Journal of urban health : bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine
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The Covid-19 pandemic has reached almost every corner of the world. Despite the historical development, approval, and distribution of vaccines in some countries, non-pharmaceutical interventions will remain an essential strategy to control the pandemic until a substantial proportion of the population has immunity. There is increasing evidence of the devastating social and economic effects of the pandemic, particularly on vulnerable communities. ⋯ We also show that the pandemic has triggered neighborhood cooperation within the settlements and that targeted government assistance programs have reached these communities in a limited way. Our results suggest that individuals living in informal settlements are facing severe hardship as a consequence of the pandemic. In addition to providing much-needed support, this crisis presents a unique opportunity for long-term improvements in these marginalized communities.
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"Hey, We Can Do This Together": Findings from an Evaluation of a Multi-sectoral Community Coalition.
Multi-sectoral coalitions focused on systemic health inequities are commonly promoted as important mechanisms to facilitate changes with lasting impacts on population health. However, the development and implementation of such initiatives present significant challenges, and evaluation results are commonly inconclusive. ⋯ Direct impacts on community members were more difficult to assess: perceived access to health and other services improved, while community violence and poor sanitation, which were also priorities for community members, remained important challenges. Findings suggest significant progress, as well as continued need.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Recruitment, Retention, and Intervention Outcomes from the Dedicated African American Dad (DAAD) Study.
A significant proportion of African American (AA) fathers live in households apart from their young children. This living arrangement can have detrimental effects for children, families, and fathers. One hundred seventy-eight (n = 178) AA fathers, not residing with their 2-6-year-old children, were enrolled in a randomized trial to test the Building Bridges to Fatherhood (BBTF) program against a financial literacy comparison condition. ⋯ Program satisfaction was high in both conditions. Even so recruitment and retention challenges influenced the ability to detect father and child outcomes. This study informs the participation of vulnerable urban AA fathers in community-based fatherhood intervention research and provides insight into bolstering engagement in studies focused on this population.
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This study utilized data from four cancer-focused research studies that recruited and retained African Americans. Strategies and outcomes across four cancer prevention and control studies were analyzed. Descriptive statistics were used to display participant characteristics. ⋯ Study recruitment methods might not be generalizable to all populations of African Americans due to geographic locations, study protocols (e.g., risk reduction), target populations (i.e., eligibility criteria), and available resources. Many African Americans have a strong interest in cancer-related research as demonstrated by participation levels. Teams that connect with relevant stakeholders and include diverse teams may be useful to engage larger numbers of minorities in cancer control research to impact morbidity and mortality.
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To adequately address health disparities, underserved populations must be recruited for biomedical research. Particularly, Black women have been insufficiently included in biomedical research for reasons beyond those of participant preference. ⋯ The objective of this paper is to identify and describe innovative community-based strategies for successful recruitment of Black women in research. Three studies are referenced to exemplify recruitment methods and demonstrate promising recruitment results in sample size and screening-to-enrollment ratio.