Introduction
The National Institutes of Health [NIH] Research Infrastructure in Minority Institutions [RIMI] Program focuses on building research capacity within predominantly minority-serving academic institutions that offer one or more associates, baccalaureate and/or master’s degrees in the life sciences, behavioral sciences and/or other health related areas.
The RIMI Project at UDC emphasizes structured training, mentoring, and research partnerships with experienced researchers, and enhancing research activities through hands-on experience in proposal development and submission for funding.
2007 RIMI SEARCH Grant Awards
The purpose of the Summer Experiential Awards in Research to Change Health grant program is to support the RIMI mentorship process and participating research dyads to develop and produce research related to the elimination of health disparities. The particular focus of this grant program is on the health of residents of the District of Columbia. Under the terms of this award, research dyads formed as part of the RIMI Project will compete to participate in a summer research program administered by the RIMI Project Director and Program Advisory Committee. Dyads submitting research projects should include research approaches and activities that will provide scholars with an opportunity for understanding the process by which effective research is performed.
RESULTS
The UDC RIMI Project awarded four [4] RIMI SEARCH [Summer Experiential Awards in Research to Change Health] competitive grants to RIMI research dyads to conduct health disparity research.
The following RIMI dyad proposals received grant awards:
1. Knowledge, Health Practices and Beliefs of Nigerian Men Migrants Residing in the Washington Metropolitan Area, Regarding Prostate Cancer Screening and Education— Professor Stella O. Akpuaka, Nursing, UDC, Principal Investigator/ Veronica Clarke-Tasker, Ph.D., Nursing, HU, Co-PI;
2. Clinical Use of the Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) to Identify and Manage Peripheral Arterial Disease in African Americans: Development of an Educational Course to Increase Clinicians Knowledge and Skill Level— Professor Elmira T. Asongwed, RN, MS, CNE, Nursing, UDC, Principal Investigator/Steven B. Chesbro, PT, DPT, EdD, GCS, Physical Therapy, HU, Co-PI;
3. Gender Differences in the Narrative Productions of African American Adults — Professor Angela Bradford Wainwright, Ph.D., Speech & Communication Disorders, UDC, Principal Investigator/Kay Payne, Ph.D., FASHA, CCC–SLP, HU, Co-PI;
4.Development of a Data Bank on Childhood Obesity and the Associated Conditions in Washington, D.C.— Professor Donald C. Steinert, MA, Respiratory Therapy, UDC, Principal Investigator/Kamran Tavakol, Ph.D., Physical Therapy, HU, Co-PI.
ABSTRACTS
Development of a Data Bank on Childhood Obesity and the Associated Health Conditions in Washington, D.C.
Kamran Tavakol*, Ph.D., Donald C. Steinert¶, M.A., John O. Davies-ColeΩ, Ph.D.,
Fern Johnson-ClarkeΩ, Ph.D. and Marc D. Clarkψ, Ph.D.
* Division of Allied Health Sciences, Howard University, Washington, DC;
¶ Department of Nursing & Allied Health, University of District of Columbia, Washington, DC;
Ω Center for Policy, Planning & Epidemiology, Department of Health; and
ψ DC Public Schools, Government of the District of Columbia, Washington, D.C.
Based on information from governmental sources, analyzed data on childhood overweight and obesity is lacking in the District of Columbia (DC).
Purpose: The purpose of this project is to develop a data bank and to analyze the findings specific to childhood obesity and associated health conditions in the DC.
Rationale: The proposed data bank will be a useful source to the DC Department of Health for conducting further research projects, addressing various aspects of childhood obesity. Also, the data bank will serve as a useful tool in policy formulation and development of strategies and interventions to address health problems associated with childhood obesity and the disparity that exists in delivering health services to the involved populations in the District, particularly to children in low socioeconomic strata.
