Community Projects
The COBE Lab's community projects reflect our commitment to community-based participatory research. Our community studies build understanding of the financial and health challenges facing underserved populations, while our community programs translate that evidence into digital interventions culturally and linguistically tailored to the communities they serve. Together, these projects show how rigorous research can measurably improve people's lives.
Community Studies
Financial Access Among Older Adults in Los Angeles
Overview:
This mixed-methods research program examined financial exclusion among older American minorities. Led by Dr. Luisa D. Blanco Raynal in collaboration with researchers from USC and UCLA, the project aimed to understand why older Black and Hispanic Americans are excluded from the formal financial system, the factors maintaining that exclusion, and the consequences for their health and well-being. The program combined community-based qualitative work with older adults in Los Angeles with quantitative analyses of national data from the Health and Retirement Study. Across four papers, the team qualitatively established the problem, measured health consequences, and investigated retirement preparedness. The findings argue that closing the banking gap is a critical health imperative requiring strategies to address language barriers, cultural mistrust, and low financial literacy. MPP students contributed throughout, with Will Humphrey serving as research assistant and Maria Ponce co-authoring the program's qualitative study.
Funding:
NIH/NIA - P30 AG021684 (Mangione); Resource Center for Minority Aging Research – UCLA RCMAR CHIME. Title: Financial Exclusion and the Wellbeing of Elderly Minority Populations ($40,000).
NIH/NIA - P30 AG043073 (Goldman); Resource Center for Minority Aging Research – USC RCMAR. Title: Retirement Planning among Middle-Aged and Older Hispanics ($30,000).
Publications
Financial Well-being of Workers in Malibu
Overview:
Conducted in 2015, this Pepperdine University study examined the lives and working conditions of Hispanic immigrant day laborers seeking employment through the Malibu Community Labor Exchange. The research investigated how workers navigated the informal labor market amid economic instability, their specific financial behaviors and challenges, and the role of the Labor Exchange in supporting them. Using surveys, focus groups, and interviews, the study focused on predominantly Spanish-speaking immigrants—both documented and undocumented—facing barriers such as limited English proficiency and long commutes. The project was a cross-school collaboration co-led with Drs. Lila Carlsen, George Carlsen, and Daniel Morrison of Seaver College, with MPP students Ashley Chaparro and Erick Molina serving as co-researchers and co-authors.
Funding:
Pepperdine University Provost Office. Community-Based Research Program (2015). Title: Precarious Paradise: The Financial Well-being of Hispanic Immigrant Day Laborers in Malibu.
Publications:
Blanco, L., Carlsen, L., Morrison, D., Carlsen, G., Chaparro, A., & Molina, E. (2018). Precarious Paradise: The Financial Well-being of Hispanic Immigrant Day Laborers in Malibu. In Latinos in the 21st Century: Their Voices and Lived Experiences. Nova Science Publishers.
Community Projects
YoPlaneoMiRetiro
Overview:
This coordinated research program examined retirement savings among Hispanic women. A qualitative focus group study first identified key barriers, including bank distrust and financial stress. Subsequently, Facebook advertisements were used to conduct experiments capturing interest in retirement planning, revealing that peer-influence messaging outperformed family-centered appeals. Finally, a community-based Spanish-language educational workshop led 14% of treatment participants to open retirement savings accounts, highlighting that qualitative insight and targeted messaging can lead to measurable behavioral change.
Funding:
NIH/NIA - P30 AG021684-15:S1 (Mangione); Resource Center for Minority Aging Research – CHIME. Title: Financial planning for retirement and health among Hispanics ($122,259).
Publications:
Mind Your Money
Overview:
This research program focused on the financial well-being and stress of low- to moderate-income Latino adults in California. The initial publication addresses the significant financial and pandemic-related stress experienced by this population. The second publication provides a solution through a culturally tailored digital intervention designed to build financial capability, bridging the gap between identifying financial stressors and implementing scalable, technology-based support.
Funding:
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (Blanco, Hernandez and Thames). Title: Mind your Money: A Community Based Mobile Intervention ($350,000).
Publications:
Money@Pepp
Overview:
This study utilized a randomized controlled trial to evaluate a three-month digital financial education intervention delivered to college students via text and email. Students completed activities on the CashCourse platform covering budgeting, debt, and savings. The goal was to improve financial self-efficacy and money management behaviors. The data collection phase coincided with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing researchers to further understand the link between financial well-being and mental health.
Funding:
Pepperdine University Provost Office, Community-Based Research Grant. Title: An evaluation of a digital financial education program and the impact of COVID-19 on financial wellbeing among college students ($20,000).
Publication:
MiVacunaLA 1.0
Overview:
This program consisted of a four-week mobile phone-based education intervention designed to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates among Latino families. Delivered via text, participants received bilingual, culturally tailored content featuring Latino doctors and community health workers. The randomized controlled study measured the intervention's impact, while qualitative focus groups examined parental experiences, motivations, and fears in under-resourced communities in East and South Los Angeles.
Funding:
University of California Los Angeles COVID-19 Research (Blanco/Castellon). Title: mivacunaLA/myshotLA: A Mobile Intervention to Promote Vaccine Acceptance Among Underserved Latino Families in East and South Los Angeles ($70,000).
Publications:
MiVacunaLA 2.0
Overview:
Building on the previous iteration, MiVacunaLA 2.0 is a community-based randomized controlled trial testing a digital intervention to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates among Hispanic children ages 5–11. Delivered via mobile phone, the 4-week program provided videos and infographics in English and Spanish. The intervention aimed to improve guardian knowledge and build trust in the vaccine approval process.
Funding:
LA County Department of Public Health (Blanco/Castellon). Title: mivacunaLA/myshotLA: A Mobile Intervention to Promote Vaccine Acceptance Among Underserved Latino Families in East and South Los Angeles ($125,000).
Possibility Labs/ Digital Transformation Fund (Blanco/Castellon). Title: mivacunaLA/myshotLA: Providing access to information to Latino Families with low proficiency of reading and writing Spanish/English ($1,714).
Publication:
Dollars and Zen
Overview:
Dollars and Zen was a three-month digital intervention that integrated financial education with stress management techniques for low-income Latino adults. Participants engaged in weekly activities covering financial goal setting and debt management alongside relaxation exercises and positive visualization. The study investigated whether combining these disciplines could enhance financial behaviors and confidence while reducing stress levels.
Funding:
Pepperdine University Provost Office, Cross-School Collaboration Research Grant. Title: Dollars and Zen: A Randomized Control Trial of a Community-Partnered Financial Capability and Stress Management Digital Intervention among Low-Income Latino Adults ($40,000).
Publication:
MyMoneyPlus (In Progress)
Overview:
MyMoney+MyRetirement is an 8-week digital education program primarily focused on guiding Spanish-speaking Latino adults on the importance of saving. The first four weeks help participants develop healthy financial habits, while the final four weeks shift toward long-term financial planning, including the process of setting up a Social Security Administration account.
Funding:
Pepperdine University Provost Office, Community-Based Research Grant. Title: MyMoney+MyRetirement
($20,000).
Citation: Blanco, L., & Viceisza, A. (In Progress). MyMoney+MyRetirement Digital Intervention.
Link coming soon upon publication.