BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Health Policy
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1681840
Challenges Facing Primary Health Care: A Perspective from Colombia's Caribbean Region
Provisionally accepted
Ana Liliana Ríos García1
María Yaquelin Expósito Concepción2*
Rafael Tuesca-Molina1
Diana Consuegra Cabally1
TANIA ACOSTA1
Allison Cano Barrios1- 1Department of Public Health, Universidad del Norte, Colombia, Barranquilla, Colombia
- 2Department of Nursing, Universidad del Norte, Colombia, Barranquilla, Colombia
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Primary Health Care (PHC) has been central in national and international health debates, aiming for integration with broader systems to ensure equitable and needs-based care. This study sought to describe the characteristics of participating families and analyze challenges for PHC, highlighting required responses from service providers and local authorities. The focus is on family and community health to address vulnerable families in Colombia. A descriptive cross-sectional study included 417 families (1,923 individuals). Instruments applied were the Family Health Diagnosis form and the Family APGAR. Descriptive statistics summarized qualitative variables, while bivariate analysis examined associations between family functionality (functional vs. dysfunctional) and sociodemographic, economic, and life-event factors. Prevalence ratios (PR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and chi-square tests (p < 0.05) were used. Adults represented one-third of participants, while youth (15%) and children (16%) together with them accounted for 67%. Early childhood and older adults were smaller proportions. Most individuals (72%) were affiliated with the subsidized health regime, reflecting the vulnerability of the population. According to the Family APGAR, 57% of families showed some degree of dysfunction. Only one-third participated in health promotion and maintenance programs appropriate to their life stage. Access to mental health services was minimal (<1%), and 27% reported lack of knowledge or non-attendance. Findings emphasize the urgent need to strengthen PHC as the central axis of family care. A comprehensive approach addressing social and emotional determinants is essential to improve responses to the needs of vulnerable families in the Colombian context.
Keywords: Primary Health Care, Family Health, Mental Health, Vulnerable Populations, HealthPolicy
Received: 07 Aug 2025; Accepted: 15 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ríos García, Expósito Concepción, Tuesca-Molina, Consuegra Cabally, ACOSTA and Cano Barrios. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: María Yaquelin Expósito Concepción, mexposito@uninorte.edu.co
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