. Métodos: Inicialmente, el Grupo Promotor (GP) hace el diagnóstico de salud y delimita el área de intervención. Una vez ubicados los activos por internet, se representan en el mapa. Se elige la entrevista individual como técnica de recogida de información. Cuando la situación epidemiológica lo permite, se organiza una reunión con los representantes de los recursos comunitarios, donde se analizan los resultados y se identifican los problemas más emergentes. Resultados: A lo largo de 7 meses, se hicieron 16 entrevistas con distintos representantes sociales de la comunidad Los principales problemas encontrados fueron desempleo, migración, prostitución, adicción y suicidio. La mayoría de las actividades comunitarias se han visto interrumpidas durante el confinamiento por la COVID-19, aunque han surgido nuevas iniciativas. Conclusión/discusión: El mapeo de recursos comunitarios y diagnóstico en salud aporta una visión real de la comunidad. Además, implica a sus representantes, profesionales y ciudadanía en la búsqueda de soluciones, desarrollando mejores condiciones de vida. (AU)

Introduction and objectives. COVID-19 reveals the urgency of creating an equitable system in access to healthcare. Thus, it has been decided to perform a salutogenic approach based on health assets. For that to be accomplished, it is intended to identify our community’s main health problems and to ascertain the available community resources to establish alliances and future collaboration projects. Methodology. Initially, the Promoter Group (PG) performs the health diagnosis and defines the area of intervention. Once the assets are found on the internet, they are placed on the map. The data collection technique chosen was the individual interview. When the epidemiological situation enables this, a meeting is organized with the representatives of the community resources, where the results are analyzed and the most emerging problems are identified. Results. Over seven months, 16 interviews were held with different social representatives of the community. The fundamental problems detected were unemployment, migration, prostitution, addiction and suicide. Most community activities were interrupted during the COVID-19 lockdown, although new initiatives have arisen. Conclusion/Discussion. Asset mapping and diagnosis in health provides an actual vision of the Community. Furthermore, it involves its representatives, professionals and citizens in the search for solutions, providing a better quality of life. (AU)

Troubling heroes: Reframing the environmental justice contributions of the Flint water crisis.

While the story of the Flint water crisis has been shared widely, the popular narrative-described in multiple documentaries and as evidenced by accolades heaped upon a limited few number of actors involved with Flint-largely leaves out the broad experiences and actions of Flint residents in responding to the crisis, raising awareness, and advocating for change. Academic literature has contributed to reinforcing an abbreviated and disempowered version of the narrative where Flint residents needed rescue. In this article, we present an extended description of the Flint water crisis leading up to the water switch in April 2014, including descriptions of community mobilization efforts to call government actions into account and produce investigations that validated the concerns of the residents. We offer a review of prominent academic literature demonstrating patterns of erasure that suggest Flint residents were disempowered. In response, we offer three examples which demonstrate how Flint resident mobilizations have broad historical context, national reach, and individual actions that contradict the narrative that Flint residents lack agency and power. In our analysis, rather than viewing Flint residents as in need of rescue by science, we argue that the community mobilization in Flint is indicative of a highly successful implementation of popular epidemiology with profound effects on national conversations about lead in water, drinking water infrastructure management, and environmental justice.

Mapeo Comunitario para impulsar la participación comunitaria dentro del diagnóstico de salud poblacional / Boosting community participation in the diagnosis of population health through community mapping / Mapeamento Comunitário para impulsionar a participação comunitária dentro do diagnóstico de saúde populacional

Resumen Introducción: La salud pública tiene en el diagnóstico de salud poblacional una de las principales herramientas de investigación y planificación sanitaria. La participación activa de la población en el diagnóstico poblacional es fundamental y el mapeo comunitario es una técnica que la promueve. Objetivo: Presentar las aportaciones del uso del mapeo comunitario para la participación de la población durante el desarrollo del diagnóstico de salud poblacional. Métodos: Para dar evidencia de las aportaciones de ésta técnica, durante el desarrollo de los diagnósticos de salud, efectuados entre los años 2010 y 2014, en zonas rurales y suburbanas del centro de México, se efectuaron ejercicios de mapeo comunitario con diversos grupos poblacionales (niños, jóvenes y adultos de ambos sexos), quienes identificaban en el mapa aspectos tanto positivos como negativos de su comunidad, lo cual se plasmó en necesidades sentidas de la población. Resultados: A través del mapeo comunitario se despertó el interés y se logró estimular la participación poblacional en la identificación de necesidades, priorización de problemas y soluciones. Conclusiones: La inclusión del mapeo comunitario dentro del diagnóstico poblacional, propicia la participación y fortalece procesos organizativos, lo cual permite que se busquen soluciones a las problemáticas identificadas.

Abstract Introduction: Public health has, in the diagnosis of population health, a main researching and sanitary planning tool. The diagnosis of population health is a fundamental task, and community mapping is a technique which promotes the active participation of people. Objective: To show the input from the use of community mapping for boosting the population participation during the diagnosis of population health. Methods: In order to provide evidence on the input from this technique, during the development of the health diagnoses between 2010 and 2014, in rural and suburban zones in central Mexico, community mapping drills were carried out with diverse population groups (children, young, and adults, from both sexes) who identified positive and negative issues of their community, thus giving shape to a community map of their needs. Results: By using the community mapping technique, the participation of the people in the identification of needs and prioritization of problems and solutions was stimulated. Conclusions: The inclusion of the community mapping technique in the population diagnosis fosters the participation and strengthens organizational processes allowing a better response to the identified problems.

