A Study of Oral Health Disparities in Adult Asian & Pac*

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The primary objective of this application is to develop collaborative affiliations in preparation for conducting an R01 study on molecular and epidemiological correlates of oral health disparities in Asian & Pacific Islanders (APIs). Specifically, these collaborative affiliations will be fostered through training and network development. The training component will involve the University of North Carolina Dental Research Center (UNC) providing mentorship and consultation for the University of Hawaii (UH) through seminars, development of educational materials, and travel between the universities by faculty, post-doctoral fellows and principal investigators. The network development component will focus on establishing a collaborative oral health research network comprised of UNC, UH's Medical and Nursing and Dental Hygiene Schools and Clinical Research Center, the Dental Division of the State of Hawaii Department of Health, the Hawaii Primary Care Association, Community Health Centers, and the Area Health Education Center in Hawaii. An Advisory Committee comprising representatives from these entities will meet to identify priorities for future research in oral health, and focus groups will meet to identify barriers and facilitators to conducting oral health research, identify community research questions, and provide education for the community relating to oral health disparities in APIs. The final component, preliminary studies will assist in the development of the knowledge base needed to test the science proposed in the R01. The second objective is to evaluate the planning stage by refining and implementing a project evaluation plan and systematically using findings to monitor the process of the above collaborative affiliations, training, network, development, and pilot study development. Achievement of these objectives will enhance the research capacity of UH and the broader community to conduct research that will lead to innovative strategies designed to reduce oral health disparities in the ethnically diverse population of the State of Hawaii.