Design: This project will be conducted between May and October 2007, based on the raw data from Youth Risk Behavior Survey obtainable through the DC Department of Health and DC Public Schools (DCPS), Government of the District of Columbia. Detailed analysis of height and weight measurements and body mass index and the associated health conditions for the DC high school students (aged 12-18 years) for 2003, 2005 and 2007 will be performed. The results will be stratified by age, gender, annual periods, using established statistical models. At the completion of the project, recommendations for future research directions and interventions will be made to address health disparities and the management of childhood obesity and its co-morbidities in the District in a final report to both the RIMI Project administrators, the DC Department of Health and DCPS. The findings will be published in public health journals and presented at relevant national meetings and conferences.
Outcome: It is anticipated that the data bank will identify the frequency and disparity in childhood obesity and available health-associated conditions for the first time in DC. Based on the data bank, the project will recommend future investigations and interventional strategies aimed at both prevention and management of childhood obesity and the associated health conditions in DC.
Gender Differences in the Narrative Productions of African American Adults
Angela Bradford Wainwright€, Ph.D., CCC-SLP., Principal Investigator; Kay Payne≠, Ph.D., CO-PI.
€Department of Language & Communication Disorders, University of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC;
≠John H. Johnson School of Communications, Howard University, Washington, DC
Few studies have focused on differences in the narrative styles of African American men and women. Narratives not only provide insight into the linguistic capabilities of the speaker, but also preserve the language in its natural styles of usage. Therefore, this study will examine gender differences in the narrative productions of African Americans adults through a systematic analysis of macrostructure. Forty African American men and women, 45 and over, will produce a personal narrative. Narratives will then be examined for gender differences in quantity and distribution of information, thematic coherence, referential cohesion, and syntactic complexity. It is hypothesized that gender differences will be manifested in the production of longer more complex narrations and increased incidences of skewed distribution of information within the constituent components of the narratives of African American women. Additionally, African American men will produce fewer cohesive ties and greater incidences of referential ambiguities in the maintenance of story characters across the narrative. To test these hypotheses, separate analyses of covariance with repeated measures (ANCOVAs) will be used to examine the main effects and interactions of gender on personal narratives. Each subject will be measured on the dependent variables and on the covariate variables identified as education and income. When the values are significant, post hoc pairwise comparisons using Tukey’s (HSD) procedure will be used. Two graduate research associates will be recruited to assist in data collection and analysis. Additionally, four independent judges will be recruited to ensure reliability and validity of the experimental procedures.
Clinical Use of the Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) to Identify and Manage Peripheral Arterial Disease in African Americans: Development of an Educational Course to Increase Clinicians Knowledge and Skill Level
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Elmira T. Asongwed, PI - Steven Chesbro, Ed.D
Howard University, March 14, 2007
Elmira T. Asongwed*, RN, MS, CNE, Principal Investigator; Steven B. Chesbro£, PT, DPT, Ed.D., GCS, CO-PI.
*Department of Nursing and Allied Health, University of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC;
£Department of Physical Therapy, Nursing & Allied Health Sciences, Howard University, Washington, DC.
Background: African Americans are known to be at significant risk of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) due to increased incidence of a number of co-morbidities. The outcome often results in poorer health status and increased cost for managing PAD. Research question(s): This project will address three main domains: 1) What is the reliability of the Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI)? 2) What is the current knowledge and skill set of clinicians regarding the ABI and PAD; and 3) What is the effect of a standardized educational curriculum on the knowledge and skill set of clinicians regarding the ABI and PAD. Target population: Practicing clinicians (i.e., nurses, physical therapists, physicians, physician’s assistants, and students of these professions) in the District of Columbia. Research methodology: 1) Reliability of the method, including intrarater and interrater reliability will be determined; 2) Clinicians current knowledge and skill set regarding the ABI and PAD will be determined by questionnaire; and 3) Efficacy of a one-hour standardized educational curriculum on the negative outcomes of PAD and use of the ABI to identify and manage problems will be determined by pre-test and post-test analysis of knowledge of the ABI and PAD, and clinical skill of correctly using ABI. Expected outcome(s): Determine: 1) reliability of the ABI, 2) clinicians current knowledge and skill set regarding the ABI and PAD, and 3) clinicians knowledge and skill set regarding clinical use of the ABI will improve after a one-hour educational session. Project budget: To cover costs of consultant(s), equipment, research assistant, and training sessions, $20,000 is requested. Clinical application to health disparities: Proper management of PAD for at risk populations is dependent on accurate methods of diagnosing the condition, clinicians skilled at using the ABI, and increased clinical use through awareness.
