Community Spotlights
Health Equity Research Spotlight
Reducing racial disparity in chronic health conditions is one of the goals of community engaged research. One of the largest racial disparities that exists in healthcare is the rate of the development of prostate cancer, and subsequent death, among African American males in comparison to males of other races.
Partnering with the appropriate community organizations and working with target populations increases awareness around health conditions and increases rates of positive health outcomes within those populations. Data and input from the most affected populations increases the effectiveness of research in those areas and is crucial in the effort to reduce racial disparity in health outcomes.
Infographic courtesy of zerocancer.org
Community Partner Spotlight
Delaware Prostate Cancer Coalition
The Delaware Prostate Cancer Coalition (DPCC) is an organization that focuses on raising awareness and health literacy around the issue of prostate cancer, contributing to efforts intended to decrease racial disparities in health outcomes, and providing resources for those affected by prostate cancer whether directly or indirectly.
The DPCC is a statewide organization that primarily serves the City of Dover and Kent County and is currently expanding their service area. The DPCC utilizes essential partnerships in the community, including but not limited to, Delaware State University, Bay Health Hospital, and Solid Rock Baptist Church.
Community and partner feedback is important to the DPCC and they make sure that all voices are taken into account through the use of focus groups, surveys, and health fairs. Reducing systemic and social factors that contribute to disparity is an integral part of the work done by the DPCC and crucial in their efforts to eliminate prostate cancer as a leading cause of death among black men.
Click below to learn more about DPCC:
DSU Researcher Spotlight
Dr. Fran Franklin is an Associate Professor and Director of the BSW Program for the Department of Social Work at Delaware State University. Dr. Franklin is also a Research Faculty member at the IHER Center and focuses on community research. She received her undergraduate degree from an HBCU, Bennett College in Greensboro, NC, and earned her Ph.D. from The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has served as past President of the Board of Social Work Examiners for the State of Delaware.
One of Dr. Franklin’s areas of expertise is prostate cancer. Through her work with the Johns Hopkins Cancer Registry, she has investigated social determinants of health and their relationship to the disparities in prostate cancer treatment among Black and White men. She is a member of the Delaware Prostate Cancer Coalition, the National Alliance of Prostate Cancer Coalitions and the ZERO Prostate Cancer Organization. She is the National Alliance of Prostate Cancer Coalitions Newsletter editor.
Among the community-based organizations with which Dr. Franklin is partnering are the Delaware Prostate Cancer Coalition and the Afri-Male and Female Institute. In the first project with the Delaware Prostate Cancer Coalition, information campaigns and focus groups were used to engage the community in collecting and generating data that can be used to improve the healthcare outcomes of men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer. The second project with the Afri-Male and Female Institute focused on increasing awareness and understanding about Juvenile Diabetes (Type I). The primary focus for the Juvenile Diabetes project was to increase the health literacy for families and adolescents diagnosed with Type I Diabetes. To enhance engagement and participation, both projects were conducted at various faith-based or community centers throughout Kent and New Castle Counties.
As a result of using a participatory approach, the most significant outcome of the two research projects was the identification of community healthcare priorities. These projects were completed in partnership with Delaware State University. The participants contributed to the knowledge base of healthcare disparities, provided useful information for decision-making, planning, expanding policy and for developing action steps to improve healthcare services to marginalized and underrepresented communities. With an emphasis on reaching populations living in rural Delaware areas, Dr. Franklin aims to continue her research on prostate cancer and juvenile diabetes healthcare disparities.