Applying innovative approaches to address health disparities in native populations: an assessment of the Crow Men's Health Project

Abstract

Using a Community-Based Participatory Research approach, the Crow Men's Health Project is a partnership between university researchers and men of the Crow Indian Reservation to address health disparities, particularly cancer risk, screenings and treatments. The objective in using this approach is to establish trust, share power, foster co-learning, and ultimately address community-identified needs and health problems. However, application within the context of Native American communities has only recently been studied with only a paucity of evaluative research on the quality and outcome of partnerships. This research details the accomplishments to date of this partnership. The findings and implications of the research illustrate the importance of establishing support by tribal leaders, recognizing the time commitment and potential for conflict with timelines, the significance of creating a trusting environment for health discussions, and the critical role of an Advisory Council to ensure the active participation of the community.

Keywords:

• cancer screening
• community-based participatory research
• Crow Indian reservation
• health disparities
• trust

Acknowledgement

The project described was supported by Award Number P20MD002317 from the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities or the National Institutes of Health.