Shaw University seeks to establish the Shaw in Jamaica Minority Health International Research Training (MHIRT) of NCMHD Project (Shaw in Jamaica MoN Project).
The specific aims of the Shaw in Jamaica MoN Project are: (1) to encourage undergraduate students from health disparate populations to participate in international collaborative research initiatives;(2) to introduce and recruit undergraduate students to careers in behavioral and epidemiologic health research fields including psychology, social psychology, sociology, health research, epidemiology, and other related fields;(3) to provide behavioral research training to undergraduate students from Shaw University on prostate cancer-related topics;and, (4) to conduct a significant research project that will further the elimination of racial health disparities in the area of prostate cancer among Jamaican men of African descent. Prostate cancer is the leading cancer among men, and the second leading cause of cancer mortality among men in the United States. In 2008, an estimated 186,320 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and about 28,660 men are expected to die. African American and Jamaican men of African descent have the highest prostate cancer incidence and mortality rates in the world. Shaw University will collaborate with investigators at two universities in Kingston, Jamaica, the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus and the University of Technology (Utech). The UWI is the region's premier educational institution and its faculties offer a wide range of undergraduate, masters and doctoral programs while maintaining a strong emphasis on Caribbean issues. UWI also has a graduate degree program in Public Health and Epidemiology which will allow Shaw students to intermingle with international students and faculty who are vested in health-related research, education, and activities. An outcome of the Shaw in Jamaica MoN Project would be to enable our students and investigators to develop a better understanding of the attitudes and behaviors of Jamaican men, that is, their awareness, knowledge, attitudes and beliefs (including attributions), behaviors, and risk perceptions related to prostate cancer and screening. Results from this research may yield information to answer questions related to their understanding of this complex disease. Moreover, the Shaw in Jamaica MoN Project will provide significant research experiences for students beyond those available at Shaw University.
This collaboration will establish an international partnership for future exchanges in the area of prostate cancer research. Moreover, the Shaw in Jamaica MoN Project will provide significant research experiences for students beyond those available at Shaw University. The focus on prostate cancer will ensure that students become interested in this research area early in their careers, especially since the burden of prostate cancer and the health disparities compared to other groups are quite prevalent in both countries.
