[RIU project: perceived changes by health agents and professionals after a health intervention in an urban area of socioeconomic disadvantage].
OBJECTIVE
To describe how health agents and professionals working in a community project perceive the changes related to the population health status and their use of health-care services after the RIU intervention in an urban area of socioeconomic disadvantage.


METHODS
A qualitative descriptive study based on individual and group interviews and participant observation conducted between October 2008-July 2009.


METHODS
Raval (Algemesí-Valencia)


METHODS
We selected by purposive sample 7 women health agents, all persons who completed the intervention, and 10 professionals for their involvement in the intervention.


METHODS
We conducted a group interview with the women at 6 months and a group and 7 individuals interviews both at 9 months of intervention. We realized a thematic descriptive analysis from health promotion framework. We used participant observation in a meeting with professionals at 9 months and analyzed field notes as: appraisal project, detected changes, challenges and recommendations.


RESULTS
Women acquired information about health, contraception, pregnancy and heath services; they noted changes in self-care and social skills and leadership; they internalized the role of health worker disseminating what they learned and showed improvement in self-esteem and social recognition. They caused changes in the people related on health care and access to services. Professionals didn't incorporate at their work the community perspective; they valued positively the project; professionals and women agreed on improving access and use of services and closeness population-professionals.


CONCLUSIONS
RIU increases the capabilities of the participants, their social recognition and improves access and use of health services.
Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Biomédica y Sanitaria de la Comunitat Valenciana (FISABIO), Valencia, España. Electronic address: avinyo_ado@gva.es.
Dory
D
Aviñó
Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Biomédica y Sanitaria de la Comunitat Valenciana (FISABIO), Valencia, España; Centros de Salud Pública de Valencia y Alzira, Valencia, España; Departament d'Infermeria, Universitat de València, Valencia, España.
Joan J
JJ
Paredes-Carbonell
Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Biomédica y Sanitaria de la Comunitat Valenciana (FISABIO), Valencia, España; Oficina del Plan del Cáncer. Dirección General de Salud Pública, Valencia, España; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, España.
Rosana
R
Peiró-Pérez
Departamento de Sociología II, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, España.
Daniel
D
La Parra Casado
Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, España; Departamento de Salud Pública, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, España.
Carlos
C
Álvarez-Dardet
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003150:Community Health Workers; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014504:Urban Health; D055815:Young Adult
Agentes comunitarios de salud; Community health workers; Desigualdades en la salud; Gender and health; Género y salud; Health Promotion; Health inequalities; Participación social; Promoción de la salud; Social participation; Social vulnerability; Vulnerabilidad social