Community-academic Partnership Research Articles

Recounting the untold stories of breast cancer patient experiences: lessons learned from a patient-public involvement and engagement storytelling event.

Breast cancer remains a prevalent disease in women worldwide. Though advancements in breast cancer care have improved patient survival, a breast cancer diagnosis, and subsequent interventions have a lasting impact on patients' lived experiences during the pandemic. We present the collaborative learning process from this patient engagement workshop series as a community-academic partnership. Narrative medicine tools were used to recount patients' lived experiences following diagnosis, where both patients and researchers shared their cancer research activities in each workshop, and the role of the multidisciplinary healthcare team was discussed. We used an iterative approach to cohort building, narrative development, and the use of multiple media formats to capture stories. Over 20 patients with breast cancer shared their stories for the first time since their diagnosis with a wider audience. Here, we present the learning process and considerations from this event. Understanding patients' lived experiences can support researchers and healthcare professionals in developing an empathetic approach to shared healthcare decision making. Moreover, understanding the lived experiences of patients is critical to addressing disparities in healthcare.

Texas Dance for Health: Mixed Methods Pilot Study Promoting Physical Activity Among Older Adults

ABSTRACT Purpose Regular physical activity is essential for healthy aging. Less than 25% of older U.S. adults meet physical activity recommendations. The primary aim of Texas Dance for Health (D4H) was to determine whether older adults could achieve recommended aerobic physical activity intensity by dancing. Secondary aims were (1) determining participants’ attendance and enjoyment and (2) building a community-academic partnership. Design RE-AIM was the design framework for this mixed methods, nurse-facilitated, 8-week pilot study in the Spring of 2023. Weekly sessions comprised check-in, mini-lessons, dancing, and data collection. Participants danced sitting, standing, or both. Methods We divided each participant's pulse rate by maximum aerobic capacity to determine weekly activity intensity. Participants completed Physical Activity Enjoyment and Rating of Perceived Exertion scales after each session. Nurses collected attendance data and facilitated Table Talks (Weeks 4 and 8) to explore participants’ enjoyment and solicit feedback for improving and sustaining Dance for Health (D4H). Observations and field notes provided data regarding time, cost, logistics, and overall feasibility. Findings Across eight weeks, 68 to 84% of participants reached target heart rates. Nearly one-quarter of participants attended all sessions, with 65.7% attending > 5 sessions. At Week 8, the mean enjoyment score was 6.7 of 7. No adverse consequences occurred. Partners and participants identified strategies for sustainability. Conclusions D4H was an enjoyable way for older adults to reach recommended aerobic physical activity intensity. Feasible in costs and logistics, D4H design addressed key barriers to older adult physical activity. Clinical Evidence Dancing is an effective multicomponent fitness intervention for community dwelling older adults.

Facilitators and barriers to implementing the Diabetes Prevention Program in rural church settings: A qualitative study using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research.

The CDC's Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) is an effective lifestyle intervention to prevent type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, DPP implementation in rural areas is limited. This study sought to address this gap by implementing DPP in rural church settings through a community-academic partnership and identifying implementation facilitators and barriers. This was a cross-sectional qualitative study. Semistructured interviews guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) assessed church leaders' and lifestyle coaches' perceptions of implementing DPP in rural churches. Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes through an inductive approach; then, these emergent themes were deductively linked to CFIR constructs. COREQ guidelines were used to report study findings. Twenty-five stakeholders participated. Facilitators to implementing DPP included its evidence-based effectiveness in preventing T2D, as well as support from the academic partner in terms of funding, training, and communication. Additionally, DPP's alignment with community needs, along with the active engagement of pastors in participant recruitment, supported implementation. Several barriers hindered DPP implementation, including transportation and childcare issues, as well as program participants' medical conditions/disabilities limiting their participation. Furthermore, rural residents' reluctance to adopt lifestyle changes and loyalty to family churches posed challenges to their engagement in DPP. This study identified contextual factors influencing DPP implementation in rural communities. Findings highlight the importance of tailored strategies that leverage facilitators while proactively addressing barriers, including rural residents' reluctance to attend programs outside their church, resistance to lifestyle changes, and transportation issues to ensure successful DPP implementation in rural areas.

