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国的健康差距。S.维京群岛维尔京群岛大学护理系建议在美国建立加勒比健康差异研究与教育探索中心。S.维京群岛探索中心的具体目标是：⑴提供行政结构、协调和资源，以促进健康差距研究和教育中心的协调运作; ⑵扩大加勒比出口健康差距研究和教育中心的初步努力; 3）加强研究准备和UVI教师，学生和社区成员在健康差距研究的专业知识; 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。一个非常稀疏的文献表明，美国的居民。S.维尔京群岛的健康差距与美国大陆的健康差距人口相同。S.很少有研究描述了可能与报告的领土内健康差距流行率有关的因素。美属维尔京群岛的人口，虽然多元文化和多样性，是76%的黑人（非洲裔美国人，非洲加勒比），10%白色，和14%西班牙裔。在维尔京群岛，获得保健、缺乏健康保险、教育水平低、贫穷程度高和移民人口不断增加，可能是保健、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提供机会，协调一致地关注这些复杂的变量，以及岛屿历史，背景，文化，人口统计，社会经济地位和其他因素的独特交叉点，这些因素可能导致岛屿内的健康差异。本申请中包括四项持续的试点研究和7项拟议试点研究的摘要以及一项关于健康差异的全面研究。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课程，并且非常适合在健康差距研究中代表性不足的地区继续这一高度重要的公共卫生需求。

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.