The long-term objective of this proposed project is to establish partnerships with communities in North Louisiana to develop and implement programs to (1) increase awareness and reduce child, adolescent, adult obesity and related health disparities. The goals of this project are: (1) to establish partnerships among Grambling State University (GSU), academic institutions and community based organizations; (2) to identify and document the community's view of its problems of obesity and related health disparities; (3) to form an alignment between the problems of obesity and related health disparities and the research priorities of Grambling State Universities; (4) to design and conduct translational research addressing problems of obesity and related health disparities; (5) to develop and participate in outreach and information dissemination activities; and (6) to create a novel paradigm for nationwide implemenation. The goals of this project will be accomplished through activities including but not limited to the following in the areas of child, adolescent, adult obesity and related health disparities: (1) conducting a series of focus groups, meetings, seminars, workshops, and conferences with community partners and Grambling State University to develop strong partnerships, working relationships and research goals focused on community priorities; (2) conduction a series of focus groups, meetings, seminars, workshops, and conferences with community health needs in this area; (3) conducting a series of meetings, awareness of this national health problem and providing information regarding the commitment of NIH to its elimination; and (4) implementing pilot research projects designed to meet identified community needs and collect data to include in future grant applications for translational research. In order to effectively facilitate the development of this proposed project, a series of meetings were held with community leaders and prospective partners from the North Louisiana area to address the status of, identify, and prioritize the community health needs associated with child, adolescent, adult obesity and related health disparities. A strong academic-community partnership was formed among GSU and several institutions.
