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

描述（由申请人提供）：本申请的主要目的是建立合作关系，为开展亚太岛民（APIs）口腔健康差异的分子和流行病学相关的R01研究做准备。具体来说，这些合作关系将通过培训和网络发展来促进。培训部分将包括北卡罗来纳大学牙科研究中心（UNC）为夏威夷大学（UH）提供指导和咨询，通过研讨会，教育材料的开发，以及教师，博士后研究员和主要研究人员在大学之间的旅行。网络发展部分将侧重于建立一个协作口腔健康研究网络，包括北卡罗来纳大学，UH的医疗护理和口腔卫生学校和临床研究中心，夏威夷州卫生部牙科部门，夏威夷初级保健协会，社区卫生中心和夏威夷地区健康教育中心。由这些实体的代表组成的咨询委员会将举行会议，确定未来口腔健康研究的优先事项，焦点小组将举行会议，确定进行口腔健康研究的障碍和促进因素，确定社区研究问题，并为社区提供有关api口腔健康差异的教育。作为最后的组成部分，初步研究将有助于建立检验R01中提出的科学所需的知识库。

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.