Maria Elena Villar

Florida International University | FIU · School of Communication and Journalism

This perspective presents concrete examples of how community-based participatory research can be used effectively to decolonize health communication through the co-creation of health communication content specifically tailored to minoritized and underserved communities. The authors describe how community members and researchers partnered to conduct...

From a strategic communication perspective, for any communication to be effective, it must be audience-centered, with content and delivery channels that are relevant to its intended target. When trying to reach culturally specific communities or other groups that are not otherwise connected with science research, it is crucial to partner with commu...

El presente artículo se enmarca en el contexto de comunicación para crisis sanitarias a través del uso de redes sociales en Latinoamérica, específicamente el uso de Twitter en los países latinoamericanos con mayor número de usuarios. Realizamos un análisis comparativo sobre la presencia de mensajes sobre COVID-19 en Twitter en México, Argentina, Br...

Research shows that cultural aspects may contribute to obesity among Latinos; however, the role of fathers in the family’s health habits is largely unexplored. Padres Activos (PA) is an experientially-based behavioral intervention designed to address this gap by targeting Latino fathers and their children around issues of food consumption/preparati...

Mass media is recognized in health communication as a gatekeeper, alerting the public to what is important with a focus on accuracy and relevancy. This is done through media framing, by which mass media sets the tone through which the public will view the message. Social media has emerged as a force in health communication with the same potential f...

Mass media is recognized in health communication as a gatekeeper, alerting the public to what is important with a focus on accuracy and relevancy. This is done through media framing, by which mass media sets the tone through which the public will view the message. Social media has emerged as a force in health communication with the same potential f...

Purpose This paper compares the effectiveness of the cognitive-affect behavior (CAB) model and the theory of reasoned action (TRA) model as well as their extended forms (with product knowledge) in predicting everyday green consumption among non-Hispanic White and Hispanic consumers. Design/methodology/approach Survey data from a convenience samp...

Página 976 EXTRA VIOLENCIA DE GÉNERO Y COMUNICACIÓN [6/7] LIBRO COLECTIVO " EXTRA VIOLENCIA DE GÉNERO Y COMUNICACIÓN " Cómo citar este artículo / Referencia normalizada T Núñez Domínguez, MT Arenas-Molina, ME Villar (2016): ―¿Cómo se ven? ¿Cómo las ven? Discriminar en la construcción‖. Revista Latina de Comunicación Social, 71, pp. 976 a 993

This study documents generational differences in the impact of acculturation related factors on anxiety and alcohol use behaviors between adult Latino mothers and adult daughters. Findings indicate that for mothers (n = 144) and daughters (n = 149), self-reported anxiety levels decreased from baseline to follow up (p = 0.001). For mothers at follow...

This article uses gender-role theory to consider the involvement of Latino fathers in their children’s lives as a result of participating in a fatherhood educational intervention. Open-ended interviews (n = 48) were conducted with participants of the program. Findings revealed that the content of the group intervention encouraged fathers to redefin...

Introduction: Violence against women takes place not only in situations of armed conflict or natural disaster. It is also present in normalised contexts, and specifically in the workplace, in both symbolic and direct ways, and with devastating psychosocial consequences. Methods: This article examines the social image and self-image of women employe...

Emotional abuse is the most prevalent form of violence against Latinas. We examined dimensions and characteristics of Latino mothers' and daughters' exposure to emotional abuse and the associations between emotional abuse and heavy alcohol use and illicit drug illicit substance abuse. This 5-year longitudinal study included 112 Latino mothers and 1...

Public concern for the environment has increased in the past four decades (Kim and Choi 2005), leading to consumer demand for pro-environmental products and services. Research on the drivers of green consumption among Hispanic and other minorities is scarce (Lee 2008), focusing mainly on comparing Hispanics to other demographic groups in terms of e...

The blogosphere is a relatively new arena for marketing and communications, and provides a lively arena for consumers’ exchange of opinions about brands and products (Universal-McCann 2009). A recent Technorati survey (2010) showed that 42% of bloggers surveyed reported they blog about brands they love or hate. This exemplifies the key role blogger...

Family relationships can serve as an important source of support during the acculturation process; yet, how the stress related to acculturation, or acculturative stress, may impact family functioning across time is not clear. Participants (N = 479) between the ages of 18 and 34 were recruited using respondent-driven sampling methodology. Findings s...

This workshop presents an individualistic approach to working with individuals seeking behavioral health care. Specifically, the workshop provides attendees with knowledge and skills to understand the various personal, educational, societal, cultural, and other factors that play when an individual decides to seek help for behavioral health issues....

Data from the 2010 US Census shows that around 60 million people speak a language other than English at home. Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals are those who do not speak English as their first language, and have limited ability to read, speak, or understand the English language. As the number of LEP individuals continues to grow, and th...

While The Bahamas have significantly reduced poor reproductive health outcomes among adolescents and emerging adults, data indicate that youth are engaged in sexual risk behaviors. Substance use has been linked to increased risk for HIV and sexually transmitted infections in other contexts. There are limited data on Bahamian youth in relation to co...

