Areas in which innovative programs are having a positive effect are: infant mortality, cancer screening and management, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and immunization, reports the journal Health Promotion Practice in the April issue, devoted to the subject of eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities.

Based on this collection of articles, the most successful interventions to narrow the gap in health disparities build community involvement and trust, says Kathleen Roe, Dr.PH, professor at San Jose State University and co-editor of the theme issue. It is essential to enlist the help of community representatives, involve community members in prioritizing issues and address fundamental policy changes at the neighborhood, organizational and institutional levels.-

The articles describe innovative methods occurring in local health departments, community-based organizations, clinics, churches, prisons, barber and beauty shops, neighborhoods and professional organizations all over the United States.

This theme issues addresses critical factors related to health disparities -- socioeconomics, historical mistrust of research and medical institutions, lack of culturally relevant interventions, inaccurate individual health beliefs, and racism and discrimination within communities and institutions, says Stephen Thomas, Ph.D., professor of minority health at the University of Pittsburgh and co-editor of the issue.

Among the programs studied were those aimed at Asian and Pacific Islander women, Latinas and African American girls.

Asian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women have the lowest cancer screening rates compared to other ethnic groups, and breast cancer is the number one killer among AAP
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Contact: Vicki Varsalone
vvarsalone@sophe.org
202-408-9804
Center for the Advancement of Health
20-Mar-2002