Research to Understand and Address Health Disparities in Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Populations
Council Date: September 1, 2023
Objective
This initiative supports observational and intervention research to better understand and address the factors and underlying pathways that cause health disparities among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) populations.
Download the full concept paper
Description of Initiative
The purpose of this initiative is to solicit and support multidisciplinary research to understand the risk and protective factors and challenges, particularly on upstream factors, that affect the health of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations and to develop and test interventions and prevention strategies to reduce these health disparities.
This initiative will include observational and intervention research in collaboration with local NHPI communities and other partners. Studies are encouraged to consider cultural and traditional factors. As this initiative focuses on NHPI populations, studies should disaggregate data related to NHPI populations from data related to AA populations.
Potential Research Areas of Focus and Interventions:
- Understanding the impact of historical trauma, oppression, discrimination and/or cultural discord on various health outcomes, including suicide, substance abuse, and mental health (e.g., understanding the influence of discriminatory policies, adverse immigration experiences, food or housing insecurity)
- Evaluating the impact of traditional indigenous practices on health and quality of life
- Examining the interplay of social, cultural, environmental (including the family, neighborhood, the built and natural environments, and climate change), and biological factors predisposing NHPI populations to risk of various health outcomes such as cancer, diabetes, and other chronic diseases
- Understanding the influence of intergenerational families and/or communities to enhance resilience and protective factors among subpopulations in different islands, resulting in health advantages and improved well-being
Download the full research concept paper: Research to Understand and Address Health Disparities in Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Populations
Page published Feb. 13, 2024