A community-academic partnership to develop an implementation support package for overdose prevention in permanent supportive housing

IntroductionThe overdose crisis in the U.S. disproportionately impacts people experiencing homelessness. Permanent supportive housing (PSH) – permanent, affordable housing with voluntary support services – is an effective, evidence-based intervention to address homelessness. However, overdose risk remains high even after entering PSH for individual and structural reasons. In this study, we aimed to refine a set of evidence-based overdose prevention practices (EBPs) and an associated implementation support package for PSH settings using focus groups with PSH tenants, frontline staff, and leaders. MethodsOur community-academic team identified an initial set of overdose EBPs applicable for PSH through research, public health guidance, and a needs assessment. We adapted these practices based on feedback from focus groups with PSH leaders, staff, and tenants. Focus groups followed semi-structured interview guides developed using the EPIS (Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment) framework constructs of inner context, outer context, and bridging factors related to overdose prevention and response. ResultsWe conducted 16 focus groups with 40 unique participants (14 PSH tenants, 15 PSH staff, 11 PSH leaders); focus groups were held in two iterative rounds and individuals could participate in one or both rounds. Participants were diverse in gender, race, and ethnicity. Focus group participants were enthusiastic about the proposed EBPs and implementation strategies, while contributing unique insights and concrete suggestions to improve upon them. The implementation support package contains an iteratively refined PSH Overdose Prevention (POP) Toolkit with 20 EBPs surrounding overdose prevention and response, harm reduction, and support for substance use treatment and additional core implementation strategies including practice facilitation, tenant-staff champion teams, and learning collaboratives. ConclusionsThis manuscript describes how robust community-academic partnerships and input from people with lived experience as tenants and staff in PSH informed adaptation of evidence-based overdose prevention approaches and implementation strategies to improve their fit for PSH settings. This effort can inform similar efforts nationally in other settings serving highly marginalized populations. We are currently conducting a randomized trial of the refined overdose prevention implementation support package in PSH.

Building a community-academic partnership to expand services for childhood cancer survivors in a rural, low-income region in California.

360 Background: Community-engaged research is an effective approach to address health disparities that is well-established in the public health domain and has not been widely applied in childhood cancer survivorship. We present our multi-year experience building a community-academic partnership and community-engaged childhood cancer survivorship research portfolio. Methods: We have developed a partnership between Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Support Services, a nonprofit community-based organization (CBO) and an academic pediatric cancer survivorship team, with the goal of improving health outcomes for childhood cancer survivors and their families in the Salinas Valley, a rural, low-income region in California with majority Hispanic/Latino/a/e residents. Our partnership process is guided by principles of community-based participatory research, prioritizing trust and involving community members as equal partners in all phases of research. Results: In year 1 (2021-2022), we held successive meetings which identified common goals and shared values, established the collaboration, and sought funding to advance our goals. In year 2 (2022-2023), with internal grant funding, we conducted a qualitative needs assessment interviewing childhood cancer survivors, parents, and CBO staff. Teamwork enriched the data analysis and allowed us to identify problems in communication as an area of need, which directly informed subsequent grant proposals. In year 3 (2023-2024), with external funding we began a multi-year study to understand and improve survivorship-related communication among Hispanic/Latino/a/e young adult childhood cancer survivors, their parents, and clinicians. Current and future projects include collaborative design and pilot testing of a novel communication intervention, formation of a dedicated community advisory board, and a CBO-driven program evaluation. Findings from our community-engaged studies have prompted new sets of research questions and illustrate opportunities for institutional change in the clinic setting. In parallel, the CBO has leveraged research findings in real-time to identify barriers to seeking support among childhood cancer survivors and families, and adapted and improved programming for families in response. Through our joint research portfolio, we have incorporated training and mentorship for staff at the CBO and medical trainees at the academic center. Conclusions: A community-academic partnership in a rural, low-income region has the potential to reduce health disparities and improve childhood cancer survivors’ health outcomes through collaborative program development and community-engaged research. Fueled by mutual investment and strong momentum, our partnership facilitates an interconnected cycle of research and practice change that is grounded in community needs.

