The Shared Resources Core consists of the Methods and Measurement Core and the Dissemination and Sustainability Core. The Methods and Measurement Core will collaborate with the overall Center Principal Investigators and the individual Project Leaders to maximize efficient use of study resources, optimize study validity, and improve inferential ability. The Core will be intimately involved in study design, sample selection, measurement, data collection and management, and data analysis. A transdisciplinary team of methodologists bring a depth and breadth of expertise to the study of Native population health disparities. The Core uses methods of statistical analysis that are directly linked to the Center's multi-level conceptual model for studying Native population health disparities. Accordingly, our specific aims are to 1) Apply stateof- the-art research designs and sampling strategies to the study of Native population health disparities;2) Assure the reliability and validity of study measures, with particular attention paid to the definition of American Indian status;risk and confounding factors;and both discrete and composite measures of health outcomes. Where appropriate, existing measures will be modified and adapted and where necessary, new measures will be developed;3) Work with each Research Project team to develop optimal policies and procedures for field data collection and data management;and 4) Use a flexible and comprehensive data analytic strategy guided by our multi-level model for population health disparities. This unifying theme is achieved through the use of a multi-level generalized linear mixed modeling approach to data analysis. The goal of the Dissemination and Sustainability Core is to support all Research Projects in linking their results to the communities in which the work is conducted and, more broadly, to Native people across the nation. Ultimately, our hope is to facilitate the exchange, broad implementation and uptake of new practices and ideas by local consumers, providers, authorities, and planners.
The specific aims of this Core are to: 1) Facilitate the dissemination and sustainability of research that holds promise for producing health equity for Native peoples;2) Bring community partners more fully into the research process, and in doing so, optimize the exchange and uptake of ideas and interventions, locally, regionally, and nationwide;3) Develop and improve mechanisms for disseminating the results of population health research to increase the likelihood of more immediate application through both traditional and culturally-congruent new media;4) Demonstrate that scientific merit and subsequent advocacy are not mutually exclusive, but rather are mutually reinforcing These aims will help promote a meaningful research agenda for Native people.
Methodologists can greatly contribute to understanding how and why Native people experience health disparities. To reveal the subtle and complex individual, familial, and community factors that are the root causes of such disparities, the utmost care must be taken in designing and implementing studies. As well, dissemination and sustainability are key issues in improving health and promoting a meaningful research agenda, one that attracts and sustains the participation of Native people and their families.
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