Role of Caribbean Exploratory (NCMHD) Research Center

1. Role of Caribbean Exploratory (NCMHD) Research Center Gloria B. Callwood, PhD, RN Presented at Caribbean Exploratory Research Center Invitational Facilitated Research Institute October 14, 2009

2. Caribbean Exploratory Research Center on Health Disparities (CERC) • A National Center for Minority and Health Disparities funded Project (#1P20MD002286-03) • Organized into four cores • Administrative • Research • Research Education and Training • Community Engagement/Outreach

3. Caribbean Exploratory Research Center on Health Disparities (CERC) • Organized to: • Conduct research on health disparities • Provide mentoring and training opportunities for students, junior faculty and researchers • Provide health screening, health promotion and health information dissemination activities • Establish partnerships with community based organizations

4. Significance of Exploratory Center for the Virgin Islands • Health disparities among African American, African Caribbean and Hispanic population sub-groups in the US Virgin Islands have been well documented in national and territorial reports • There is a paucity of research focused on factors that interact to create health disparities in the US Virgin Islands.

5. Significance of Exploratory Center for the Virgin Islands Research is needed to: • Generate sources of reliable data • Identify, develop, and evaluate intervention strategies that will most effectively reduce or eliminate health disparities in the Virgin Islands.

6. Morbidity • Diabetes #4  in US at 9% • High blood pressure #28 in US at 24.8%  • High Cholesterol # 37 in US at 31.5% • HIV/AIDS # 2 in US per capital • TB-10.83 per 100,000  (2005) • Treatment success only 50 %  1995 (World Development Indicators database ) • Cancer Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey Data, 2004

7. Center Research Activities • Begun under Capacity building EXPORT Center Grant (Studies completed or in progress) • A church based diabetes survey for St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands • Focus study of patient/provider breast cancer risk communication and breast cancer risk management • Factors and life experiences affecting self management among a population of type 2 diabetic patients in the United States Virgin Islands

8. Center Research Activities cont. • Health Status and Access to healthcare among African American and African Caribbean Women • Knowledge, attitudes, perceptions and decision making of pregnant and parenting women of African heritage at risk for or living with HIV/AIDS: an international perspective • Abuse status and health consequences for African American and African Caribbean women

9. Caribbean Exploratory Research Center Next Steps • Follow up on recommendations from reported studies • Facilitate the completion of ongoing studies through presentation to peers, publication and implementation of relevant interventions to reduce disparities • Host conferences aimed at garnering involvement in community based participatory, and culturally relevant research

10. Next Steps cont. • Provide support for pilot studies addressing health disparities • Mentor students, faculty and community researchers in evidenced based approaches to address disparities • Engage the community through community based organizations (CBOs) in educational, wellness and preventative activities • Seek additional funding for the work we are doing

11. Questions? Thank you