Welcome to my blog on “Building Healthier Communities in the Dominican Republic“! This is an undergraduate research and study abroad Creative Inquiry through Clemson University.

Low-income and low-resourced communities face many health-related challenges that inhibit their development. In order to build healthier communities, collaborative public health services and programs within the community are needed. 

In our creative inquiry, we are researching the community of Las Malvinas II in Santo Domingo, a low resourced community in the Dominican Republic.  Based on previous research from UNIBE university students in the DR and available public health data, we culturally and linguistically adapted CDC’s CHANGE guide to conduct a Community Health Assessment (CHA) and to develop a Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) in Las Malvinas.

Qualitative and Quantitative Data Analysis:

• Qualitative Data Collection: Interviews, Focus Group
• Quantitative Data Collection: GIS Survey

CHANGE sectors we focus on: Community At Large Sector, Community Institution/Organization (CIO) Sector, Health care sector, School sector, Work sector

Community Health Priorities we focus on: education, unwanted pregnancies, vaccine preventable diseases, chronic diseases, sanitation

This experience has further improved my cultural competence, critical thinking skills, and has allowed me to develop evidence-based learning skills to conduct research beyond my creative inquiry class.