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Abstract #152537

Erin Kobetz, PhD, MPH¹, Betsy Barton, MA², Lisa Gaffin-Rosenberg², Martine Lifleur, MPH³, Louis Marcelin, PhD⁴, Joshua D. Diem, PhD⁵, Noella Dietz, PhD¹, H. Virginia McCoy, PhD⁶, and Clyde McCoy, PhD¹. (1) Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Miami, Leonard Miller School of Medicine, Fox Cancer Research Building, 1550 NW 10th Avenue, Suite 308, Miami, FL 33136, 305-243-6185, ekobetz@med.miami.edu, (2) Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, PO Box 016960 (D4-11), Miami, FL 33101, (3) Center for Haitian Studies, 8260 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami, FL 33138, (4) Department of Anthropology, University of Miami, Room 105 Merrick Building, 5202 University Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146, (5) Department of Teaching and Learning, University of Miami, School of Education, 5202 University Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146, (6) Stempel School of Public Health Center for Health Policy and Research, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL 33199

“ Partners in Action” or Patne en Aksyon in Haitian Creole represents a partnership between the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and key Haitian American community based organizations in Miami, Florida. This partnership is currently conducting a two-year study to identify determinants which may account for the excess breast cancer mortality experienced by Haitian American women living in the Miami metropolitan area. The study is grounded in the principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR), and study data are collected by Community Health Workers (CHWs), who are Haitian, fluent in English and Creole, and knowledgeable about Haitian community norms and customs. CHWs were trained to conduct research using a curriculum developed by the partnership's academic investigators with significant input from community members. The curriculum includes four sessions, all of which pair didactic lessons with interactive activities. Session One provides CHWs with a project overview that includes presentations from community leaders with previous research experience, who can offer specific advice about how to best engage Haitian women in research. Session Two focuses on research ethics. Session Three teaches the CHWs the fundamentals of key informant interviews and community mapping as well as the necessary techniques for adequately collecting and managing such data. Session Four instructs the CHWs on taking field notes and conduct rapid assessment surveys. Our limited evaluation of this curriculum suggests that it is a useful tool for training CHWs about research and data collection, and may be effective for other CBPR initiatives incorporating CHWs into study design.

Learning Objectives: At the end of this session, participants will be able to

(
• Discuss the role of Community Health Workers (CHWs) in Partners in Action, a community-based participatory research initiative to attenuate breast cancer mortality among Haitian women; (
• Describe the curriculum developed by Partners in Action to train CHWs to conduct research; and, (
• Understand the benefits of expanding CHWs role from advocate to researcher

Keywords: Community Health Advisor, Community-Based Partnership

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.