| Affiliations: | Aggie Research Mentoring Program |
| Project Leader: | Ryan Stier ryanstier@tamu.edu Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology |
| Faculty Mentor: | Marissa Cisneros, Ph.D. |
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Meeting Times:
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W 2PM |
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Team Size:
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4
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| Open Spots: | 0 |
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Special Opportunities:
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Becoming a full member of research group and attending Student Research Week
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Team Needs:
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Description:
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Along the border of southern Texas and Mexico, there are a series of unincorporated communities called colonias. These communities have documented structural issues that prevent the community members from adequate access to healthcare (Background on OCI. 2014). The underdeveloped conditions in colonias raise health concerns in the communities, such as a higher risk of developing disease and diabetes, exposure to toxic pesticides, and lack of access to healthy food and healthcare services (Cantu-Pawlik 2018). Although the current research has been able to identify the structural issues and the underdeveloped conditions of the colonias, it has failed to recognize other factors such as financial and cultural barriers. Also, there is a lack of research on how these factors impact the colonias’ resident’s ability to access healthcare. Thus through this research, we plan to identify what are the major factors inhibiting care (geography, culture, finances, quality of care, etc.) and what other factors are affected by this lack of healthcare (employment, families, community, education, etc.). To collect this data, we changed our distribution method to an anonymous survey that will be distributed to the students in the colonias via a QR code, who will then distribute the survey to family and friends. The survey will consist of questions on general health, proximity to healthcare facilities, cultural self-identification, personal finances, and health services in their community. Using the gathered data, future research can be conducted to determine the most beneficial community intervention to alleviate these issues (mini-hospitals, primary care clinics, etc.) |