Resumo Introdução: A saúde pública tem no diagnóstico de saúde populacional uma das principais ferramentas de pesquisa e planificação sanitária. A participação ativa da população no diagnóstico populacional é fundamental e o mapeamento comunitário é uma técnica que a promove. Objetivo: Apresentar as contribuições do uso do mapeamento comunitário para a participação da população durante o desenvolvimento do diagnóstico de saúde populacional. Métodos: Para dar evidencia das contribuições desta técnica, durante o desenvolvimento dos diagnósticos de saúde, efetuados entre os anos 2010 e 2014, em zonas rurais e suburbanas do centro do México, efetuaram-se exercícios de mapeamento comunitário com diversos grupos populacionais (crianças, adolescentes e adultos de ambos os sexos), quem identificava no mapa aspectos tanto positivos quanto negativos de sua comunidade, o qual se retratou nas necessidades sentidas da população. Resultados: A través do mapeamento comunitário acordou-se o interesse e conseguiu-se estimular a participação populacional na identificação de necessidades, priorização de problemas e soluções. Conclusões: A inclusão do mapeamento comunitário dentro do diagnóstico populacional, propicia a participação e fortalece processos organizativos, o qual permite que se procurem soluções às problemáticas identificadas.

Understanding the functionality of housing-related support services through mapping methods and dialogue.

This article describes the experience and process of using community mapping as a tool for collecting data on the functioning of housing-related support services in Metro Vancouver. We outline our mapping methods and discuss strengths and challenges encountered during workshops aimed at understandings how the system of housing-related supports function. Strengths were that workshops provided a forum for social participation and engagement. In addition, mapping is a research tool that enables local knowledge of service functioning and service gaps to be accessed and exchanged. Challenges include ensuring diverse representation; reducing power imbalances; and having adequate space to accommodate interested participants.

Community evolution in patent networks: technological change and network dynamics.

When studying patent data as a way to understand innovation and technological change, the conventional indicators might fall short, and categorizing technologies based on the existing classification systems used by patent authorities could cause inaccuracy and misclassification, as shown in literature. Gao et al. (International Workshop on Complex Networks and their Applications, 2017) have established a method to analyze patent classes of similar technologies as network communities. In this paper, we adopt the stabilized Louvain method for network community detection to improve consistency and stability. Incorporating the overlapping community mapping algorithm, we also develop a new method to identify the central nodes based on the temporal evolution of the network structure and track the changes of communities over time. A case study of Germany's patent data is used to demonstrate and verify the application of the method and the results. Compared to the non-network metrics and conventional network measures, we offer a heuristic approach with a dynamic view and more stable results.

Children's representations of nature using photovoice and community mapping: perspectives from South Africa.

The aim of the study was to explore children's representations and perceptions of natural spaces using photovoice and community mapping. The sample consisted of 28 children aged 12-14 years residing in urban and rural communities in the Western Cape, South Africa. Data were collected by means of a series of six focus groups interviews (three photovoice discussion groups and three community mapping discussion groups). For the photovoice missions, children were provided with a 28-exposure disposable camera and given 1 week to complete their missions. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the data. Three key themes emerged, namely: safe spaces in nature, unsafe spaces in nature, and children's favourite places in nature. Socio-economic status (SES) was found to be a determining factor in how children make sense of natural spaces. Children from low SES communities indicated being more constricted in their mobility, and were unable to access to safe natural spaces compared to the children from the middle SES community. It is recommended that an expedient starting point would be to work towards and build environmentally and child-friendly communities for children, with children as key contributors in the planning process using a child participation framework.

DEFINING THE "COMMUNITY" FOR A COMMUNITY-BASED PUBLIC HEALTH INTERVENTION ADDRESSING LATINO IMMIGRANT HEALTH DISPARITIES: AN APPLICATION OF ETHNOGRAPHIC METHODS.

Although Latino and other immigrant populations are the driving force behind population increases in the U.S., there are significant gaps in knowledge and practice on addressing health disparities in these populations. The Avance Center for the Advancement of Immigrant/Refugee Health, a health disparities research center in the Washington, DC area, includes as part of its mission a multi-level, participatory community intervention (called Adelante) to address the co-occurrence of substance abuse, violence and sex risk among Latino immigrant youth and young adults. Research staff and community partners knew that the intervention community had grown beyond its Census-designated place (CDP) boundaries, and that connection and attachment to community were relevant to an intervention. Thus, in order to understand current geographic and social boundaries of the community for sampling, data collection, intervention design and implementation, the research team conducted an ethnographic study to identify self-defined community boundaries, both geographic and social. Beginning with preliminary data from a pilot intervention and the original CDP map, the research included: geo-mapping de-identified addresses of service clients from a major community organization; key informant interviews; and observation and intercept interviews in the community. The results provided an expanded community boundary profile and important information about community identity.

Right to a healthy city? Examining the relationship between urban space and health inequity by Aboriginal youth artist-activists in Winnipeg.

This paper explores the relationship between place and health inequity as experienced by Aboriginal youth living in Winnipeg, Canada. Between 2010 and 2011, a team of youth (N = 8) associated with a community-based Aboriginal youth arts program undertook a participatory community mapping process in order to link their personal health geographies to their right to the city. The results demonstrated several ways in which place, mobility, and boundaries affected their health experiences and, in turn, reflected their perceptions of health inequity. The study confirms that urban spaces can produce, and are produced by, highly racialized geographies that work to socially isolate, segregate, and immobilize Aboriginal youth while concomitantly increasing their exposure to higher risks to their health and well being.