Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #107252

Elizabeth Tropiano, MS¹, Joan E. Cowdery, PhD², Shandowyn Parker, PhD, MPH², and Charlene Acker¹. (1) Health Sciences and Administration, University of Michigan-Flint, 303 E. Kearsley, 1108 WSW, Flint, MI 48502, (810) 424-5241, etropian@umflint.edu, (2) Department of Health Sciences & Administration, University of Michigan, Flint, 2102 WSW Bldg., Flint, MI 48502

Partnering with community to address racial health disparities is essential. As part of a three year NIH funded project, a mid-western university and its community have forged a new type of relationship, which recognizes the unique skills and expertise of one another.

Community members from partnering community-based organizations work closely with senior faculty members to educate and train faculty researchers to engage in culturally competent community-based participatory research geared toward the reduction of racial health disparities. Faculty are recruited to participate in an extensive 12 month mentoring program, which explores various topics including:

1) African-American history and culture, 2)Epidemiology of health disparities, 3) Examination of health policies impacting African-Americans, 4) Racism and health outcomes, 5)African-American experience as research subjects, 6)Achieving cultural competence through self-awareness, understanding, knowledge, and skill-building, and 7)Community-based participatory research principles.

Educational sessions include; readings, videos, speakers, windshield tours, discussions of life experiences, and application of principles to research. These sessions are facilitated by a team of senior faculty researchers and community members.

Community members are also crucial in the research process. They provide faculty with an extensive orientation on conducting research within the community. Community members drive the research conducted by providing input into the needs assessment strategies, materials and intervention development as well as recruitment and dissemination strategies.

Community involvement has; better prepared our faculty to engage in community-based participatory research, enabled a high degree of analysis of research materials and findings, and has strengthened the relationship between community and university researchers.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify strategies that utilize community members to train faculty to be culturally competent,
• Describe methods to engage community members in the research process.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation