Community Based Participatory
Research Opportunities through
HSTA Knowledge Brokers
(Community Research
Associates)
Ann Chester, PhD
Cathy Morton-McSwain, MS
Summer Kuhn, MPH
Merge McMillion, MS
Sara Hanks, MPHc
Objectives
 Engage clinicians and scientists in Community Based
Participatory Research with HSTA
 Understand roles and function of Community Research
Associates as knowledge brokers
 Determine ways to collaborate to reduce health
disparities and increase health literacy in West Virginia
NCATS: Science of Community
Engaged Research: Future
Directions –
Chris Austin MD,
Director of NCATS
 Diagnostics and therapeutics
 Behavioral interventions
 Develop, demonstrate, and disseminate
innovative methods and technologies
NCATS and Community Engagement Across the
Translational Spectrum



Observation to point of care intervention (T1)

Identify most important research questions

Recruit best researchers

Build partnerships

Complementary funding for research studies

Bridge gap between fundamental science researchers and patients
Clinical and translational research (T2-T3)

Help develop relevant and practicable research protocols

Foster community participation and recruiting research participants for clinical trials

Increase collaboration and communication within the CTSA networks and between key
stakeholders (e.g., academia, public/private entities, and communities)
Community health and population research (T4)

Adoption of demonstrably useful interventions (i.e. dissemination)

Adherence

Interface with research partners including PCORI, Collaboratory, AHRQ, etc.
The Power of HSTA to Engage
Community and Researchers
 Over 17 years of NIH support
 About $5 million
 $28M history of funding with:





NIH
HHMI
Benedum
Private Foundations
State
 Policy Changing Capacity
A New Work Force for
Community Based Participatory
Research
 Adolescents can be vectors for change in their
communities
 Students are able to conduct CBPR in the most
inaccessible communities
 The HSTA families offer new insights into public health
issues
 The infrastructure is in place and unique to West
Virginia
HSTA Infrastructure
 Community Based
Organization

159 Volunteer Board Members
 800 9th -12th grade students in
48 high schools


After school club setting
Complete annual research
projects
 67 teachers
 14 Field Site Coordinators
 4 Community Research
Associates (Knowledge
Brokers)
HSTA Students
 30% African American
 63% Financially
Disadvantaged
 74% First in their families
to go to college
 83% Rural
 67% Female
Community Research Associates
(CRAs)
 Background in high school
education
 Understanding of
experimental design and
statistics
 Ability to relate scientific
information to high school
teachers and students
 Ability to help scientists
relate to HSTA and
community
What do CRAs do?
 Build partnerships between HSTA and researchers to promote
community based research
 Work with teachers and students on implementing research
protocols
 Act as liaison between community and research
 Disseminate and translate knowledge between researchers
and HSTA communities and vice versa
 Facilitate IRB process
Fitting the Needs of Many
State Legislators
Identify
Issues
Resources
Community
Stakeholders
Policy change
Network
Methods
HSTA
CRAs
Communities
HSTA Clubs
Researchers
Mentor HSTA
Students/teachers
Translate
Gain a new perspective
Disseminate
knowledge
Empower to change
Participants
HSTA Student Research Projects
 Students complete annually
 Timeline for completion:
 August – October – Proposal
 October – January – Proposal Approval
 Upon Proposal Approval – Implementation and Data
Collection
 May – HSTA Symposia – Presentation of project
 Work with students on projects of mutual interest
What can HSTA provide?
 A pool of 800 ethics trained students
 Trust of locals
 CRA assistance
 IRB assistance
 IRB approved lifestyle survey
 Teacher oversight
 Access to hard to reach populations
 Translation and dissemination of research to community
 Opportunity to recruit future healthcare providers
Potential Data Points
What do we need from you?
 Research ideas
 Experimental design
 Materials and supplies
 Instruments needed for data collection
 Guidance on data collection
 Data access for student analysis and presentations
 HSTA participant recognition for any publications
 Mentoring and role modeling
Partnership Proposal Timeline

