title: Community-Driven Research Agenda to Reduce Health Disparities.
abstract: This paper describes how a new regional campus of an academic health center engaged in a community-based participatory research (CBPR) process to set a community-driven research agenda to address health disparities. The campus is situated among growing Marshallese and Hispanic populations that face significant health disparities. In 2013, with support from the Translational Research Institute, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest began building its research capacity in the region with the goal of developing a community-driven research agenda for the campus. While many researchers engage in some form of community-engaged research, using a CBPR process to set the research agenda for an entire campus is unique. Utilizing multiple levels of engagement, three research areas were chosen by the community: (1) chronic disease management and prevention; (2) obesity and physical activity; and (3) access to culturally appropriate healthcare. In only 18 months, the CBPR collaboration had dramatic results. Ten grants and five scholarly articles were collaboratively written and 25 community publications and presentations were disseminated. Nine research projects and health programs were initiated. In addition, many interprofessional educational and service learning objectives were aligned with the community-driven agenda resulting in practical action to address the needs identified.
authors.affiliation: The Office of Community Health and Research, UAMS Northwest, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA.
authors.forename: Pearl A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: McElfish
authors.affiliation: UAMS Northwest, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kohler
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, UAMS Northwest, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, UAMS Northwest, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA.
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Warmack
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, UAMS Northwest, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA.
authors.forename: Bill
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Buron
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice, UAMS Northwest, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA.
authors.forename: Jonell
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hudson
authors.affiliation: The Office of Community Health and Research, UAMS Northwest, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bridges
authors.affiliation: The Office of Community Health and Research, UAMS Northwest, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Purvis
authors.affiliation: Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese, Springdale, Arkansas, USA.
authors.forename: Jellesen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rubon-Chutaro
mesh_terms: D001131:Arkansas; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D019058:Community Networks / Q000458:organization & administration; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D006293:Health Promotion; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009043:Motor Activity; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration; D014495:Universities
keywords: behavioral studies; methodology; translational research