title: Living in Limbo: Latinas' Assessment of Lower Rio Grande Valley Colonias Communities.
abstract: Community asset mapping (CAM) is the collective process of identifying local assets and strategizing processes to address public health issues and concerns and improve quality of life. Prior to implementing a community-based physical activity intervention with Latinas in the Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley, promotoras [community health workers] conducted 16 interactive sessions in 8 colonias. The analysis of the transcribed CAM recordings and on-site observational data resulted in the construction of Living in Limbo as the thematic representation of these Latinas' social isolation and marginalization associated with pervasive poverty, undocumented immigration status or lack of citizenship, their fears emanating from threats to physical and emotional safety, and the barriers created by lack of availability and access to resources.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina.
authors.forename: DeAnne K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Hilfinger Messias
authors.affiliation: College of Social Work, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina.
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Sharpe
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina.
authors.forename: Lourdes
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Del Castillo-González
authors.affiliation: Texas A&M University Lower Rio Grande Colonias Program, Weslaco, Texas.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Treviño
authors.affiliation: Latino Research Initiative, Mexican American and Latina/o Studies, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Parra-Medina
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D013781:Texas
keywords: asset mapping; colonias; physical activity; physical environment; promotoras; social environment; socioeconomic disparities