Health Disparities Research with American Indian Communities: The Importance of Trust and Transparency.

Health Disparities Research with American Indian Communities: The Importance of Trust and Transparency. Am J Community Psychol. 2020 Jul 11;: Authors: Skewes MC, Gonzalez VM, Gameon JA, FireMoon P, Salois E, Rasmus SM, Lewis JP, Gardner SA, Ricker A, Reum M Abstract American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities experience notable health disparities associated with substance use, including disproportionate rates of accidents/injuries, diabetes, liver disease, suicide, and substance use disorders. Effective treatments for substance use are needed to improve health equity for AI/AN communities. However, an unfortunate history of unethical and stigmatizing research has engendered distrust and reluctance to participate in research among many Native communities. In recent years, researchers have made progress toward engaging in ethical health disparities research by using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) framework to work in close partnership with community members throughout the research process. In this methodological process paper, we discuss the collaborative development of a quantitative survey aimed at understanding risk and protective factors for substance use among a sample of tribal members residing on a rural AI reservation with numerous systems-level barriers to recovery and limited access to treatment. By using a CBPR approach and prioritizing trust and transparency with community partners and participant...
Source: American Journal of Community Psychology - Category: Psychiatry Tags: Am J Community Psychol Source Type: research