Interagency Networks: Foundation for Community-based OSH Intervention Research

描述(由申请者提供)：美国的关键健康问题集中在健康状况、医疗保健机会和健康结果方面的显著差异。特别令人关切的是与族裔和移民地位有关的不平等。与土生土长的少数民族相比，移民少数民族在低工资和本质上危险的工作中所占比例过高，在这些工作中，他们面临更大的危险暴露、伤害和疾病。考虑到有证据表明低工资移民工人的工作场所方法相对不成功，我们的动力是通过转向以社区为重点、以网络为导向的战略来推进职业健康研究，作为解决移民工人职业健康差距的一种手段。机构间网络和伙伴关系对于建设社区能力和连接目标人群的效率以及在社区内提供干预措施是不可或缺的。同族机构--由具有相同族裔或国家背景的个人设立和管理的机构--是未得到充分利用的社区资产，能够为拟议的促进移民工人健康的协作办法提供必要的基础。这项研究的目的是产生关于中国社区机构间网络的知识，以社区为基础的方法来促进中国移民工人的健康。具体的研究目标是：目标1：描述华人和非华人机构/组织之间的机构间网络；以及目标2：描述华人和非华人机构或组织在移民工人健康方面的组织能力(承诺、资源、组织灵活性)。利用“扩大名册”抽样方法，将通过与代表每个机构行政和服务方面的工作人员(信息提供人)的联合访谈，收集机构网络和能力数据。将扩大最初的名册(n=40个机构)，将举报人点名的新机构包括在内，作为面谈的一部分，大大扩大收集的网络数据范围，最终抽样人数约为60个机构。网络属性将使用单模网络分析来指定；图形将提供网络结构的可视化。将使用描述性统计分析组织能力，并使用汇总矩阵格式将其与网络调查结果相结合。调查结果将为中国和非中国机构如何参与中国移民工人的健康提供直接和实用的知识，哪些网络联系和机构对接触到工人至关重要，以及哪些联系可能需要加强以扩大和维持社区的预防工作。这些信息将用于指导R01干预研究的发展。这一发展项目响应了国家卫生议程(NIOSH)提出的研究号召，并为确定有目的的社区联系和伙伴关系提供了一种新的方法，用于基于社区的OH差异研究。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Critical health concerns in the United States are focused on the marked disparities in health status, health care access and health outcomes. Of particular concern are disparities associated with ethnicity and immigrant status. Immigrant ethnic minorities, compared to their native-born counterparts, are overrepresented in low wage and intrinsically dangerous jobs, in which they experience greater risks of hazard exposure, injury, and illness. Considering evidence documenting relatively unsuccessful worksite approaches with low-wage immigrant workers, our impetus is to advance occupational health (OH) research by shifting to community- focused, network-oriented strategies as a means for addressing OH disparities among immigrant workers. Interagency networks and partnerships are integral to building community capacities and efficiency of connecting target populations and delivery of interventions in the community. Co-ethnic agencies-those established and managed by individuals of the same ethnic or national background-are underutilized community assets capable of providing essential building blocks for the proposed collaborative approach for the promotion of immigrant worker health. The purpose of this research is to generate knowledge about Chinese community interagency networks for community-based approaches to promote the health of Chinese immigrant workers. The specific study aims are Aim 1: to characterize interagency networks among Chinese and non-Chinese agencies/organizations; and Aim 2: to describe organizational capacities (commitment, resources, organizational flexibility) of Chinese and non-Chinese agencies or organizations for immigrant worker health. Using an 'expanding roster' sampling method, agency network and capacities data will be gathered through joint interviews with workers (informants) representing the administrative and service aspects of each agency. The initial roster (n=40 agencies) will be expanded by including new agencies named by informants as part of the interview, significantly broadening the range of network data collected, with a final sample size of about 60 agencies. Network properties will be specified using a one-mode network analysis; graphics will provide visualizations of network structures. Organizational capacities will be analyzed using descriptive statistics and integrated with network findings using a summary matrix format. Findings will provide direct and practical knowledge about how Chinese and non-Chinese agencies are involved in Chinese immigrant worker health, which network links and agencies are critical for reaching workers, and which links might require augmentation to expand and sustain prevention efforts in the community. The information will be used to guide the development of an R01 intervention study. This developmental project responds to research calls set forth for the national health agenda (NIOSH) and offers a novel methodological approach for determining purposeful community connections and partnerships for community-based OH disparities research.