August



September


Work with student on student’s research proposal
January – April



HSTA student/club recruitment
October - January


Project Idea Development with CRAs
Joint Governing Board Approval
Begin implementation upon approval
Data analysis
May

Student Symposia
Current Research Collaborations
 Stress reduction – Dr. Julie Brefczynski-Lewis
 Kidney Disease – Dr. Rebecca Schmidt
 Ginseng harvesting – Dr. Jim McGraw
 HSTA students as coaches of physical activity behavior
changes
 Lifestyle and Physical Activity Investigation – Dr. Bob Branch,
University of Pittsburgh
 Various Projects - NIOSH
My First Patient Research
Opportunity
 Collaboration between HSTA, School of Medicine, School of Dentistry,
School of Pharmacy, Center for Cardiovascular and Respiratory Services,
Engineering and the Davis College
 Incorporates individualized health assessment and coaching into HSTA
yearly activities
 Hypothesis: HSTA students from 26 counties are change agents for their
communities starting with themselves
 Two Phase Project
 Phase 1: July 2014 – May 2015 – HSTA Students
 Phase 2: July 2015 – May 2016 – HSTA Families
 IRB in progress now
Set-Up
 HSTA students will be assessed for various health indicators
while on campus for Summer Institute, July 2014
 Students will select a goal to work towards throughout the
school year
 Will receive personalized coaching based on self-prescribed
goal throughout the school year from team of professional
students (Medical, Dental, Pharmacy, etc.)
 Post assessment will occur at a HSTA event on campus in
March 2015
Assessments

Dental Health

Blood pressure

Heart rate

Respiratory rate

BMI/Body Fat

Waist Circumference

Hemoglobin A1C

Lipid Profile

Fasting Glucose

Endothelial function

FMRI
NIH funding PAR’s for partnering
with HSTA
 R01 PAR-13-130: Understanding and Promoting Health Literacy
 Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health
 R03 PAR-13-056 and R21 PAR-13-054 and R01 PAR-13-055:
identify, develop, evaluate and refine effective and efficient
methods, systems, infrastructures and strategies to
disseminate and implement research-tested health behavior
change interventions, evidence-based prevention, early
detection diagnostic, treatment and management, quality of
life improvement serves, and data monitoring and surveillance
reporting tools into public health and clinical practice settings
that focus on patient outcomes.
HSTA Health
Research
Collaboratory
Address
WV Health
Disparities
Communities
across WV
HSTA
Researchers
Adults
% Obese
(BMI>30)
BMI
(mean +/- SD)
Adolescents
Age
(mean +/- SD)
2007
648
2008
56
2009
356
2010
40
2011
125
2012
103
40
35
41
42
42
39
47
29 +/- 6
29 +/- 7
29 +/- 7
32 +/- 12
29 +/- 7
29 +/- 7
31 +/- 9
300
253
132
53
57
40
15 +/- 2.7 14 +/- 3.4 14 +/- 3.2 16 +/- 2.2 14 +/- 3.2 14 +/- 3.2
2013
100
52
14 +/- 3.3
BMI
(mean +/- SD)
23 +/- 6
23 +/- 6
24 +/- 6
24 +/- 6
23 +/- 5
23 +/-6
24 +/- 7
Enable
capabilities to test
effectiveness of
•
Understanding
•
Dissemination
•
Adoption
•
Policy change
Final Thoughts
 Opportunity for research in hard to access communities
 Unprecedented access and ability to influence policy
 Adolescents as workforce for CBPR
 Empowering adolescents as vectors for change
 Mentoring future public health practitioners, clinicians, and
researchers
 Unique infrastructure for community engagement
 Funding Opportunities are available NOW
How to Get Involved
 Contact Cathy Morton-McSwain
304-847-2372
mmortonm5@gmail.com