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. 2022 Sep;9(5):1017-1036.
doi: 10.14485/hbpr.9.5.2.

Engaging the Houston Community in Research: An Early Case Study of a Community Engagement Core in the University of Houston's HEALTH Center for Addictions Research and Cancer Prevention

Brian J Carter  1 , Lorraine R Reitzel  1 , Tzuan A Chen  1 , LeChauncy Woodard  2 , Ezemenari M Obasi  3
Affiliations

Engaging the Houston Community in Research: An Early Case Study of a Community Engagement Core in the University of Houston's HEALTH Center for Addictions Research and Cancer Prevention

Brian J Carter et al. Health Behav Policy Rev. 2022 Sep.

Abstract

Objective: The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities-funded U54 Research Center at the University of Houston addresses disparate racial/ethnic health outcomes related to cancer and substance abuse. Of its 4 cores, the Community Engagement Core involves the impacted community in affiliated research. Strategies include implementing community advisory boards, assisting with study design and execution, maintaining a social media presence, and publishing health-related videos for the community. We examine the early effectiveness of these strategies.

Methods: Data collection included surveying investigators and community advisory board members and monitoring traffic to videos and social media posts.

Results: On a Likert scale survey of investigators (4 = "agree" and 5 = "strongly agree"), the mean rating for a prompt expressing satisfaction with services received was 4.67 (SD = 0.52; N = 6). On a Likert scale survey of community advisory board members, the mean rating for a prompt expressing belief that feedback was taken seriously was 5.00 (SD = 0.00; N = 9).

Conclusions: The Community Engagement Core is building trusting relationships between researchers and community members. We discuss lessons learned that may inform both our growth and others' efforts to implement community-engaged research.

Keywords: addiction; cancer prevention; community advisory board; community engagement; community-based research; health disparities.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest Disclosure Statement Ezemenari M. Obasi is the founder and sole owner of HEALTH Equity Empowerment, LLC.; the authors have no additional conflict to report. The funders had no role in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data, in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. HEALTH-RCMI Organizational Chart
Note. The present structure of the Helping Everyone Achieve a LifeTime of Health (HEALTH) Center for Addictions Research and Cancer Prevention at the University of Houston (U54MD015946)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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