Significant gaps in the quality of health and healthcare access have been identified across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. It is well documented that minorities, particularly African Americans, and low income populations have higher incidences of certain diseases, higher mortality and poorer health outcomes. The reduction of such health inequities in minorities and economically deprived groups is an overarching societal goal. To that end, the Research Core seeks to expand the capacity and competence of the University of South Alabama, Center of Excellence as a leader in research and dissemination of outcomes that address minority health and health disparities. The Research Core, thru the efforts of the Health Disparties Research Group, will advance the original research apprenticeship multidisciplinary CBPR approach to improve minority health. HDRG will build and expand on faculty/community partnerships to facilitate the transfer of research knowledge and study findings into effective and culturally competent community-based interventions designed to improve the health of the minority and underserved populations in the targeted community of Mobile, AL. To further advance this goal, the research core will support three research sub-projects that focus on key issues in health disparities. Specifically, these projects aim to 1) define sentinel surveillance tools, procedures and sites, to collect and track information on health behaviors, health care access, and morbidity of disparate populations with the objective of monitoring the progress towards health equity; 2) elucidate what proportion of individuals living in high poverty neighborhoods have (or do not have) access to health insurance through their participation in the labor market, and determine what prevents those uninsured individuals from utilizing public resources in light of the recent 'Affordable Care Act'; and 3) examine plasma biomarker levels to establish the baseline variability (age, after an acute coronary event) to determine the utility of the biomarkers in predicting cardiovascular risk.

Public Health Relevance

In pursuit of the goal of eliminating health disparities, the Research Core aims to foster innovative research in close collaboration with community partners, with the goal of realizing measurable improvements in health disparities among minorities and low-income populations while furthering the Community Based Participatory Research paradigm

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
Type
Exploratory Grants (P20)
Project #
5P20MD002314-09
Application #
8790695
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZMD1)
Project Start
Project End
2016-01-31
Budget Start
2015-02-01
Budget End
2016-01-31
Support Year
9
Fiscal Year
2015
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of South Alabama
Department
Type
DUNS #
172750234
City
Mobile
State
AL
Country
United States
Zip Code
36688
Arrieta, Martha I; Wells, Naima K; Parker, L Lynette et al. (2018) Research Apprenticeship and Its Potential as a Distinct Model of Peer Research Practice. Prog Community Health Partnersh 12:199-214
Fruh, Sharon M; Mulekar, Madhuri S; Crook, Errol et al. (2018) The Family Meal Challenge: A Faith-Based Intervention to Empower Families. J Christ Nurs 35:191-197
Arrieta, Martha I; Fisher, Leevones; Shaw, Thomas et al. (2017) Consolidating the Academic End of a Community-Based Participatory Research Venture to Address Health Disparities. J High Educ Outreach Engagem 21:113-134
Icenogle, Marjorie; Eastburn, Sasha; Arrieta, Martha (2016) Katrina's Legacy: Processes for Patient Disaster Preparation Have Improved but Important Gaps Remain. Am J Med Sci 352:455-465
Tan, Fang; Mosunjac, Marina; Adams, Amy L et al. (2014) Enhanced down-regulation of ALCAM/CD166 in African-American Breast Cancer. BMC Cancer 14:715
Shaw, Thomas C (2014) Uncovering health literacy: Developing a remotely administered questionnaire for determining health literacy levels in health disparate populations. J Hosp Adm 3:140-156
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Fruh, Sharon M; Mulekar, Madhuri S; Hall, Heather R et al. (2013) Meal-Planning Practices with Individuals in Health Disparity Zip Codes. J Nurse Pract 9:344-349
Freed, Christopher R; Hansberry, Shantisha T; Arrieta, Martha I (2013) STRUCTURAL AND HIDDEN BARRIERS TO A LOCAL PRIMARY HEALTH CARE INFRASTRUCTURE: AUTONOMY, DECISIONS ABOUT PRIMARY HEALTH CARE, AND THE CENTRALITY AND SIGNIFICANCE OF POWER. Res Sociol Health Care 31:57-81
Fruh, Sharon M; Mulekar, Madhuri S; Hall, Heather R et al. (2013) Perspectives of Community Health Advocates: Barriers to Healthy Family Eating Patterns. J Nurse Pract 9:416-421

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