Caribbean Exploratory NCMHD Research Center for Excellence

描述（由申请人提供）：本申请的长期目标是减少并最终消除美属维尔京群岛的健康差距。维尔京群岛大学护理司提议在美属维尔京群岛建立加勒比健康差异研究和教育探索中心。探索中心的具体目标是：1)提供行政结构、协调和资源，以促进中心在健康差异研究和教育方面的凝聚力运作；2)扩大加勒比出口保健差距研究和教育中心的初步努力；3)加强UVI教师、学生和社区成员在健康差异研究方面的研究准备和专业知识；4)使学术、机构和社区伙伴能够评估旨在改善维尔京群岛居民健康的干预措施。很少有文献表明，美属维尔京群岛的居民与美国大陆的健康差异人群一样，承受着同样的健康差异。很少有研究描述了可能与该领土报告的健康差异流行率相关的因素。美属维尔京群岛的人口是多元文化和多样化的，其中76%是黑人（非裔美国人，非裔加勒比人），10%是白人，14%是西班牙裔。获得保健、缺乏医疗保险、教育水平低、贫困程度高以及移民人口不断增加，这些都可能成为维尔京群岛保健、健康促进和预防活动的重大障碍。拟议的探索性研究中心将为协调一致地关注这些复杂变量以及岛屿历史、背景、文化、人口、社会经济地位和其他可能造成岛屿内健康差异的因素的独特交叉点提供机会。本申请包括四项正在进行的试点研究和7项拟议试点研究的摘要，以及一项关于健康差距的完整研究。维尔京群岛大学护理系是该地区唯一提供卫生专业学位的专业，特别适合在卫生差异研究中代表性不足的地区继续开展这一高度重要的公共卫生工作。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long term objective of this application is to reduce and ultimately eliminate health disparities in the U. S. Virgin Islands. The Division of Nursing, University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) proposes to establish The Caribbean EXPLORATORY Center for Research ans Education on Health Disparities (CaRE-HD) in the U. S. Virgin Islands. The specific aims of the Exploratory Center are to: 1)provide the administrative structure, coordination and resources to facilitate cohesive functioning of the Center for research and education on health disparities; 2)expand the initial efforts of the Caribbean EXPORT Center for Research and Education on Health Disparities; 3)strengthen the research preparation and expertise of members of the UVI faculty, students and community in health disparities research; 4)enable academic, institutional and community partners to evaluate interventions designed to improve the health of Virgin Islanders. A very sparse literature suggests that residents of the U. S. Virgin Islands are burdened with the same health disparities identified in health disparity populations on the mainland U. S. Few studies have described factors that might be associated with reported prevalence rates for health disparities in the territory. The population of the U.S. Virgin Islands, while multicultural and diverse, is 76% black (African American, Afro Caribbean), 10% white, and 14% Hispanic. Access to care, lack of health insurance, low levels of education, high levels of poverty and a growing immigrant population may represent significant barriers to health care, health promotion and prevention activities in the Virgin Islands. The proposed exploratory research center will provide opportunities for a concerted focus on these complex variables as well as the unique intersections of island history, context, culture, demographics, socioeconomic status and other factors that might contirbute to health disparities within the islands. Four continuing pilot studies and abstracts for 7 proposed pilot studies and one full study on health disparities are included in this application. The Division of Nursing, University of he Virgin Islands, is the only program in the territory offering a degree in one of the health professions, and s uniquely suited to continue this highly significant public health imperative in the region underrepresented in health disparities research.