To address health disparities in the elderly, academic researchers need to build sustainable, mutually beneficial relationships with minority elderly communities for three purposes: 1) to increase the participation of elderly ethnic minorities in research, 2) to design research that is acceptable, feasible, and effective for these communities, and 3) to develop strategies to effectively disseminate health information to the communities. Developing junior faculty to pursue this research agenda is essential. The Center for Health Improvement of Minority Elderly (CHIME) Community Core will establish ongoing relationships with communities of African American and Latino elderly in South Central Los Angeles by working with them to prioritize and meet their health goals. This Core with work with communities to achieve their health goals through dissemination of useful health information and development of research to address the goals. Within this structure, we develop junior investigators by providing them with the skills and experience necessary to contribute to the knowledge base for decreasing health disparities in this disadvantaged community. The CHIME Community Core aims embody the key components of the NIA mission statement to address disparities. The CHIME Specific Aims are to:
Specific Aim 1 : Create and maintain an infrastructure of mutually beneficial academic/community partnerships (capacity building) within South Central Los Angeles that helps diverse communities to establish and prioritize their health goals and participate actively in research to meet those goals.
Specific Aim 2 : Develop, evaluate and implement innovative strategies for disseminating health information to diverse communities of elderly in response to their health goals.
Specific Aim 3 : Develop and implement a mentoring component to train highly skilled research scientists with sensitivity to critical issues for the healthcare of minority elderly who are prepared to carry out research addressing the health goals of the communities.
Specific Aim 4 : Establish a monitoring process to evaluate ongoing program activities and the impact of the Community Core program on key endpoints.
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