The Morehouse School of Medicine Prevention Research Center (MSM PRC) conducts interdisciplinary community-based prevention research in African American and other minority communities; trains minority community-based researchers and public health practitioners; and demonstrates the value of community coalitions in conducting research. MSM PRC is governed by a Community Coalition Board. The CCB serves as a governing body with the majority being comprised of community residents and its Chair is always a community representative. Our research addressess priorites set by the Board and the leading causes of health disparities and health problems in their communities. The overarching goal of the MSM PRC will be to implement community-engaged, evidence-based strategies in response to obstinate and emerging health disparities/inequities thereby advancing applied public health prevention and health equity in the State of Georgia. The Center components aims to engage (inform, partner and support) local, state, regional and national translation partners in efforts to scale core implementation research and center strategies (Specific Aim 1) and demonstrate leadership (in collaboration with multisector partners toward broad scale implementation of effective population health approaches to address health disparities and advance health equity (Specific Aim 3) The proposed core research project will be an implementation research study to address the high rates of HIV among minority young adult populations by implementing Project Take Charge, an evidence-based HIV testing, education and condom distribution intervention, at Minority Serving Institutions and the surrounding communities (Specific Aim 3). Through Research Aim 1 we will Implement Project Take Charge at three Atlanta-based HBCUs and at one rural school. We will generate novel data on HIV testing, identify HIV positive persons, and provide health education to reduce engagement in risky sexual behaviors in these previously untested settings and will evaluate fidelity, impact and cost.
Research Aim 2 will allow us to identify the facilitators and barriers to implementation at a new rural site and an urban commuter campus, using a mixed-methods data collection approach.
Research Aim 3 will assess the effectiveness of condom distribution, modeled after a well-established web-based strategy on condom use and risky sexual behavior in these communities. Through Research Aim 4 we will develop a toolkit for dissemination to guide implementation of Project Take Charge in other MSI communities across the country.
The Core research project will address CDC's winnable battle on HIV and intends to impact public health by addressing the Healthy People (HP) 2020 HIV goal to prevent HIV infection and its related illness and death. This implementation research project seeks to increase the number of individuals who are tested for HIV and reduce engagement in risky sexual behaviors among high risk young adults in areas that are heavily affected by HIV. The proposed project aligns with the CDC?s High-Impact Prevention approach to making HIV testing simple, accessible, and routine, and increasing access to condoms.
