CRCAIH

Center for Health Outcomes and Population Research CoBRE Grant Update from Project Leads

Dr.Kenyon and Dr. Deutsch are giving brief overviews of their CoBRE projects.

Dr. DenYelle Kenyon, PhD

DenYelle's project is focused on American Indian educational disparity. She had great graphs that really showcase the graduation rates for American Indian, White and the U.S. total. The graphs also highlight the need to understand why these education disparities exist. She is specifically looking at social networks during the transition to college. She focused on education deserts and what that really means is being more than 25 miles from a public college and w/o high-speed internet connection to access online classes. There is 11.8% of AI/AN adults living in complete education deserts. Why is this a problem? It makes it that much harder not having a college close to where they are living. Project goal is to provide more support and resources. Currently they are doing interviews with college staff and faculty. They are also interviewing freshman student's w/follow-up every 6 months. The students are both Native and non-native. The Kenyon team will also be doing social network analysis. This is important because then we can better understand the relationships and support that the student has during their time in college. Next step is finishing 1^st cohort data collection and began social network analyses. They will look at differences between Native and non-Native. Future steps would be to do qualitative data as well.

Arielle Deutsch, PhD

Arielle just recently got approval to start her CoBRE project . Arielle's new to this area and South Dakota. She highlighted the story behind her research questions. Instead of doing intervention in FASD she decided to go into intimate partner violence she felt that programming in this area was lacking. She is highlighting the relationship between alcohol misuse, risky unprotected sexual behavior, pregnancy and partner violence. She believes the above is really all cycled together. She is using a community based strategy. How do we change alcohol misuse behaviors? Protected factors that would help contraception use? She is learning how the systems within the community. System dynamic model is really the same things as a community based model. Systems based approaches, really looks at the big picture on a complex issue, how does culture, individual, access come together to influence the above associations. She did a great job of explaining really what systems based approach means. It prioritizes community/indigenous knowledge, requires transfer of models to community, and developed by the community, she stressed the importance of having community by in. More work needs to be done to understand the community. She is developing ties with Native community in both Rapid City and Indian Country. Continuing to be present at community meetings and conversations. She will be doing qualitative coding of CHOICES data for themes related to protective sources of support and risk factors. She will also be doing a health longitudinal relations between IPV,alcohol and sexual risk. She will focus more on developing the relationships with the communities and building the trust and relationship.

By: Char Green-Maximo | Ft.Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes (Montana) | Sanford Research - Research Assistant