A collaboration between UConn and seven Cuban institutions is bearing results for collaborative research in health and other fields.<\/p>\n
The international research team looked at the impact of social determinants in the onset of cancer, obesity, HIV, and addiction, which are significant public health problems in both Cuba and the US.<\/p>\n
They recently published a paper on the fruitful connections and systemic exchanges between both countries in Revista Cubana de Salud P\u00fablica <\/a>(Cuban Journal of Public Health).<\/p>\n \u201cWe thought it would be so great because it would bring some more understanding of cultural barriers and sociocultural aspects of Latino populations that could be very beneficial to develop better health promotion initiatives and reduce social inequalities worldwide,\u201d says Tania Huedo-Medina, associate professor from the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources<\/a>.<\/p>\n Cuba and the US have vastly different health care systems. Cuba has a public health care system, meaning all people, regardless of income, have access to health care, with a particular emphasis on preventative care. The US has an expensive private health care system that leaves many underinsured or uninsured.<\/p>\n However, the US has access to more advanced medical technologies and resources than Cuba, an island often cut off from pharmaceuticals, new medical devices, and advanced medical technology.<\/p>\n Despite these challenges, Cuba is known as one of the most efficient and innovative health care systems of the developing world, whose markers of population health compare favorably<\/a> with those in the US<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThese are two very different countries with many common aspects,\u201d Huedo-Medina says.<\/p>\n Cuba also has free college-level education for its citizens. This means Cuban citizens are generally more aware and informed about health prevention.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s also very important because people are more conscious and have more community support for healthy engagement,\u201d Huedo-Medina says. \u201cThe community helps attain more efficacious engagement in prevention. That\u2019s something we need to do a better job of in the US.\u201d<\/p>\n However, the team did find health disparities along racial and gender lines in Cuba and the US.<\/p>\n The goal of this study is to understand the social factors at play and use them to develop more effective psychosocial interventions, leveraging the strengths of both countries.<\/p>\n Taking sociocultural differences into account when developing health promotion strategies is critical. Individuals in different countries face different cultural considerations and social burdens which interventions need to further improve.<\/p>\n This research effort is also wrapping up a study on an alcohol use intervention for adolescents in Cuba.<\/p>\n