DH-CHEER - Projects Under Data Analysis
- Asian Youth and Tobacco Control
- African American Nutrition for Life Project (A NU LIFE)
- African-American and West African Women’s Health Project
- Asian American Health Needs Assessment Project (AsANA)
- Biomarkers of Genetic Susceptibility in Environmentally Exposed Mexican-American Migrant and Seasonal Farm Worker Women and Their Children (from Mother to Child) Project
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Demonstration Project
- Caregiver Assessments of the Quality of Home Hospice Care: A Comparison across 3 Ethnic Groups
- Circle of Sisters: Raising Awareness of Native American Women to Breast Cancer
- The Environment Community Assessment Project (E-CAP): Galena Park
- The Fresno Environmental Survey of Needs and Opinions (FRESNO) Project
- Health Care of Asian Hurricane Evacuees
- Male: Female Birth Ratios and Phthalate Levels in Two Texas Counties—One Urban, One Rural
- Prostate Cancer and Health Disparities Research
- Perceptions of cervical cancer among Asian Americans
- Women’s Healthy Eating and Living (WHEL) Study
Asian Youth and Tobacco Control
Principal Investigator: Lovell A. Jones, Ph.D., M.A.
A study that seeks to fill the wide gap in knowledge about the environmental factors associated with tobacco use among Asian American (AA) youth and study the relationship between environmental and individual behavior within specific AA populations (Chinese and Vietnamese) in the Houston area. This study will provide a better understanding of tobacco use among Asian Americans in Texas, the fourth largest AA population in the US (and second largest Vietnamese population in the US), by identifying environmental characteristics affecting smoking onset and behavior. The findings from this study will contribute to program and policy development for tobacco control particularly relevant for the AA community. For more information, contact Dr. Beverly Gor at bjgor@mdanderson.org.
African American Nutrition for Life Project (A NU LIFE)
Principal Investigator: Lovell A. Jones, Ph.D., M.A.
A low fat, high fiber nutrition intervention to reduce the risk of breast cancer among pre-menopausal African American women, 25-45 years. The original five-year project was completed in Summer, 2007. Funding applications have been submitted to expand this intervention to include a physical activity component. For more information, contact Dr. Beverly Gor at bjgor@mdanderson.org.
African-American and West African Women’s Health Project
Principal Investigator: Janice A. Chilton, Dr.P.H., M.P.H., M.A.
The long-term goal of the African American and West African Women’s Health Project is to begin to form a health link between the two cultures that is based on the belief that each culture can and will inform the other and, ultimately, increase our understanding of breast cancer in both populations. For more information, contact Dr. Janice Chilton at jchilton@mdanderson.org.
Asian American Health Needs Assessment Project (AsANA)
Principal Investigator: Lovell A. Jones, Ph.D., M.A.
A random telephone survey conducted with over 400 Vietnamese and 400 Chinese households in the greater Houston area to collect baseline health and cancer data on this rapidly growing population. Funding applications are being submitted to expand this project to include other Asian subgroups, such as the South Asian (Asian Indian) community. For more information, contact Dr. Beverly Gor bjgor@mdanderson.org.
Biomarkers of Genetic Susceptibility in Environmentally Exposed Mexican-American Migrant and Seasonal Farm Worker Women and Their Children (from Mother to Child) Project
Principal Investigator: Maria A. Hernandez-Valero, Dr.P.H., M.A., M.S., M.A.
A molecular epidemiological study to investigate the effect of intermediate genetic susceptibility biomarkers and health risks associated with pesticide exposure in migrant and seasonal farm worker mothers and their children. For more information, contact Dr. Maria Hernandez-Valero at mahernandez@mdanderson.org.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Demonstration Project
Principal Investigator: Lovell A. Jones, Ph.D., M.A.
