title: Partnering to understand: an investigation of health disparity in the communities surrounding a university health sciences center.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oklahoma's health ranking is seventh to last in America. More specifically, the health in the four zip codes surrounding the Oklahoma University Health Science Center (OUHSC) in is among the lowest in the state. The primary purpose of this study was to understand, in collaboration with community members and partners, why health disparity persists in this area. The specific aims for this study included: uncovering trends and patterns related to health in the area surrounding the OUHSC and partnering with families who live in the surrounding neighborhoods to understand perspectives regarding persistence of health disparity.
  
  
  METHODS
  The research used community-engaged research methods including historical document reviews, windshield tours, and community member and partner interviews.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The five themes reflecting the triangulation of data were: "they don't care" (i.e., the university and community decision-makers), "sense of mistrust," "unconducive environment," "diminished sense of community," and "wrong side of the tracks." These results suggest feelings of ineffective communication, consistently overlooked racial tension, a lack of willingness to understand, and impoverished environments as primary contributors to the persistence of health disparity. The poor health in the communities surrounding the OUHSC cannot be remedied by the availability of allied health programs alone but require relationship building, listening, and mobilizing the community.
authors.affiliation: Educational Psychology, University of Oklahoma, 325 S. Stewart Ave., Norman, OK 73071, USA. Tel 972 743 2107. kenneth.bailey@ou.edu.
authors.forename: Kenneth Chase
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.forename: Beth Werner
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: DeGrace
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arnold
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009825:Oklahoma; D011822:Race Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult