The Data Collection/Data Distribution Center: Building a Sustainable African-American Church-Based Research Network

Abstract

The development of a sustainable network of churches could lead to successful health disparities initiatives.

Assessing the Readiness of Black Churches to Engage in Health Disparities Research

“…The partnership is comprised of a diverse group of researchers, theological educators, and public health professionals from Shaw University Divinity School; the Institute for Health, Social, and Community Research at Shaw University; and UNC-CH. 4,6,23 Both the institutional review boards of Shaw University and UNC-CH approved the study protocol.…”

“…In addition, churches have a wealth of expertise and experience in providing education, outreach, and social support to the communities they serve. [4][5][6] Church-academic partnerships based on mutual respect foster understanding, trust, and ownership. These conditions, in turn, enhance the appropriateness, effectiveness, and sustainability of interventions to reduce health disparities.…”

“…6 The network emphasizes a 2-way flow of information where the health concerns and priorities of black churches and their congregants are communicated to health professionals, researchers, and funding agencies to inform and influence their practices; and health information is packaged and disseminated to church members. The network also provides a mechanism for study recruitment, ensuring African Americans are included in health disparities research.…”

“…To accomplish these aims, we collaborated with the 20 predominantly African American churches participating in the Data Collection/Data Distribution Center network, a network of churches located throughout North Carolina developed by the Carolina-Shaw National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD) Comprehensive Research Center. 6 The majority of churches in the Data Collection/Data Distribution Center Network are Baptist (9) or Missionary Baptist (7), while others are nondenominational (2), Pentecostal (1), or Christian Methodist Episcopal (1).…”

Using a Community-Based Participatory Research Approach to Develop a Faith-Based Obesity Intervention for African American Children

“…The OBGT CBPR project was formed through an existing University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (UNC)-Shaw University Partnership developed in 2002, funded by a National Institutes of Health EXPORT grant. The Carolina-Shaw Partnership is described elsewhere (Goldmon et al, 2008). …”