Addressing Latinx cancer care equity program for long-term united skills building (ALCANCE-PLUS): Updated results from an ongoing implementation.

151 Background: Addressing Latinx Cancer Care Equity - Program for Long-term United Skills Building (ALCANCE-PLUS) is an ongoing community-academic partnership between the Stanford University School of Medicine Partnerships to Advance Care and Pacific Cancer Care (PCC). The partnership began in 2019 and is comprised of several community-identified multi-level interventions to improve cancer health equity in an undeserved, rural migrant farm-working community. The intervention components are delivered by trained community health workers to low-income and racial and ethnic minoritized patients receiving active cancer treatment and include: 1) precision medicine education using literacy- and language-concordant educational tools; 2) food insecurity screening and intervention with plans to cross-train > 150 CHW's across the county to expand cancer screening and care delivery in the county. Here, we describe the characteristics of participants and the program's impact to date on metrics identified by the community. Methods: ALCANCE-PLUS eligibility includes: all patients with cancer actively receiving cancer-directed treatment at PCC who are ≥ 18 years old and speak English or Spanish. Community identified metrics of success include: % treatment adherence (completion), no-show rate, days from diagnosis to treatment, and % who received clinical trials education as compared to baseline (prior to program start). We used descriptive statistics and chi-squared tests to compare metrics of participants in the program to baseline. Results: At baseline, 62% of low-income and racial and ethnic minoritized patients in the county completed treatment, 35% had no-shows to clinic or infusion appointments with an average of 82.7 days from diagnosis to treatment and only 15% received clinical trial education. From July 2022 to May 2024, a total of 164 patients participated in the program. Mean ages were 60.88 ± 14.55, 68 (41.5%) identified as male, 104 (63.4%) as Hispanic or Latino, 2 (1.2%) African American or Black, 12 (7.3%) Asian American, 2 (1.2%) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 60 (36.6%) White. Insurance types included 63 (25.6%) patients with Medicaid, 56 (22.6) with Medicare, 13 (5.2%) with both, 72 (29%) with private insurance, and 7 (2.8%) with other insurance or uninsured. As of January 2024, treatment adherence was 100% for the 157 program participants, the average time from diagnosis to treatment dropped from 82.7 days county-wide pre-program to 30 days among enrolled participants, all participants received clinical trial education, and 38 (24.2%) were actively participating in a clinical trial. Conclusions: Community-academic partnerships to co-design and implement approaches to overcome community-identified needs for marginalized populations are essential to achieve cancer health equity.

Strong Community-Academic Partnerships Led to Successful Implementation of Farm to School Programs in Rural Kentucky Schools

Strong Community-Academic Partnerships Led to Successful Implementation of Farm to School Programs in Rural Kentucky Schools

Expanding community-academic collaborations to improve COVID-19 vaccination: A rural-focused COVID-19 vaccination campaign

Background: Rural populations in the USA demonstrate a high degree of vaccine hesitancy, particularly surrounding COVID-19 vaccines. Objectives: Following the successful implementation of a COVID-19 vaccination campaign with a rural-based health system in New York state, the goal of this project was to develop a large community–academic partnership with multiple rural-based community organisations to implement an additional COVID-19 vaccination campaign tailored to rural audiences. Methods: Campaign materials were created and refined with several collaborators across multiple rural-based hospitals, health centres and community organisations. Campaign effectiveness was examined through an analysis of New York state vaccination data. Lessons learned: This project shows that larger community–academic partnerships involving multiple organisations can be achieved and utilised to address complex public health issues such as vaccine hesitancy. Conclusions: Larger and longer-term community–academic partnerships can be leveraged to combat a wide range of public health issues and enable a personalised focus on specific communities.

