Bronx Faith-based Initiative to Eliminate Racial Dispar*

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Long term goal: The overall goal of the proposed community-based research project is to eliminate racial disparities in health outcomes in the southwest project. The project is sponsored by Bronx Health REACH, a Coalition of 40 community and faith-based organizations, the Institute for Urban Family Health, a community health care provider, and the Center for Health and Public Service Research at New York University. Since 1999, the Coalition has developed a series of community-based interventions designed to measure and change knowledge, attitudes, and behavior through health promotion and disease prevention activities, including activities aimed at teaching community residents to navigate the healthcare system effectively and overcome the racial disparities they face in the health care they receive. Specific aims: The proposed project, the Bronx Faith-based Initiative to Eliminate Racial Disparities in Health, will assess the strengths and limitations of the REACH faith-based initiative and identify the unmet needs of community members at risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It will identify the key elements for developing and implementing a faith-based intervention to improve the health and health care of minority populations, and pilot an intervention and evaluate the barriers and facilitating factors for program implementation. Rationale: A growing body of literature points to the role that disparities in the health care system play in poorer health outcomes for minorities. By linking educational and behavioral strategies with faith-based institutions and leaders, the Coalition seeks to determine whether a strong community resource can be tapped to reduce disparities by educating community members. Methods: The proposed CBPR model will use a host of research measures, including key informant interviews, focus groups, and surveys, which will be designed and implemented by a Community Research Committee that consists of community members, the PI and the scientific research partners. Public Health Value: The proposed CBPR will contribute to the knowledge base about faith-based health interventions and improve future collaborations by determining the factors that contribute to or limit the development and effectiveness of faith-based interventions to reduce racial disparities in health.