Health promotion, disease prevention and risk reduction in the USVI:

State of the science and practice

• Current science and practice specific to health promotion, disease prevention and risk reduction in the USVI

–World Health Organizations Reports–Health, United States–Healthy USVI 2010–BRFSS

Health care coverage, USVI

Heavy drinking, USVI

Binge drinking, USVI

Smokers, USVI

Overweight, USVI

Fruit and vegetables , USVI

Any exercise in the past month, USVI

Mammogram within past 2 years, USVI

Pap test within last 3 years, USVI

PSA screening in past 2 years, USVI

Blood stool test in past 2 years, USVI

Ever had sigmoidoscopy, USVI

USVI Health Concerns and Priorities:Healthy USVI, 2010

–

Current Science

• Health of individuals and groups within the United States Virgin Islands

– Review of the Science• Scientific/Scholarly Peer-reviewed Publications

– Pubmed » Caribbean (23,065)» Caribbean and nursing (1,1018)» Caribbean, nursing and Virgin Islands (19)

Current Science

• Health of individuals and groups within the United States Virgin Islands

• Practice of health care providers in the USVI

• Caribbean, nursing and Virgin Islands (19)– Promoting breast health among women in the USVI

(Underwood, et al.)– Reducing disparities in breast health (Ramsay-Johnson)– Caring for patients with cancer (Stepien)– Infant feeding in West Indian women (Corbett)– Culture, low key and discreet (Caiger)– Responding to nature disasters (Normandin)

Recommendations for future research

Start where you are. Use what you have.

Do what you can.

– What is known?– What do we need to know?– How do we begin?– What can I do to expand and strengthen the body of

science?– What can I do to improve practice?

Research Exemplar

Reporting highlights of community education and community outreach

Assessing needs and concerns of communities and groups

• Drafting clinical vignettes and case reports

• Expert opinion regarding clinical practice • Retrospective program evaluation– Post-program evaluation– Retrospective pre-test post-test

• Other

Disseminating scholarly outcomes of efforts undertaken to reduce

disparities in the United States Virgin Islands

Food for thought

• Dissemination of outcomes for lay and scientific review–Case reports, clinical vignettes–Scientific review–Research reports–Educational innovations–Program evaluation–Community education

Yes you can!!!

Food for thought

• Committing your thoughts to paper or disk• Writing the vision• Outlining your thoughts• Refining the draft• Submitting the narrative for review•

Start where you are

Arthur Ashe

Journals, Magazines, Newsletters, and Other Publications to Consider