Abstract B130: Partnership in persistent poverty neighborhoods: The Acres Homes Cancer Prevention Collaboration

Abstract Introduction: Rising obesity rates significantly contribute to increases in many types of cancer. The link between obesity, socioeconomic status, and cancer risk is evident, particularly in persistent poverty areas. The Acres Homes Cancer Prevention Collaboration (Acres Homes CPC), part of the Persistent Poverty Initiative (PPI) of the National Cancer Institute, is a dynamic partnership led by the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. This community-academic partnership, centered on the Acres Homes neighborhood in Houston, TX, that is impacted by persistent poverty, utilizes community-engaged strategies and transdisciplinary research to mitigate obesity-related cancer risks. Methods: Through multiple community partnerships, the CPC aims to alleviate persistent poverty effects, support early-career researchers, and test nutrition and physical activity interventions for reducing obesity-related cancer risk. Results: The Acres Homes CPC funds two research projects: a trial of a physical activity program for cancer survivors and a cluster-randomized trial of food distribution and nutrition education for elementary school children and their parents. We have funded seven pilot studies on topics such as food security, culinary medicine, physical activity and mild cognitive impairment, and the physical and safety environment of neighborhoods. Three community advisors guide and support all activities, and information on the initiative is provided monthly to a community steering committee. The Acres Homes CPC also supports pre- and postdoctoral fellows interested in research promoting cancer prevention and control in persistent poverty communities. Conclusions: This initiative aims to reduce cancer risk and improve cancer outcomes in persistent poverty communities by bridging the gap between research and practical implementation through community-based participatory research and partnership with the community to address obesity. Citation Format: Karen Basen-Engquist, Ruth Rechis, Michael Mackert, Brad Love, Shreela Sharma, Sanjay Shete, Qian Lu, Shine Chang, Margaret Raber, Miranda Baum, Crystal Roberson, Lorna McNeill. Partnership in persistent poverty neighborhoods: The Acres Homes Cancer Prevention Collaboration [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B130.

Abstract B076: Qualitative insights into building an effective community advisory board for cancer disparities research

Abstract To address cancer disparities in minority and underserved communities, many organizations and research studies use a community advisory board (CAB) to better understand the needs, preferences, and perceptions of communities experiencing health inequities. Researchers have described a range of problems resulting in less than optional engagement of CAB members. Academic members of an NCI-funded cancer partnership interviewed 15 of the 20 members of their CAB to better understand their perceptions of their roles and expectations, as well as barriers and facilitators of engagement. Two trained team members coded the transcripts and conducted qualitative analysis using an iterative inductive/deductive framework. Deductively, we used principles of community-engaged research, and inductively we used coded quotes to identify details in the CAB members’ perspectives. The research team collaborated in organizing major themes into a conceptual framework to describe context, expectations, barriers and facilitators, and recommended strategies for strengthening involvement and benefit of CAB participation for its members. CAB members identified individual factors associated with their involvement including skills (communication, problem solving, interpersonal, leadership, professional, and advocacy), and motivations (community commitment, personal or family experience with cancer). The interviews indicated that there is a gap between CAB members’ perceptions of their roles and what they expect from participation and attendance in CAB meetings, and those of the academic team as conveyed verbally, in the CAB manual, and during onboarding activities. Barriers to enthusiastic engagement include disruptions associated with the COVID experience, members’ competing priorities, and role ambiguity. The CAB members’ resources and connections to the community were identified as facilitators. All these factors influenced the amount and quality of engagement of members with the academic partners and the community at large. Participants suggested many useful adaptations of the CAB-academic partnership, including enhanced training, improved communication, explicit role definitions, clear expectations around engagement with research, and better onboarding for new members. Scientists using a CAB to enhance community engagement should approach building a robust CAB as a deliberate process involving considerable planning, organization, and attention. Projects using a CAB can use the findings from this project to organize a community-academic partnership that will effectively and efficiently contribute to clinical, translational, and community-engaged work addressing cancer health disparities. Citation Format: Leah Alexander, Jennifer Erves, Rebecca Selove, Ila McDermott, J'la Jenkins, Phillip Morris, David Schlundt. Qualitative insights into building an effective community advisory board for cancer disparities research [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B076.

