Feasibility of Establishing Community Living Labs to Improve Access to Prostate Health Resources, Education, Amenities, and Community Health (REACH) for Black Men
Abstract
Objective and Rationale: According to the American Cancer Society, Black men are more likely to die from prostate cancer compared to any other racial or ethnic group. For example over 41,000 Black men will be told they have prostate cancer in 2022. Without any preparation, these men will abruptly begin a prostate cancer care and survivorship journey they never knew they would take before their diagnosis. The transition from prostate cancer diagnosis phase to survivorship can be mentally and physically trying, especially for those who lack emotional and financial support. It is thus important to have prostate health services that will support Black men wherever they are, in their communities. In this study, our goal is to make prostate health Resources, Education, Amenities, and Community Health (REACH) services available to Black men in their community. Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center (led by Dr. Folakemi Odedina, an experienced global cancer disparities scientist) has partnered with the American Legion Post 197 (led by Mr. Arnold Merriweather, a 12-year prostate cancer survivor and globally recognized prostate cancer advocate) to develop a community-based health system that we are calling Community Living Lab, or CoLLab for short. A CoLLab Learning Health System is an innovative community setting that provides health-related education and navigation services and includes research to be able to improve the services provided immediately and continuously. As with most of our projects, our research group in Florida focuses on answering the questions raised by our community. In this study, the primary questions that we want to answer are: Are we able to establish Community Living Labs in highly accessible community sites, such as the American Legion Post? Can the CoLLab sites improve access to prostate health resources, education, amenities and community health for Black Men? What is the impact of the services provided at CoLLab sites on Black men’s prostate cancer-related and clinical trials-related knowledge, attitude, health beliefs, perceived control, intentions and cues to action? Methods: Our long-term goal is to eliminate the prostate cancer morbidity and mortality disparities experienced by Black men through community-based and culturally appropriate interventions. For this IDEA award, we will: 1. Develop all the materials needed for the CoLLab Health System, design the program to meet the needs of Black men and conduct a preliminary assessment to ensure that the program is tailored to the community. 2. Set up the program at three American Legion Posts in Duval County (FL) and compare the health outcomes of participants at these Posts to an American Legion Post in St Johns County (FL). 3. Evaluate the impact of the program among 200 Black men and the impact on the community. We are proposing a 30-month exploratory study. Applicability of the Research: Once we establish that the CoLLab Health System works well in supporting Black men’s prostate health, we will continue to study the broad effectiveness in multiple American Legion Posts nationally. The American Legion is the nation s largest wartime Veterans service organization aimed at advocating patriotism across the United States through diverse programs that includes enhancing the well-being of communities. The American Legion has more than 12,000 posts in communities throughout the United States and over 200 in Florida. It is well positioned to support prostate health services and navigation for Black men. Study Contributions: Compared to White men, Black men experience great disparities relative to prostate cancer incidence and deaths. They also experience disparities relative to prostate cancer survival. Closing the disparity gap requires an innovative way to address the problem of prostate cancer among Black men. More importantly, we need to have the solutions to these problems in the community as
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 04, 2024
- Source ID
- HT94252310110
Entities
People
- Folakemi T. Odedina
Organizations
- Mayo Clinic Hospital – Jacksonville
- United States Army