We are contributing to a community in Richmond, Virginia called the Mixtecos, an indigenous community from Mexico. This project started from a partnership between Nuevo Amanecer, Iglesia Bautista Conexión, and the Public Health program at Liberty University. It was spearheaded by Daniela Ortega, a student in the master’s of public health. We are hoping to continue these partnerships and contribute and help the Mixtecos of Richmond.
Who They Are:
- Indigenous community
- Approximately 3,000 in Richmond, Virginia
- May speak Spanish or Mixtec
- Third largest indigenous group in Mexico
- Some may not be able to read or write
What Was Done:
- Partnered with Nuevo Amanecer and Iglesia Bautista Conexión from Richmond
- Hosted a health fair on December 5th, 2015
- Distributed questionnaires to participants
- BMI and blood pressure data collected
Results:
- About 75 people surveyed
- Main problems:
- High blood pressure:
- Males: majority pre-hypertensive to hypertensive
- Females: normal
- BMI:
- 33.0 for males (ranges:15.1-46.8)
- 27.8 for females (ranges: 19.7-40.9)
- Family planning:
- 68% did not use any form of birth control
- Access to medical insurance and health care:
- 97% stated that they did not have medical insurance
- High blood pressure:
