In Hawai?i and Guam, Pacific Island Populations represent a highly underserved minority with disproportionately high rates of lung, cervical, colorectal, liver, and oral cancers compared to other ethnic populations in the US. Limited knowledge of cancer prevention, low rates of cancer screening, and unique high risk behaviors such as tobacco and areca nut use contribute to the cancer health disparities found among Pacific Island Populations. Also, Pacific Island Populations are highly underrepresented among cancer researchers and cancer health care professionals. Culturally-grounded approaches to achieve parity in cancer control are sorely needed, which is a focus of the Pacific Island Partnership for Cancer Health Equity?s (PIPCHE) Community Outreach Core. The objectives of the Community Outreach Core are to include Pacific Island Populations? community perspectives to assist and promote the research of the Partnership, build the competencies of healthcare providers serving Pacific Island Populations, and help train new cadres of cancer researchers and care providers from Pacific Island Populations.
The Aims of Community Outreach Core are to: 1) Provide an essential resource to PIPCHE research projects and to the Partnership overall, 2) Implement evidence-based cancer prevention outreach, resources, and promotion of PIPCHE research, and 3) Assess the Partnership?s capacity to design and implement culturally relevant research in Hawai?i and Guam. Achievement of these Aims is expected to lead to sustainable programs that seek to better understand, address, and reduce cancer disparities and underrepresentation of cancer researchers in Hawai?i and Guam?s Pacific Island Populations. The long-term goal of the Community Outreach Core is to reduce barriers leading to cancer disparities in Guam and Hawai?i among Pacific Island Populations.
Pacific Islanders are one the fastest growing ethnic groups in the US, found in every state. The work of the Pacific Island Partnership for Cancer Health Equity?s (PIPCHE) Community Outreach Core (COC) directly addresses the disproportionately high rates of cancer incidence and mortality found among Pacific Island Populations (PIP) in Hawai?i and Guam. Using community-engaged approaches, the Community Outreach Core will work to support, enhance, and disseminate the PIPCHE?s research to better understand the determinants of cancer in this group. The COC?s activities will also serve to reduce the burden of preventable cancers found in PIP living in Hawai?i and Guam, which may be applicable to groups found elsewhere in the US.
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