Abstract B064: Community-informed interventions to address cervical cancer disparities among people experiencing homelessness

Abstract Background: Cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates are up to four-fold higher among people experiencing homelessness (PEH) compared to the housed US population. Even beyond typical social and structural barriers to healthcare, homeless women experience high rates of sexual violence and trauma, often leading to discomfort with cervical cancer screening and delays/refusals of Pap tests. Despite these issues, strategies for appropriate cervical cancer screening in homeless communities are scarce, and no frameworks exist for routine screening in shelters. Methods: Leveraging an established multisectoral community-academic partnership addressing homelessness and health disparities in Indiana, USA, ongoing community-engaged research is examining barriers to cervical cancer screening among PEH and co-designing strategies to address them. Rapid assessment surveys were conducted with PEH at two large homeless service agencies in Indianapolis and Lafayette to document cervical cancer screening coverage and characteristics of individuals who are unscreened/overdue. In-depth interviews explored knowledge of cervical cancer, key barriers and facilitators to screening, and acceptability of shelter-based HPV self-sampling delivered by trusted community health workers (CHW). Results: Of n=167 survey respondents, 48% were white, 38% Black, 7% Hispanic, 7% other. Mean age was 43.18 years, and mean lifetime years of homelessness was 3.18. Nearly half of participants (49%) were unsheltered, 44% stayed at a shelter, the remainder couch-surfed. One third (32%) were unscreened or overdue for screening, far above state and national averages (24% and 22% respectively). The majority (84%) reported wanting to be screened and believing it is important for their health. Provider mistrust and competing priorities surrounding their homelessness were main reported barriers to screening. Qualitative findings identified key benefits, concerns, and preferences for HPV self-sampling, with many participants expressing interest and willingness to adopt this screening method. Conclusion: Despite a vast majority of PEH reporting a desire and willingness to be screened for cervical cancer, key identified barriers limit access for this uniquely vulnerable population. Ongoing qualitative analysis is directly informing community context-specific CHW-delivered cervical cancer education and HPV self- sampling interventions. This work will ultimately lead to broadly implementable strategies for shelter-based routine cancer screening and preventive healthcare delivery for PEH. Citation Format: Natalia M. Rodriguez, Lara Balian, Rebecca Ziolkowski, Xue Case, Kalesia Smith, Janelle Tipton. Community-informed interventions to address cervical cancer disparities among people experiencing homelessness [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B064.

Applying Best Practices from CAPs to a Community–Academic–Corrections Partnership: Academic Partner Perspectives

Abstract: Background: While correctional systems often function separately from academic and community-based organizations, there is opportunity for mutually beneficial collaborative partnerships to strengthen services and relationships. Community–academic partnerships (CAPs) are a well-established model in implementation science and in scientific literature. Applying best practices for CAPs to a partnership that includes community, academic, and correctional partners could contribute to a stronger partnership with more capacity to improve population health of people who experience incarceration. Objectives: To describe our work to identify CAP best practices, and to discuss considerations and approaches for applying these best practices in an emerging community– academic–corrections partnership. Methods: From the scientific literature, we identified best practices for CAPs across nine domains: bringing the community into the project; building new relationships while addressing the past; establishing mutually beneficial vision, goals, and purpose; roles and expectations of partners; communication; administration; leadership; project implementation and evaluation; and building community capacity and awareness. In this paper we describe considerations from the perspective of the academic partner regarding these nine best practice domains in the development of a community–academic–corrections partnership. Conclusions: While established CAP best practices have relevance, there are specific considerations for partnerships with correctional authorities that require attention. Informed by best practices, planning and preparation for partnership can help mitigate challenges, support effectiveness, and strengthen relationships.

Patient and community centered approaches to sepsis among birthing people

Sepsis is the second leading cause of maternal death in the U.S. For racial and ethnic minoritized birthing people, especially those who are Black and living in underserved communities, labor and postpartum are particularly vulnerable risk periods. To reduce sepsis-related morbidity and mortality and promote maternal health equity, community co-led, and co-designed interventions are urgently needed. In this commentary, we introduce the design and goals of our EnCoRe MoMS study as an exemplar for employing community based participatory research principals iteratively throughout the research process and integrated across all study aims. We also highlight our early lessons learned and recommendations for best practices. Our novel model and ongoing work have implications for scaling academic-community research partnerships for other causes of severe maternal morbidity and maternal health equity nationally.

