Minority Health and Health Equity Archive

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    Closing the circle between minority inclusion in research and health disparities.
    (2004) Corbie-Smith, Giselle; Moody-Ayers, Sandra; Thrasher, Angela D
    Increasing participation of minorities in clinical research has been a national scientific priority. Doubt and distrust, however, characterize many minorities' concern about whether their contributions as research participants will be reflected in improved health for them and their communities. What obligations do researchers have in ensuring that the societal benefits of research are enjoyed by underserved communities? What strategies can be used? Drawing on historical examples and recent policy initiatives, we describe how researchers can close the circle between inclusion of minorities in clinical research and reduction of health disparities by fulfilling obligations to methodology and community involvement.
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    Using Community Involvement Strategies in the Fight against Infant Mortality: Lessons from a Multisite Study of the National Healthy Start Experience
    (2002) Minkler, Meredith; Thompson, Mildred; Bell, Judith; Rose, Kalima; Redman, Dina
    This article presents the findings of a multisite qualitative study of the community involvement experience of nine Healthy Start sites in their efforts to reduce infant mortality. Empowerment theory was used as a broad theoretical framework, and in-depth interviews, focus groups, observation, and documents review were the primary data collection methods utilized. Six key ways in which community involvement was found to enrich the program are described. These ranged from creating the conditions in which individuals could improve their parenting skills to mobilizing communities to help change programs, practices, and policies. Lessons learned for this program and for other initiatives aimed at eliminating health disparities are discussed.
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    Collaborative Research as an Essential Component for Addressing Cancer Disparities Among Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander Women
    (2002) Tanjasiri, Sora Park; Kagawa-Singer, Marjorie; Nguyen, Tu-Uyen; Foo, Mary Anne
    A fundamental component of community-based health promotion efforts to eliminate disparities is the mobilization of community involvement to address not only individual but also systemic and political causes of inequalities in health. The participatory action research (PAR) paradigm is well suited to address these multilevel inequalities in research and evaluation experienced by many ethnic and racial communities. In this article, a case study of a project to reduce health disparities in breast and cervical cancer among seven Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander communities in Southern California is presented. The authors applied a PAR framework to the process of needs assessment and program planning to understand and address the complex and multilevel factors that contribute to the problem of disparate breast and cervical cancer screening rates in these communities. Finally, the authors describe the lessons that were learned about how to promote collaborative research as an essential element in the design of projects and studies to address ethnic disparities in health outcomes for breast and cervical cancer.
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    Statewide Tuskegee Alliance for Clinical Trials-A Community Coalition to Enhance Minority Participation in Medical Research
    (2001) Fouad, Mona N; Partridge, Edward; Wynn, Theresa; Green, B Lee; Kohler, Connie; Nagy, Steve
    BACKGROUND. Cancer mortality rates for all sites are nearly 2.5 times greater for African-Americans compared with whites. In addition, there are data implying that cancer treatment outcomes for minorities are unfavorable compared with whites. Whether this is due to poor access to health care or a biologic property of malignancies occurring in specific populations remains to be determined. Because of these unknown factors, targeting minorities for clinical trials may contribute toward the reduction of the overall morbidity and mortality associated with specific cancers. METHODS. The current study describes the establishment of a genuine collaborative partnership between the targeted minority community and clinical investigators at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. This partnership was formed for the purpose of identifying strategies that would enhance the accrual and retention of minority participants into current and future cancer prevention and control trials. Focus groups and key informant interviews were conducted to ascertain the community’s perception of participating in clinical trials. RESULTS. The majority of focus group participants were unclear regarding the nature of clinical trials. Participants indicated that they would participate in research studies if they received adequate information regarding the purpose and benefits of the study, and if the charge came from a pastor or physician. Barriers to participation included time commitments, family obligations, whether blood was involved, and past experiences. The majority of the participants indicated that their knowledge of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study did not influence their decision to participate in research. A major outcome of the conference was the formation of the Statewide Tuskegee Alliance Coalition. The planning coalition decided to continue their efforts to work with communities and promote cancer awareness among minorities. After the conference, the coalition conducted several meetings and in July 1998, 1 year after the conference, the coalition selected a chair, co-chair, and a formal name for the organized group. CONCLUSIONS. The planning, development, and implementation of this conference provided a valuable experience for researchers and community members. It was discovered that community involvement in the early phase of this project contributed to its success. Furthermore, the partnership that developed between researchers (academic institutions) and communities successfully provided an infrastructure that supported the interest of both groups.