WEST VIRGINIA PREVENTION RESEARCH CENTER

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Health disparities plague WV-our state has the highest US percentage of citizens with a chronic disease, including a disproportionably high burden of tobacco use, poor nutrition, sedentary lifestyle, and obesity. The economic costs to WV are staggering. Healthcare costs for smoking in 2004 were over $1 billion. WV spent $325 per person in 2003 on medical-costs related to obesity, the 4th highest in the nation. The West Virginia Prevention Research Center (WV PRC) has been the state's leader in prevention research for almost a decade. We propose to continue our commitment to WV through a community-driven research, evaluation, and training agenda that focuses on tobacco, physical activity, nutrition, and obesity prevention. Our mission is to "transform WV public health policy and practice through community-driven research." We propose the following Aims: Aim 1: Expand community engagement in and support for CPBR; Aim 2: Foster, conduct, and translate innovative community-driven prevention research and evaluation; Aim 3: Provide training to enrich the public health workforce; Aim 4: Provide leadership and guidance in applied evidence-based public health policy and practice; Aim 5: Maintain and expand WV PRC infrastructure and resources. Our Center is well positioned to accomplish these aims. We have a 14-year history in CBPR and we are a known and trusted entity among our partners. WV PRC achievements, such as the national Not On Tobacco teen smoking cessation program and multiple evaluations for our WV partners, have resulted direct benefits to our state and expanded institutional commitment. This application describes how we have changed WVs public health culture through strong research collaborations with our Community Partnership Board, university, community, and state partners. The application was written with and for our partners. It expresses our commitments to them. Together, we continue to vision "a culture of collaboration that promotes optimal health and well being in WV. RELEVANCE (See instructions): West Virginia has one of the worst health profiles in the nation with high rates of tobacco use, poor nutrition, sedentary lifestyle, and obesity. The WV PRC proposes to improve health and reduce disparities in WV with a community-driven research, evaluation, and training agenda. Furthermore, our intended impact includes a cultural norm in WV whereby healthy lifestyle behaviors are both accepted and practiced.