[Evaluating the "it's better if we talk" (Mejor Hablemos) communication strategy for promoting pacific co-existence in Cali, Colombia, between 1996-2000].
OBJECTIVE
Evaluating the "It's better if we talk" communication strategy for preventing violence and promoting pacific coexistence in Cali, Colombia.


METHODS
The strategy was developed through two intervention components in Cali between August 1996 and September 1998: the population (using the mass media) and the community (using Commune 13 and 20's local media). Post-intervention measurement was made in 2000 to determine the strategy's impact and compared to PAHO's 1996 ACTIVA base-line study carried out in eight Latin-American cities (including Cali) and Spain. 3 types of analysis were used: descriptive-comparative between the periods and bivariate and multivariate analysis using attitudes and abilities as dependent variables.


RESULTS
Abilities improved at population level, although they did not change in the communes taking part. Favourable changes occurred in attitudes in community areas, though remaining equal at population level. The mechanisms for solving conflicts displayed an improvement, suggesting increased tolerance from 1996 to 2000 in older men from Commune 20 and the rest of Cali.


CONCLUSIONS
"It's better if we talk" had little impact on the community areas taking part; nevertheless, the universal intervention had a positive impact on the rest of Cali. Interdisciplinary, ongoing multi-sector promotion and prevention must be embarked on for approaching the multifactor problem of violence in Latin-American countries involving individuals and their family, community and institutional-governmental contexts.
Rodríguez
Jorge M
JM
Secretaria de Salud Departamental del Valle del Cauca. georod5@hotmail.com
Muñoz
Edgar
E
Fandiño-Losada
Andrés
A
Gutiérrez
Maria I
MI
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001290:Attitude; D003105:Colombia; D003142:Communication; D003625:Data Collection; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007843:Latin America; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010175:Pan American Health Organization; D014505:Urban Population; D014754:Violence / Q000517:prevention & control*