A national project assessing the cost benefit of cancer screening and patient navigation services for Medicare recipients. The DH-CHEER site targeted the Houston Latino population. From 2006 through 2010, DH-CHEER (formerly CRMH) was one of 6 national demonstration sites for a patient navigation project implemented by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Through our Facilitated Assistance Research & Outreach Services (FAROS) program, we provided cancer screening, education, and treatment assistance to Latino Medicare beneficiaries in Houston/Harris County and surrounding counties. Outreach and recruitment activities included visits to health fairs, community centers, weekend festivals, talk shows, churches, and libraries; total enrollment in the project was almost 2400 participants. For more information, contact Caren Blinka at cblinka@mdanderson.org.
Caregiver Assessments of the Quality of Home Hospice Care: A Comparison across 3 Ethnic Groups
Principal Investigator: Isabel Torres, Dr.P.H., M.P.H.
The primary purpose is to investigate the associations between the caregivers’ quality of hospice care assessments and ethnicity, parenteral hydration status of the patient, and levels of grief of the bereaved caregivers. This study investigates the relative benefits and disadvantages of parenteral hydration in advanced cancer patients by examining the impact that parenteral hydration may have on family caregivers’ quality of care perceptions. The research addresses an understudied area in cancer health disparities research by examining cross-ethnic differences in the quality of hospice care as reported by caregivers, and is providing important data for future studies. For more information, contact Dr. Isabel Torres at istorres@mdanderson.org.
Circle of Sisters: Raising Awareness of Native American Women to Breast Cancer
Principal Investigator: Janice A. Chilton, Dr.P.H.
Culturally tailored educational, physical, and artistic expression activities emphasizing breast cancer prevention and risk reduction were paired with no-cost screening mammography for women from a Texas-based native American tribe. Preliminary analysis indicates significant gains in understanding of modifiable and unmodifiable risks and the importance of screening and early detection. For more information, contact Dr. Janice Chilton at jchilton@mdanderson.org.
The Environment Community Assessment Project (E-CAP): Galena Park
Principal Investigator: Lovell A. Jones, Ph.D., M.A.
The goal of the Environment Community Assessment Project (E-CAP): Galena Park was to explore environmental factors as a root cause of certain acute and chronic health disparities and engage diverse communities in a comprehensive, culturally appropriate dialogue process to determine perceptions regarding the environment, the environment’s impact on health, prioritization of community environmental needs, and capacity building. As a collaborating partner with Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services (HCPHES), DH-CHEER staff assisted with and evaluating the implementation of E-CAP by assessing environmental health issues and problems of concern to the community; setting local priorities and realistic environmental health goals; and developing action plans for community-endorsed environmental health strategies and policies to accomplish environmental health goals. The Protocol Assessing Community Excellence-Environmental Health (PACE-EH) model was used to guide the Galena Park community through a systematic environmental health assessment. An assessment team was established consisting of local residents and governmental and public health officials to obtain qualitative and quantitative data regarding environmental health. Issue profiles were created to collect appropriate data and address the community-identified concerns and environmental health goals. A community forum was held to share assessment findings and rank environmental health concerns with Galena Park residents. Three priority environmental health issues, air quality, access to healthcare, and the built environment, and developed policy recommendations. A community-approved community action plan was created to outline community resources, goals, objectives, and strategies for addressing each of the priority issues and to enhance community capacity and sustainability. The E-CAP project has been highly successful in building community capacity and sustainability with the establishment of a residential organization, the Environmental Community Advocates of Galena Park (ECAGP). For more information please contact Dr. Denae King at dking@mdanderson.org.
The Fresno Environmental Survey of Needs and Opinions (FRESNO) Project
Principal Investigator: Denae W. King, Ph.D.
The FRESNO project was an environmental health pilot study conducted by the Center for Research on Minority Health (CRMH) at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center designed to assess the Fresno community’s perceptions of environmental exposure and health concerns resulting from environmental exposures. A secondary objective of the study is to collect data on the perceptions of participatory research and genetic testing in the African-American and Hispanic community in Fresno, TX. Key informant interviews and focus group sessions have been conducted to examine the objectives, and the information will be used to educate the community on environmental exposures, health concerns, and residential needs specifically related to Fresno, TX. For more information please contact Dr. Denae King at dking@mdanderson.org.