KNOWLEDGE, HEALTH PRACTICES AND BELIEFS OF NIGERIAN MEN IMMIGRANTS RESIDING IN THE WASHINGTON METRPOLITAN AREA, REGARDING PROSTATE CANCER SCREENING AND EDUCATION
Stella O. Akpuaka~, Principal Investigator; Veronica A. Clarke-Tasker¤, Ph.D., R.N., M.B.A., M.P.H., CO-PI.
~Department of Nursing and Allied Health, University of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC;
¤College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Allied Health Sciences, Howard University, Washington, DC.
Nigerian male immigrants are one of the fasting growing populations of Africans currently residing in the United States. According to report by Wilson (2006) from Migration Policy Institute in Washington D.C., 134, 940 Nigerians born individuals immigrated to the United States in the year 2000 and great numbers of these immigrants reside in the Washington metropolitan area. Similar to African American men in the United States, Nigerian males are at high risk for developing prostate cancer. A study by Ekwere and Egbe (2003) found an upward trend in the incidence of prostate cancer in Nigeria, and suggested that poor health education may account for the high rate of late presentation. According to Eke 2004, 91.5% of Nigerian men present late with features of advanced disease, and that most people report late for various reasons including ignorance, fear, economics, stealth nature of their ailments and death of medical facilities. The purpose of this pilot study is to use the constructs of the Health Belief Model (HBM) to guide the development of a questionnaire to examine Nigerian male immigrants 35 – 55 years of age knowledge, health practices, beliefs, perceptions and risk behaviors (KPB) toward prostate cancer education and screening and to develop a HBM-based intervention program for prostate cancer.
The specific aims are enumerated: 1) to develop and test a questionnaire to measure KPB of prostate cancer; and examining the HBM perception variables in relation to prostate cancer 2) to examine the HBM perception variables of perceived susceptibility to prostate cancer, perceived severity of prostate cancer, perceived threat of prostate cancer, and perceived benefits and barriers of prostate cancer prevention methods; 3) to identify potential risk behaviors and predispose Nigerian male immigrants to contract prostate cancer; 4) to evaluate the validity of the HBM perception variables in predicting prostate cancer screening behaviors; 5) to evaluate the validity of knowledge about prostate cancer behaviors and perceptions. In order to accomplish the specific aims of this project, a cross-sectional survey research design will be employed. Survey interviews will be piloted with a convenience sample of 40 Nigerian male immigrants ages 35 -55 years residing in the Washington metropolitan area. The population should be able to read and write English language at a minimum of 6th grade level. All Nigerians who were born in the United States will be exempted from this project. Data collection will occur at four Nigerian organizations and churches within the Washington DC Metropolitan area. The questionnaire will consist of three sections that measure (1) knowledge about prostate cancer (2) perceptions of prostate cancer and prostate cancer screening, and (3) risk behaviors for acquiring prostate cancer.
Descriptive statistics will be used to characterize this group of participants in terms of socio-demographic variable. Item analyses of the survey items will be conducted, means and standard deviations of each item will be reported. A principal components factor analysis will also be conducted to determine the number of factors identified. Internal consistency will be assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. Other statistical tests will be employed to test relationship of study variables. Results of these analyses will be employed to develop prostate cancer questionnaire and specific intervention strategies directed at Nigerian male immigrants.
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