The border region of the United States and Mexico is one of the most volatile settings for infectious disease transmission and other health problems due to fluid population movement, widely diverse sociocultural and economic demographics, and a rapidly expanding population. Written and edited by public health researchers, U.S.-Mexico Border Health offers a broad range of studies involving health care and health promotion on the United States-Mexico border. Section I examines how the cultural values of the border population influence their responses to health messages to participate in health programs. In Section II, the complexity of the health issues faced by the border region are explored through discussions of public health programs addressing tobacco and alcohol advertising, cross-border attempts to control tuberculosis, community mobilization to prevent the spread of HIV, and programs to promote contraception. Section III presents three models of health promotion that have been adopted in the border context, while Section IV focuses on the centrality of community in health promotion efforts on the border. The book concludes with a review of health care issues involving migrant and seasonal farm workers. As a course reader or a general update on border health issues and health promotion efforts, U.S.-Mexico Border Health is intended to provoke discussion and further research concerning health care in this important region.
