PROJECT SUMMARY At the intersection of race and gender are Black men who have the worst health profile of all American subgroups. Yet these is no ongoing longitudinal study that focuses exclusively on the Black men. We have created the Black Men's Health Project (BMHP), an initiative that focuses on issues related to Black men's health. The long-term goal of the BMHP is to enroll a large national panel of Black men ages 18 and older into a study to test the efficacy of web based health promotion interventions to improve their health and quality of life. A key component of the BMHP is the Black Men's Health Survey (BMHS)—a longitudinal study that uses internet survey methods and quota sampling to accrue a projected national sample of 5,000 Black men to advance knowledge of the health trajectory of Black men by assessing the health status, health behavior, and health-seeking practices across the life course. In addition to the health measures, the questionnaire includes concepts found to be important determinants of the health and health behavior of Black men (e.g., masculinity, microaggressions, etc.). Outcomes include cardiovascular risk, depressive symptoms, and physical functioning. The specific aims for the baseline data collection are to: 1) examine the psychosocial and behavioral factors associated with depressive symptoms on among Black men; 2) assess the relationship between psychosocial and behavioral factors and cardiovascular risk among Black men; and 3) determine the psychosocial and behavioral correlates of physical functioning in Black men. Findings from the BMHS will be used to inform subsequent research objectives using web based health promotion interventions to address unique risks associated with mental and physical health outcomes, and to inform policy makers of the evidence for the development of policy relevant solutions.
Project Summary The overall goal of Investigator Development Core (IDC) is to create a more diverse biomedical workforce by building the capacity of a cadre of new investigators who are committed to investigating how place-based determinants impact minority health and health disparities. This goal will be largely achieved via a competitive application process to identify postdoctoral trainees, junior faculty, and other early stage investigators that will be called Health Disparities Scholars. These Scholars will be equipped with the skills to develop and implement cutting edge pilot studies, with support of the Research Methods Support Team in the Administrative Core, and translate and disseminate the findings to research, policy, and practice audiences with support from the Community Engagement and Dissemination Core. In addition to funding and methodological support, Health Disparities Scholars will also be provided with access to a career development program, training and mentoring, and oversight of the pilot projects to completion. The IDC will leverage other innovative Center programs that build on over 10 years of expertise and leadership in the field through the “Certificate in Health Disparities and Health Inequality”; journal club for faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students; and a lecture series that is open to the public and the campus community. The key outcome of the IDC is to create a community of scholars committed to the study of place-based determinants who are able to successfully obtain external research funding and advance the field.