Partnership to Increase Care Access Through Mobile Outreach to Migrant Farm Communities: A Feasibility Study

Abstract: Background: Health care access for migrant farmworkers is limited given the nature of seasonal farm work, including migration patterns, capacity, and availability of local community health services. Consideration of these contextual elements when exploring a community–academic partnership to increase access to care for migrant farmworkers is essential. Objective: Explore the partnerships and processes for integrating nursing faculty and students from a regional public university’s school of nursing into a farmworker health outreach program’s mobile clinic process. Methods: A feasibility study was undertaken using Bowen et al.’s feasibility framework. Results: Integrating faculty and students into the farmworker health outreach program’s mobile clinic process was determined to be feasible. Conclusions: Integrating faculty providers and students into a farmworker outreach program’s mobile health process has several nuances requiring consideration before operationalizing the partnership, including nursing faculty practice (e.g., credentialing, malpractice insurance), student clinical placement processes, the farmworker outreach program’s processes, and farmworker availability.

Using Digital Storytelling and Social Media to Combat COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy: A Public Service Social Marketing Campaign.

Disparities in vaccine confidence and uptake among racial and ethnic minorities have resulted in a disproportionate burden of COVID-19 in these populations. Social media campaigns have shown promise in public health promotion and behavioral interventions. In January 2022, an academic-community partnership launched #Vax4Community, a 6-month social media campaign centered around the use of digital storytelling videos. The campaign purpose was to decrease vaccine hesitancy, combat vaccine misinformation and disinformation, and increase vaccine confidence within three distinct target communities: the justice-involved population, South Asian residents, and public housing youth in the metropolitan area of New York City (NYC). Our approach included the production and dissemination of digital storytelling videos featuring personal vaccine experiences from target populations. We evaluated key performance indicators (KPIs) of the campaign, including post impressions, reach and engagement across social media platforms, and shares from partner organizations. Overall, we received 1,910,662 post impressions, 699,722 unique users reached, and 2,880 post engagements across Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and 147 shares from 48 partner organizations. Social media campaigns require strategic design in branding, messaging and outreach channels and could serve as an important tool to disseminate emotionally relatable content and trusted information to prime target populations to respond more optimally to public health interventions. The purpose of this paper is to describe the process of creating and disseminating these digital stories and the KPIs of the social media campaign.

A Microfinance Intervention With or Without Peer Support to Improve Mental Health Among Transgender and Nonbinary Adults (the Creating Access to Resources and Economic Support Study): Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Transgender and nonbinary (TNB) people experience economic and psychosocial inequities that make them more likely to be subject to financial and mental health harms exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Sustainable, multilevel interventions are needed to address these harms. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic galvanized many TNB-led organizations to provide emergency financial and peer support for TNB people negatively impacted by the pandemic. However, the efficacy of these interventions has not been evaluated. The Creating Access to Resources and Economic Support (CARES) study seeks to assess the efficacy of feasible, acceptable, and community-derived interventions to reduce economic and psychological harms experienced by transgender people in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study aims to (1) compare the efficacy of microgrants with peer mentoring with that of microgrants without peer mentoring in reducing psychological distress, (2) examine mechanisms by which microgrants with or without peer mentoring may impact psychological distress, and (3) explore participants' intervention experiences and perceived efficacy. We will enroll 360 TNB adults into an embedded, mixed methods, 3-arm, and 12-month randomized controlled trial. Participants will be randomized 1:1:1 to arm A (enhanced usual care), which will receive a single microgrant plus monthly financial literacy education, arm B (extended microgrants), which will receive enhanced usual care plus monthly microgrants, or arm C (peer mentoring), which will receive extended microgrants combined with peer mentoring. All intervention arms last for 6 months, and participants complete semiannual, web-based surveys at 0, 6, and 12 months as well as brief process measures at 3 and 6 months. A subset of 36 participants, 12 (33%) per arm, will complete longitudinal in-depth interviews at 3 and 9 months. Full recruitment began on January 8, 2024, and, as of July 26, 2024, a total of 138 participants have enrolled. Recruitment is expected to be completed no later than March 31, 2025, and the final study visit will take place in March 2026. This national, web-based study will demonstrate whether an intervention tailored to reduce material hardship and improve peer support among TNB adults will reduce psychological distress. Its equitable, community-academic partnership will ensure the rapid dissemination of study findings. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05971160; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05971160. DERR1-10.2196/63656.

