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

Abstract #114712

Asoka Srinivasan, PhD¹, Wendy B. White, MPH², Nimr Fahmy, PhD², Elizabeth Heitman, PhD³, James Brown, MA⁴, and Madhu Singh, PhD⁵. (1) Jackson Heart Study, Tougaloo College, 500 West County Line Rd, Tougaloo, MS 39174, (2) Jackson Heart Study/Undergraduate Training Center, Tougaloo College, 500 W County Line Road, Tougaloo, MS 39174, 6019781355, wendywhite2001@yahoo.com, (3) Center for Clinical and Research Ethics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 319 Oxford House, Nashville, TN 37232, (4) History, Tougaloo College, 500 West County Line Rd, Tougaloo, MS 39174, (5) Psychology, Tougaloo College, 500 West County Line Rd, Tougaloo, MS 39174

The Jackson Heart Study (JHS) is a single-site prospective epidemiologic investigation of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among African-Americans from the Jackson, Mississippi metropolitan area. The study is a collaboration between Jackson State University (Coordinating Center), University of Mississippi School of Medicine (Exam Center) and Tougaloo College (Undergraduate Training Center). The Jackson Heart Study Undergraduate Training Center (JHSUTC) at Tougaloo College was developed to increase the numbers of college-aged African American students entering public health and health related fields. In order to achieve the goal of increasing the number of minority health care professionals, the UTC has designed two programs- the Jackson Heart Study (JHS) Scholars program and an outreach program, "Science, Language Arts and Mathematics (SLAM)" for high school students. At present, the UTC also has one program, the "Six-day Epidemiology Course," to address the training needs of current members in the health care community.

This presentation discloses the need for the JHSUTC, a description of each program, and the application process for each. Also included are the characteristics of the students who participate in the Scholars Program and the Six-day epidemiology course. Finally, the methods of program assessment and evaluation are detailed and the challenges and future plans of each program are summarized.

Learning Objectives:

• 1. Describe the Jackson Heart Study Undergraduate Training Center at Tougaloo College
• 2. Recognize the need for public health and biomedical research capacity building in African American populations.

Keywords: Heart Disease, African American

Related Web page: www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/jackson/

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.