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PILOT RESEARCH

The purpose of the Pilot Research Component is to facilitate the conduct of health disparities research, including developing and testing strategies for recruitment and retention of African-Americans, Hispanics and low-income populations.

Goals of the Pilot Research Component are:

  1. Identify and recruit faculty to serve as principle and co-investigators on pilot projects, with special emphasis on faculty from disparities populations (ethnic or racial minorities, low income, women and rural).
  2. Review and select feasibility/pilot research pilot project proposals to be funded by the Component.
  3. Assist feasibility and pilot project investigators to move toward R03, R15, R21, R01 or K award grant proposals in health disparities.  (In collaboration with the Training Component)
  4. Develop a formal interdisciplinary process and infrastructure for external grant application development and review for health disparities.

 

LARGE STUDY 1
Dr. Carolyn Blue, Dr. Todd Lewis and Dr. Scott Richter
School of Nursing, Department of Counseling and Educational Development, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, UNCG
Efficacy of Motivational Interview to Lower Diabetes Risk in African Americans

The purpose of this study is to test a motivational interviewing intervention for African Americans at risk for diabetes and evaluate the efficacy of this intervention in improving their physical activity.
To try new ways to motivate African Americans to increase physical activity and decrease their chances of having diabetes.

PILOT RESEARCH PROJECTS

#1 Testing an Intervention to Prevent Risky Sex Behavior in African-American Middle School-Aged Girls
Dr. Robin Bartlett School of Nursing, UNCG
Dr. Terri Shelton Center for Youth, Family, and Community Partnerships, UNCG

This study will test the feasibility and initial effectiveness of an intervention to prevent risky sex behaviors in AA middle school-aged girls in medically underserved, rural areas by increasing their sexual assertiveness and mother/daughter communication about sexual behavior.
To find new ways to prevent behaviors that can lead to pregnancy and/or HIV among African American middle school-aged girls and to increase mother/daughter communication about this topic.  

#2 Reducing Diabetes Risk among Older African American Women
Dr. Martha Taylor and Ms. Carinthia Cherry, doctoral student
Department of Nutrition, UNCG

The purpose of this pilot study is to evaluate the efficacy of an 8-week nutrition and lifestyle education program delivered by trained peer educators in decreasing the risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus among older African American women ages 50 and over.
To try a program focusing on good dietary habits and lifestyle changes to decrease the chances of having Type 2 Diabetes among African American women ages 50 and over.

 

#3 A Tailored Nutrition Intervention for African American Child Caretakers 
Dr. Lauren Haldeman and Kandis Ingram, graduate student
Department of Nutrition, UNCG

The aim of this research is to tailor and pilot test a nutrition education intervention utilizing constructs from the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) focusing on cardiovascular disease prevention among Africa American women who are caretakers of young children.
To adapt and test a nutrition education program taking into account behavioral, environmental and personal aspects to prevent cardiovascular disease among African American women who take care of  young children.

#4 Addressing Rural Latina/o Adolescent Health Disparities through School Nursing and School Counseling Services
Dr. Jose Villalba
Department of Counseling and Educational Development, UNCG

The final goal of the project is to provide school-based health providers with empirically valid treatments that take into account the unique experiences and needs of rural Latina/o youth, associated to the relationship between mental and physical health disparities.
To give schools’ health providers practical and useful treatment tools that considers the unique experiences and needs of young Latinos to deal with their mental and physical health problems that can help them be successful in school.

#5 Personal Assessment of Gender and Self-Reported Sexual Behavior among African American Male College Students
Dr. Robert Aronson, Public Health Education, UNCG
Dr. David Jolly, Public Health Education, North Carolina Center University

The long-term goal of this study is to understand the role of cultural ideas of masculinity and individual level perceptions of gender in how men behave in ways that contribute in differential levels of risk for HIV among African American male college students.
To better understand the role that culture plays in gender and sexual behavior in g young African American men and how this affects their risks of HIV.

#6 Development of Instruments for Tailored Interventions to Prevent and Treat Hypertension among Young African American Men
Dr. Margaret Savoca, Department of Nutrition, UNCG
Dr. Robert Aronson, Public Health Education, UNCG

The specific aim of this research is to develop age, gender, and culturally appropriate instruments, specifically, a meal pattern timeline and hypertension (HTN) questionnaire for young African American men.
To develop ways to prevent and treat high blood pressure in young African American men. 

#7 Does the TCF7L2 Gene Correlate with Family Medical History in African American Individuals Participating in a Lifestyle Intervention?
Dr. Laurie Wideman, Exercise and Sport Science UNCG  
Dr. Ellen Jones, Dr. Laurie Kennedy-Malone, Dr. Susan Letvak, School of Nursing
Dr. Vincent Henrich Center for Biotechnology, Genomics, and Health Research, UNCG

To modify and test the efficacy of CDC Diabetes Prevention Program for pre-diabetic independently living older African Americans and to examine the potential relationship between T2DM incidence and the occurrence of polymorphisms within three genes (TCF7L2, PPARG, and KCNJ11) among subjects belonging to families with a history of T2DM.

Identify how to help people change their habits, especially those pre-diabetic older African Americans who live independent.  Also, to examine the relation between Type 2 Diabetes rate and genes among persons with family history of Type 2 Diabetes.

#8 A Diabetes Self-Management Family-Based Intervention for Hispanic Adults with Type 2 Diabetes
Dr. Jie Hu, Dr. Debra Wallace, Dr. Anita Tesh and Linda Chilton
School of Nursing, UNCG

The aim of this study is to test the feasibility and initial efficacy of a family-based intervention to enhance self-management and improve metabolic control and health-related quality of life in Hispanic adults with type 2 diabetes.
To help the family of Hispanic adults with Type 2 Diabetes have positive habits that can improve their health.

#9 Enablers of HIV Testing Decision-Making in Hispanic/Latino Women in the US South
Dr. Sharon Morrison and Dr. Sudha Shreeniwas
Department of Public Health Education, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, UNCG

Examine the relationship between individual and environmental enablers of HIV, the decision to seek HIV testing and follow-through with HIV testing and counseling among Hispanic/Latino Women.
To examine what helps Hispanic/Latino women to seek HIV testing and counseling, and what makes it difficult from seeking testing and counseling. 

 

Family History Compilation for T2DM: Assessment of Accuracy and Attainability
Dr. Vincent Henrich, Dr. Debra Wallace, Ms. Carol Christianson, and Dr. Louise Ivanov, Center for Biotechnology, Genomics, and Health Research, & School of Nursing, UNCG

Assessment of family history will be undertaken to examine the potential barriers to obtaining accurate pedigree information.
To examine what are the barriers that prevent health care providers from obtaining accurate family history of Type 2 Diabetes.