Community Participation Report

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Report on Community Meetings on Obesity Prevention and Nutrition Centro Bienestar: Community Wellness for the West Side*

Executive Summary

Edgewood Family Network (EFN) is a grassroots organization that serves the Edgewood Community located in the West Side of San Antonio, Texas. Housed at the José Cardenas Center (3300 Ruiz), a group of community health workers (promotores) is the core of EFN’s work in the community. A strategic goal of EFN is to establish a Centro Bienestar – a community wellness center to serve the community. As part of the Centro’s effort to address the needs of the community, EFN submitted a proposal to the Bexar County Community Health Collaborative to address the high level of obesity in the Edgewood Community. Thirty-four percent of residents in the west sector of San Antonio are overweight but not obese, and forty-three percent are obese for a total of 78 percent. EFN developed a strategic plan to address this community issue. To better understand the need in the community for education about obesity and nutrition, EFN then conducted eight meetings with residents and asked them about obesity and how to prevent obesity.

Overall, responses from community members agreed with the directions developed in the strategic plan. Responses from participants in the meetings focused on the importance of getting education and support for better nutrition and exercise. Many of the responses show a desire for education and instruction on specific choices, knowledge, or education about food and activity. This suggests there is awareness that changes in lifestyle will be required to lose weight and cooking healthier meals. Many of the participants mentioned activities such as improving cooking methods and increasing levels of activity for people of all ages.

In response to the question about how to prevent obesity, residents indicated that they face many challenges to adopting healthier lifestyles. A lack of knowledge and education about healthier ways of cooking and which foods are better were mentioned. Participants also indicated a desire to learn more about the health effects of obesity. The lack of healthy food choices in smaller stores and neighborhood restaurants was identified as a barrier. Behaviors that could realistically be adopted by residents included eating more fruits and vegetables and limiting the number of meals eaten in restaurants. Parents also expressed concerns about the foods served and available at school, as well as a lack of physical activity and physical education at schools.

Participants expressed interest in nutrition education and eating healthy foods and avoiding less healthy choices. Specific techniques to avoid overeating or to assure adequate nutrition and hydration were identified, such as eating more vegetables or drinking more water. Exercise, such as walking, in a gym, or through daily activities was ranked as important by a large number of participants.

Responses showed that participants were aware of the need to become motivated to make lifestyle changes. Promotoras are aware that while residents may learn about healthy behaviors and food choices, people don’t always put what they learn into practice. A shared commitment to health among neighbors could help provide support and motivation to help people change their health behaviors.

The Edgewood Community

EFN serves the geographic area of ZIP Codes 78228, 78237, and 77207. While many residents have been in their homes for many years and raised generations of family in this neighborhood, others are recent arrivals, including some undocumented immigrants. Family structure and legal status confer additional dimensions to the health challenges of this community. This area spans San Antonio’s near West Side.

The Edgewood community is 90% Hispanic compared to 57% Hispanic in Bexar County. Only 48% of the Edgewood population has a high school or more education, compared to 77% of Bexar County. Likewise the median family income in Edgewood at $25,793 is only 59% of the Bexar County median family income. 

The burden of premature death due to diabetes is 73% higher in the Edgewood community. Premature mortality that results from motor vehicle crashes is 53% higher than in Bexar County, and premature deaths due to heart disease is 30% higher in the Community than in Bexar County.

One strength of the EFN neighborhood is the bilingual skill in the population. Among residents of the area aged 5 to 17, 93% spoke English well or very well, and 55% of these residents were bilingual, speaking Spanish and speaking English well or very well. In 18 to 64 year-olds, 66% of the population was bilingual. Eighty percent speak Spanish while just 20% speak only English. Fifty-six percent of residents of the community who are 65 and older are bilingual. Relatively few residents speak Spanish and only poor or no English. This characteristic is associated with age, with seven percent of the youngest group, 14% of 18-64 year-olds and 23% of those 65 or older indicating that they speak Spanish and little or no English.