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Population health has been identified by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN, 2021) as an essential domain to nursing practice. Addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) in a variety of community settings is an essential component of entry-level professional nursing education (AACN, 2021). Innovative experiential learning experiences addressing the needs of underserved populations need to be incorporated in nursing curricula to prepare students for practice (National League for Nursing, 2024).
Background
Hispanic children in the United States have the highest incidence of obesity (26.2%) compared with Black (24.8%), White (16.6%), and Asian (9%) children in the US (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2024). Childhood obesity is affected by economic disadvantage, with a higher prevalence of obesity among children in low-income households (CDC, 2024). Hispanic children in low-income communities have limited access to healthy foods, physical activity, and health education (Martin et al., 2023; Sarmiento et al., 2021; Von Seggern et al., 2024). Researchers have reported the positive effects of health promotion programs among Hispanic youth in low-income communities (Fernandez-Jimenez et al., 2019; Korom et al., 2024). Through a medical school and community center partnership, Korom et al. (2024) implemented a 2-year physical activity and nutrition program for middle school Hispanic youth. After 3 years of follow up, parents reported the program helped them build social connections with the community, gave them exposure to learn about various physical activity options for their children, and helped them feel more comfortable letting their children participate in high school sports for years after the program ended. Among preschool children in an underserved community, Fernandez-Jimenez et al. (2019) reported that implementation of a 4-month health promotion educational intervention resulted in improved attitudes and habits related to physical activity.
The importance of partnering with trusted community organizations to gain insight into community needs has been recognized as an essential step in creating interventions that are tailored to the population being served (DeCamp et al., 2021; Korom et al., 2024). Developing curricular strategies that promote partnerships between nursing students and community stakeholders enhances knowledge and skills necessary to develop tailored interventions that address the...