Oral

It has been said by many that the solutions to problems that exist in our communities also exist within these same communities. The power of communities to work together to address problems is increasingly being recognized as an important tool in efforts to reduce (and ultimately eliminate) health disparities. In order to understand how to activate the power of communities, research is needed to learn more about the common, underlying issues associated with health disparities. In this session, presenters will share research findings related to conducting community-based cancer prevention and control programs, ascertaining information on individual- and community-level indicators influencing disease outcomes, and capitalizing on the power of natural leaders in the community.

Session Objectives: By the end of the session, the participants will be able to: 1) describe community assessment and intervention approaches to address health disparities; 2) differentiate between non-community and community approaches to address health disparities; and 3) discuss how to apply approaches described to other public health problems and in partnership with other communities to address health disparities.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)