Community Needs, Concerns, and Perceptions About Health Research: Findings From the Clinical and Translational Science Award Sentinel Network

Abstract

Objectives Women, the elderly, racial/ethnic, and rural populations are underrepresented in research, which leads to findings that are not representative of diverse populations. A “Sentinel Network” of five sites has been implemented to understand health concerns of underrepresented groups, based on the Community Health Worker (CHW) model. Methods Investigators at the five sites (Washington University, U.C. Davis, U. Michigan, U. Rochester, Einstein College of Medicine) and two community-focused national organizations (Community-Campus Partnerships for Health and Patient Advocates in Research), developed a common assessment used by CHWs to elicit information about research perceptions, top health and neighborhood concerns, and health conditions. Results CHWs surveyed 5,979 individuals. Across all sites, while the top five health concerns were hypertension, diabetes, cancer, weight, and heart problems, high blood pressure was the most common self-reported condition. Interest in research participation ranged from 70.1% among those of “other” races to 91.0% among African-Americans. Overall, African Americans were more likely than persons of other race/ethnic groups to be interested in participating in studies that required giving blood samples (82.6%), genetic samples (76.9%), medical records (77.2%), staying overnight in a hospital (70.5%) and using medical equipment (75.4%). Conclusions This study found that 87% of Sentinel Network participants are interested in participating in health research. Top health concerns were consistent across geography. African-Americans reported higher willingness to participate in research even if it requires blood samples or genetic testing.

Identifying health conditions, priorities, and relevant multilevel health promotion intervention strategies in African American churches: A faith community health needs assessment

“…Consistent with the top health concerns reported by general population African Americans in a national study (Cottler, McCloskey, Aguilar-Gaxiola, Bennett, Strelnick et al, 2013), diabetes and heart disease were identified as top priority health issues to address with African American churchpopulations. This was not surprising, since the top reported health conditions diagnosed were high blood pressure (44%), high cholesterol (26%), and diabetes (19%), which were similar to findings in the Whitt-Glover, Porter, Yore, Demons, Goldmon et al study with church members (2014).…”

“…Additionally, HNAs can help identify barriers, facilitators, and community input on the importance and feasibility of potential multisectoral (e.g., churches, schools, businesses) and multilevel intervention strategies (e.g., individual, group, organization, community) to address health issues. HNA benefits can include early community buy-in and commitment to address health issues, better resource allocation through community partnerships, improved validity of procedures, and improved development of culturally-appropriate health promotion intervention strategies that can positively impact health outcomes (Cottler, McCloskey, Aguilar-Gaxiola, Bennett, Strelnick et al, 2013; Fawcett, Suarez de Balcazar, Whang-Ramos, Seekins, Bradford et al, 1988; Lillie-Blanton & Hoffman, 1995; Sharma, Lanum, & Suarez-Balcazaar, 2000; Wright, Williams, & Wilkinson, 1998). …”

Prescription opioid use, illicit drug use, and sexually transmitted infections among participants from a community engagement program in North Central Florida

“…Participants were recruited from health fairs, grocery stores, bus stops, community events and other locations in North Central Florida (Cottler et al, 2013). CHWs, lay community members from the target communities, interviewed participants using the Health Intake questionnaire, developed and extensively piloted to ensure cultural relevance, clarity, and practicality (Cottler et al, 2013). Information in this analysis includes: self-reported history of current or previous STIs, illicit drug use, prescription opioid use, and general socio-ecological variables.…”

Linking Podcasts With Social Media to Promote Community Health and Medical Research: Feasibility Study (Preprint)

“…Traditional CPER approaches have involved intensive face-to-face communication formats to promote similar bi-directional dialogue between researchers, community members, and other stakeholders [6][7][8]; yet these approaches limit audience reach and can restrict participation due to constraints of time, geography, and weather. As a result, the Podcast presentations can stimulate bi-directional dialog about important community health topics between community and healthcare stakeholders.…”