The Healthy Choices Team: 5 Years of Promoting Healthy Habits through Community Engagement

The Healthy Choices Team (HCT) is a community-based initiative that addresses health disparities by promoting sustainable behavior change in nutrition, exercise, sleep, and mindfulness within a diverse community in Bexar County, Texas. This initiative was developed in response to Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNAs) conducted at the El Bari Community Health Center, which identified nutrition as a top community health priority. The HCT, now in its fifth year, employs a model emphasizing bi-directional learning, cultural sensitivity, and community ownership. The program involves twice-monthly sessions led by an interdisciplinary team of health professionals, students, and community members, culminating in a graduation ceremony that encourages graduates to return as community ambassadors. The HCT has adapted its curriculum over the years based on community feedback and survey data, with a focus on nutrition, healthy cooking, and other positive lifestyle habits. Pre- and post-program surveys indicate that the HCT has been effective in improving participants’ health knowledge and habits. Specifically, participants demonstrated significant improvements in reading nutrition labels, tracking sodium intake, and increasing their levels of physical activity. These results highlight the importance of community-driven interventions that address cultural nuances and promote active participation. The HCT provides a framework for other community-based programs seeking to foster sustainable behavior change and improve health outcomes. The program’s success is attributed to its emphasis on building trust, fostering a sense of community, and empowering individuals to become agents of change within their own social networks.