Project Summary
Life, as we know it, has changed due to COVID-19. Existing health disparities among
underserved communities were exacerbated. Latinos and Native Hawaiians and Pacific
Islanders (NHPI) disproportionately experience disparities in health, even when compared to
other minority populations. Both populations have heart disease, cancer, and diabetes as
leading causes of death; and both Latinos and NHPIs have high rates of obesity. As we begin to
recover from the pandemic, we must consider the intersection of continued health disparities,
new social norms and attitudes, and new patterns of health behavior.
The overarching goal of this project is to reduce health disparities among Latinos and Native
NHPIs, considering new health behavior patterns, social norms, and increased technology use
related to COVID-19. The research project specific aims are to: (1) conduct key informant
interviews and focus groups among Latinos and NHPIs, (2) develop and implement a
community health and health behavior survey, and (3) based on community feedback [from
aims 1 and 2], co-design, develop and test new technology, in collaboration with the CSUSM
Innovation Hub, that is meaningful and responsive to community needs and preferences.
Additionally, with commitment to training students underrepresented in biomedical research, we
were purposeful in outlining research capacity specific aims. They are, to: (1) enhance the
research capacity of students underrepresented in biomedical research, especially towards
training future independent health disparity researchers and scholars, and (2) enhance the
research capacity, sustainability, and excellence of CSUSM through meaningful collaborations
between the principle investigator and the CSUSM Innovation Hub, OTRES (for recruitment of
underrepresented students), and other collaborators and community partners.
We will use a Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR) approach and formative
research to co-design, develop and test new technology, an mHealth smartphone application,
based on community insights. Components will likely include strategies to improve obesity-
related health behaviors and mental health. Research capacity: We will evaluate the
demographics and number of students involved in research, including student outcomes (e.g.,
posters, papers, and graduate school application/acceptance rates). We will also evaluate
attitudes, satisfaction, trust, and perceived impact of the collaboration. The proposed research
lays the foundation for purposeful and progressive funding (i.e., this R16, STTR, R21, R01) that
will advance the science and innovation in health disparities research.