This study uses social capital to assess the effects of social support on acculturation-related stress among recently immigrated Hispanics in South Florida before and after immigration. At baseline (N = 527), first 12 months in the United States, acculturative stress was negatively related to support from friends (p < .044) and positively related t...

This study examined the portrayal of climate change in four national newspapers from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and the United States. The results indicated that leading media in Brazil and the United States highlighted the policy progress being made to mitigate climate change and presented the issue in economic terms, whereas coverage in Argenti...

This article analyzes the participation of community health workers (CHWs) in a community partnership. Active participation at all levels is needed for effective influence on the goals of the partnership. This case applies the criteria of pluralistic participation, specifically: (a) role of groups involved, (b) opportunity for learning, (c) access...

Background Ivermectin is a broad-spectrum parasiticide in widespread systemic use, including as an off-label treatment for head lice infestation. The potential of the topical use of ivermectin as a treatment for head lice infestation was suggested by an in vitro report of a novel lotion formulation. Objectives This study investigated the relative e...

The authors explored whether differences exist in the volume of health news coverage in English- and Spanish-language newspapers in the United States, as well as differences in the main topics discussed and the way the issue was framed. A sample of 239 news articles was selected from English- and Spanish-language newspapers in Miami, Florida and Lo...

Purpose Previous research is mixed regarding consumer reactions and concerns regarding product brands with foreign‐sounding names. This paper aims to study the perception and purchase intent of foreign‐name brands in a sample of adult US and Chinese consumers. Design/methodology/approach US and Chinese consumers completed a 23‐item bilingual quest...

Health disparities among Latinos have been associated with acculturation, but there is a lack of consensus about how acculturation variables translate into health beliefs that can be used to target attitude and behavior change interventions. Transcripts from three qualitative studies including 64 Latino immigrant adults were analyzed through induct...

The paper aims to further explore the role that culture plays in the provision and assimilation of sex education among Latina immigrants in the USA. To accomplish this, researchers conducted focus groups and interviews with 30 women from Central and South America who have lived in the USA for at least five years. Participants were asked to reflect...

Benzyl alcohol lotion 5% (BAL 5%) is a non-neurotoxic topical head lice treatment that is safe and effective in children as young as 6 months of age. The safety and efficacy of this pediculicide has been studied in 695 (confirm number) subjects in all phases of clinical development. Scanning electron micrographs (SEM) demonstrated that the active a...

This presentation will describe the stages of evaluation of the Community Health Worker Project collaborative, a part of Community Voices Miami. This project is unique in its inclusive and participatory approach to community health planning. Thus, its evaluation is designed to be a collaborative and participatory process that includes all stakehold...

We present a case study that illustrates how participatory communication led to the success of an initiative to support community health workers. Active participation at the community level is a process that enables groups to maximize their potential and progress from individual action to collective social and political change (Israel, Checkwa, Sch...

One hundred seventy-two subjects with head lice participated in a five-way, investigator-blinded, parallel-group, active-controlled study comparing 0.5% malathion gel (30, 60, and 90 minutes applications), Ovide Lotion (0.5% malathion), and Nix Crème Rinse (1% permethrin). All subjects were treated on day 1. Participants were reevaluated at day 8 +...

States are struggling to find effective means to decrease Medicaid costs. The objective of this pilot study was to compare emergency department (ED) cost and utilization by members who were enrolled in a pilot program (designed to reduce the use of hospital EDs) with the costs and utilization incurred by a control group. A large, private, primary c...

Our objective was to conduct a randomized, investigator-blinded evaluation of the pediculicidal and ovicidal activity of a reduced application time (20 minutes) of Ovide (0.5% malathion) compared to Nix (1% permethrin) in a south Florida population infested with Pediculus humanus capitis. Either Ovide or Nix was applied according to the label instr...

Unintentional firearm death is often considered a nearly negligible proportion of overall gun death. These rates are based on medical examiner (ME) and coroner death classifications, which affect derived epidemiologic data and subsequent prevention measures. The aim of this study was to compare the proportion of pediatric unintentional gun deaths i...

To determine if NIX (Warner Lambert Healthcare, Morris Plains, NJ) 1% Permethrin Creme Rinse Lice Treatment (1% PLT) without combing will effectively treat >/=95% of patients on day 2 or on day 15; to determine whether combing influences efficacy. A randomized, observer-blinded study enrolled 95 infested adults and children. All patients were treat...

To compare the pediculicidal activity of 5 head lice products available in the United States on head lice from south Florida. In vitro pediculicidal product comparison. Lice Source Services, Inc, located in Plantation, Fla, a clinic for the treatment and grooming of individuals with pediculosis capitis. Head lice were collected from healthy clients...

The Kuna Amerinds reside chiefly in the San Blas islands (Kuna Yala) on the Caribbean coast of Panama. The diet of this population has not previously been described in detail and composition data for certain foods consumed by this population does not exist or is lacking for certain important nutrients. The protein, fat, moisture, fiber, sugar, mine...

Cognitive behavioral violence prevention (CB-VP) parenting groups are commonly used for the primary and secondary prevention of violence. These groups use persuasive messages that target violence-related attitudes and cognitions, with the expectation that this will result in behavior change. Despite their frequent use as family violence prevention...