These Lower Rio Grande Valley residents live in Cameron Park, a community of almost 6,000 near Brownsville that is known more for what it doesn't have than what it has. The largest of Cameron County colonias, Cameron Park is one of the poorest communities in the nation: by one report one third of the houses are without indoor plumbing and 80% are of substandard construction. But the residents' family ties are as strongly reflected in the statistics as is their poverty: compared with Americans in general, Cameron Park residents are 1.4 times as likely to live in family households, 2.5 times as likely to live in family households with children, and 2.4 times as likely to have relatives living with them. Improvements in the last decade, including street paving, a community center, and nutrition classes, have brought hope that small feet clad in bright white sandals will be spared not only the rough going of rutted, unpaved streets but also any other obstacle that would slow progress to a better life.
The high prevalence of nutrition-related health problems in the Lower Rio Grande Valley prompted creation, first, of the Lower Rio Grande Valley Nutrition Intervention Research Initiative Consortium and, in 2003, a cross-sectional survey to gauge the scope of programs and services addressing these issues. Designed and coordinated by the Human Nutrition Center at The University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston, investigators, using a 26-item survey created in English and Spanish, identified and collected information on 353 unique programs offered in 545 units by 105 agencies in Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy counties (see Appendix B).
Of these programs, 79.0% are characterized as both prevention and intervention. Few specifically addressed diabetes (8.5%) or other nutrition- related chronic diseases, such as obesity (7.1%) or cardiovascular disease (2.3%). Less than 1% addressed cancer. Of programs directly providing food, 28.3% fed children, 7.9% provided emergency food, and 6.8% provided food in the summer when children did not have access to school breakfast and lunch programs. In every Lower Rio Grande Valley county, waiting lists had been created for diabetes, obesity, nutrition education, wellness, elderly feeding, clinical care, and maternal and child health programs. Ready targets for new nutrition programs are life-threatening illnesses (heart disease and cancer) and such chronic conditions as diabetes and obesity.
Future research should encompass issues of access, program content, exploration of initiative partnering opportunities, funding development, elimination of all language barriers to nutrition information, and interventions that will help bring an end to the wait for better nutrition, health, and quality of life.