Health Care of Asian Hurricane Evacuees
Principal Investigator: Lovell A. Jones, Ph.D., M.A.
A chart review of the 3000+ medical records of the Asian Katrina evacuees seen through the Asian American Health Coalition's HOPE clinic was conducted to identify the health needs of this vulnerable population. The dates of the dataset reviewed were from September 1, 2005 to December 31, 2005. Patient information collected from these charts included: date of service, date of birth, gender, ethnicity, marital status, ethnicity, employment status, health insurance status, former address (zip code), current address (zip code), language spoken and chief medical complaint. This information was abstracted from the medical record without personal identifiers and all information will be reported in the aggregate. For more information, contact Dr. Beverly Gor bjgor@mdanderson.org.
Male: Female Birth Ratios and Phthalate Levels in Two Texas Counties—One Urban, One Rural
Principal Investigator: Janice A. Chilton, Dr.P.H., M.P.H., M.A.
In this environmental study of exposure to phthalates and its effect on the male-female birth ratio, subjects from the Hidalgo County in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, a rural county, and from Harris County, an urban county, have contributed dietary records and cytology and urine specimens. For more information, contact Dr. Janice Chilton at jchilton@mdanderson.org.
Prostate Cancer and Health Disparities Research
Principal Investigator: Isabel Torres, Dr.P.H., M.P.H.
This qualitative study examined levels of knowledge, beliefs, and risk perceptions related to prostate cancer and screening and assess the preferred patterns in the delivery of health care and cancer preventions messages Latin Caribbean and Native American men aged 50-74 from the Houston area. The project emerged as a collaboration between CHEER (formerly CRMH), Latinos in a Network for Cancer Control (LINCC – UT School of Public Health) and Baylor College of Medicine. Researchers are also testing the face validity of “Is It Right for Me?”, a prostate cancer screening decision aid booklet and audio. The additional testing of these materials will add to the evidence base and inform cultural tailoring of existing prostate cancer screening/IDM aids, instruments, and programs. For more information, contact Dr. Isabel Torres at istorres@mdanderson.org.
Perceptions of cervical cancer among Asian Americans
Principal Investigator: Lovell A. Jones, Ph.D., M.A.
Cervical cancer rates among Vietnamese women are five times higher than for the general U.S. female population. Data from the Asian American Health Needs Assessment study indicate that cervical cancer screening among Asian females in the Greater Houston area is lower than that for other racial/ethnic groups in Texas. The CRMH in collaboration with the Asian American Health Coalition conducted focus groups with members of the Vietnamese, Filipino, and Korean communities to collect information on general cervical cancer, cervical cancer screening knowledge, HPV knowledge, and sources of HPV information. The purpose of these focus groups was to increase our understanding of these communities' perceptions of cervical cancer, cervical cancer screening and HPV, so that educational resources and programs can be developed for these populations on the risks of cervical cancer and approaches to decreasing their risks. For more information, contact Dr. Beverly Gor at bjgor@mdanderson.org.
Women’s Healthy Eating and Living (WHEL) Study
Principal Investigator: Lovell A. Jones, Ph.D., M.A.
Co-Investigators: Janice A. Chilton, Dr.P.H., M.P.H., M.A.; Richard Hajek, Ph.D.; Maria A. Hernandez-Valero, Dr.P.H., M.A., M.S., M.A.; John Pierce, Ph.D.
A multi-center (seven clinical sites) randomized controlled trial examining the hypothesis that a plant-based dietary pattern affects the course of cancer and longevity. WHEL tests whether a low-fat high fiber diet that is high in nutrients and phytochemical-rich vegetables and fruits is associated with a longer breast cancer event-free interval and increased longevity in women previously treated for early stage breast cancer. For more information, contact Dr. Lovell Jones at lajones@mdanderson.org.