Researchers have called for increasing the participation of innovative strategies and policies promoting theparticipation of ethnic and racial minorities in health-related research to address large and persistent healthdisparities. Greater representation of older minorities in health-related research will expand scientificknowledge needed to improve health status, and also enhance opportunities for reaping benefits fromparticipation. In order to address these scientific, applied, and policy relevant issues, the MCUAAAR will usea community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach and life course framework in expanding itscollaborative Community Liaison Core (CLC), designed to increase participation of older minorities in healthrelatedresearch, health promotion and risk reduction, and policy dissemination activities. The CLC includesresearchers, health care providers, community-based organizations, and older minorities (including theirfamily members) working together to design, implement, and manage an action-based plan for achievingthese objectives. The city of Detroit has some unique characteristics that currently make it the mostappropriate location to address health disparities among older African Americans because: (1) The Detroitmetropolitan region is highly segregated racially; (2) with the decline of the automobile industry, Detroit hasthe poorest population of any city in the United States; (3) Detroit is a low density population area with little tono public transportation; and (4) Detroit's older population live in medically underserved areas andexperience a higher rate of mortality and morbidity than the rest of Michigan. The Proposed CLC, due to itsmaturity and experience, is in an excellent position to expand its influence on the older adult Blackpopulation in Detroit, as well as the emerging Latino population. Our prior work has noted that significant andsubstantive community involvement and outreach, and sustained personal contacts are most effective forrecruitment and retention. Over the past five years, with the assistance of 11 Community Advisory Boardmembers and 10 Senior aide volunteers, the CLC community programs have become effective platforms forhigh turnout (from reaching 300 individuals face to face in 2002 to over 1300 in 2006), the researchParticipant Resource Pool numbers over 900 older adult research participant volunteers, and the CLCprogramming is enhanced by community support, both financially and as programming partners. The CLCproposes to increase its research volunteer pool to 2000 by 2011, to continue its intensive communityprogramming, its high levels of productivity on the science of recruitment and retention with four new studies,and develop a new dissemination and health policy initiative to address the continuing human and societalcosts of race and ethnic group health disparities.
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