Interventions to Reduce COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among Black and African American Individuals in the United States: A Systematic Literature Review.

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy had major implications for racial health equity at the beginning of the vaccination campaign in the U.S. Interventions to reduce vaccine hesitancy among Black and African American individuals partially helped to reduce vaccine hesitancy in specific communities. This article describes findings on interventions to reduce COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Black and African American individuals from a literature review we conducted. We found 12 studies that described communication, partnerships, and distribution interventions. Regarding communication, examples include a webinar hosted by an academic-community partnership team, information sessions, social media campaigns, educational materials, and virtual town halls. Effective partnerships identified through this literature review were a statewide alliance and one between an academic institution and faith and community leaders. Distribution interventions identified through the literature review were the deployment of multiple tactics to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake (virtual town halls, a confidential employee hotline, department huddles, written educational material, and accessible vaccination stations) and offering to administer the COVID-19 vaccine during medical appointments. The results of this review show that implementing interventions directed at specific minority groups improves COVID-19 vaccine acceptance without undermining overall vaccine distribution or uptake.

Beading relations: Reimagining, remapping, and remembering through The Lake Nipissing Beading Project

ABSTRACT As members of the Lake Nipissing Beading Project Collective, we reflect on a community-beaded map project that evolved from a partnership between Nipissing University, Nipissing First Nation, and Dokis First Nation, rooted in the traditional lands of the Nbisiing Nishnaabeg on Robinson Huron Treaty (1850) territory. The Lake Nipissing Beading Project (LNBP) emerged in 2020 as a gesture of community care in response to the socio-spatial challenges of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The traveling beaded map installation reimagines, remaps, and remembers Lake Nipissing and surrounding watersheds through a collaborative process rooted in relationality and reciprocity. Critically situating and subsequently “taking back” provincial geospatial imagery, the project presents one attempt to decolonize geographical tools through creative intervention that combines storytelling practices of beading and countermapping. We reflect on the multi-layered histories enlivened through project activities, including those of our community-academic partnerships. We discuss what it means to recognize the beaded map as a living relation and carrier of living stories, re-orienting spatial knowledges toward an intentional ethics of care and community-led stewardship. In doing so the project re-centers Nbisiing Nishnaabeg relationships to, with, and through the lake.

Real Talk: Conversations on HIV with Black Heterosexual Men in Healthcare Settings.

Nearly half of heterosexually transmitted human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections occur among Black men in the United States. Yet Black heterosexual men (BHM) are largely ignored in HIV programming, policy implementation, and research. This study explores how masculinity, mental health, and socioeconomic factors such as income, education, and insurance (e.g., enrollment and coverage) correlate with the likelihood of BHM having important conversations surrounding HIV with their healthcare providers and family members. Conversations among social networks (e.g., peers, family, and neighbors) create an opportunity to increase comfortability while discussing HIV-related topics around condom use and testing. This study used a cross-sectional survey design and convenience sampling (N = 279) to recruit participants from a community-academic partnership involving a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Detroit between June 1, 2020, and July 31, 2020. Descriptive statistics were used to report demographics, socioeconomic information, and sexual health-related behavior variables. Spearman's correlation test was used to report bivariate correlations between predictor and outcome variables. 49.3% of the study participants disclosed having ever talked to a healthcare provider about HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), and 40.9% disclosed having ever talked to a family member about HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The results from this article highlight potential barriers that may inhibit BHM from engaging in conversations about HIV with their healthcare providers and family members. It is important to include BHM in future research that focuses on HIV prevention and education to support community leaders and clinicians who work to address these disparities.

Rapid Response to the Legalization of Fentanyl Test Strips in Alabama: An Academic-Community Partnership.

In June 2022, Alabama legalized fentanyl test strips (FTS). In response to this new opportunity to prevent overdoses, Project Linkage, Education, and Prevention (LEAP)-an academic-community partnership providing substance use prevention services-quickly purchased FTS and started distributing them in the Birmingham area. We describe how the Addiction Prevention Coalition, a substance use education and harm reduction provider, distributed 7300 FTS in the first year of legalization via Project LEAP and discuss its efforts to decrease substance use among young people. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(8):785-788. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307681).