Abstract
This ten-week pilot study promoted health-related quality of life among migrant workers in rural New Mexico. In cooperation with local organizations, migrant workers formed the organization Nuevos Amigos. Members provided various types of social support to each other, hours were enumerated and exchanged for cash to pay health-related quality-of-life expenses. The program was funded by grant funds from HRSA and administered in cooperation with a clinic and a nearby university. Intake and other interviews, observations of members in action, and spending practices provided data to evaluate the program. The pilot program showed that migrant workers could manage their own organization, that the model provided tangible benefits, and that the club became a vehicle for developing supportive relationships with initially anonymous nonclub members. Despite the short term of the pilot program, a six-month follow-up indicated families were still benefitting from prosocial relationships. The program’s few problems and many benefits demand further experimentation with this model.
Recommended Citation
Morales, Alfonso. 2009. "A Social Currency Approach to Improving Health-Related Quality of Life for Migrant Workers." Journal of Rural Social Sciences, 24(1): Article 6. Available at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/jrss/vol24/iss1/6
Publication Date
4-30-2009
