Caribbean Exploratory NCMHD Research Center for Excellence

本申请的长期目标是减少和 最终消除美国的健康差距。S.维京群岛护理学系 维尔京群岛（UVI）提议建立加勒比探索研究中心 美国的健康差异教育（Care-HD）。S.维京群岛的具体目标 探索中心将：1）提供行政结构，协调和资源， 促进健康差距研究和教育中心的协调运作; 2）扩大 加勒比出口健康差异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 社区参与健康差距研究; 4）使学术、机构和社区合作伙伴能够 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 这表明，美国的居民。S.维尔京群岛也面临着同样的健康差距， 在美国大陆的健康差异人群中发现。S.很少有研究描述了 可能与报告的领土内健康差距的流行率有关。人口 在美属维尔京群岛，虽然多元文化和多样性，是76%的黑人（非洲裔美国人，非洲裔美国人， 加勒比），10%白色，14%西班牙裔。获得保健的机会，缺乏医疗保险， 教育、高度贫困和移民人口不断增加可能是重大障碍 在维尔京群岛开展保健、健康促进和预防活动。拟议 探索性研究中心将为协调关注这些复杂变量提供机会 以及岛屿历史、环境、文化、人口统计、社会经济 健康状况和其他因素可能导致岛屿内的健康差异。四是持续 7项拟议试点研究和一项关于健康差距的全面研究的试点研究和摘要， 包括在本申请中。维尔京群岛大学护理系是唯一的项目 在该地区提供一个健康专业的学位，并且非常适合继续这一点 在健康差距研究中，该区域高度重要的公共卫生必要性未得到充分体现。

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.