Men as Navigators for Health
PI - Eugenia Eng
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
The long-term objectives of this proposal are to address the priorities of our 3 coalition partners to improve chronic disease and sexual health outcomes among African American and Latino men through multi-level interventions designed to influence two factors that contribute to gender and racial health disparities: a) male gender socialization that promotes men's high risk attitudes and behaviors, and b) organizational culture that promotes institutionalized racism. Aim 1: Translate, disseminate, and evaluate the health impact of a Lay Health Advisor (LHA) natural helper model among men of color. The health outcomes focus will vary across counties based on the priorities of each community Coalition. Aim 2: Implement and evaluate a technical assistance model for developing long-term, culturally competent systems of care in two health departments. Aim 3: Develop and evaluate a surveillance system of methods and indicators for local health departments to monitor: a) health status, health care system utilization, and related psychosocial factors among individuals, and b) cultural competence of their own system of care and that of other organizations. This study will use existing community, health department, and university partnerships to provide the Navigators and their Project Coordinators with skills and strategies needed to promote: lifestyle change among individual men; organizational change; and community-level policy change aimed at developing culturally competent systems of services. Evaluate the impact of the Navigators on health behaviors associated with chronic disease (physical activity, diet, smoking, use of preventive health and early detection services) and sexual health (use of condoms and STD screening services), on social and civic organizations, and on community-level policies aimed at developing culturally competent systems of services. Build on prior cultural diversity training provided by the NC Office of Minority Health to the health department partners of each community Coalition to design a more intensive technical assistance approach. Building on the experience gained implementing Aim 2, a "tool box" will be developed of new methods and indicators for an organization to engage other agencies in delivering culturally competent systems of service that are responsive to the public health needs of the diverse citizens of their county. There will be an evaluation of these cultural competency tools in a sample of community health centers, departments of parks and recreation, and city police departments.
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Page last modified: September 28, 2006
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