Field Experience Dr. Haffizulla

Social Determinants Of Cancer Project

Expanding on our health equity focus, NSU MD plans to create the first community-based registry to collect epidemiologic and social determinants of the most prevalent malignancies in Caribbean immigrants.

This will catalyze the development of targeted interventions for disease prevention, cancer screenings and education that align with Caribbean culture and ethnic preferences. Our goal is to build the infrastructure to communicate best practices in cancer care, diagnosis and prevention to healthcare providers and patients in our local communities.

Long term, this project will support a statewide and coordinated system of cancer care for the Caribbean diaspora aimed at improving health behaviors, infrastructure, access, and collaboration among academic and community-based services.

My field experience

By Luis Felipe Corona

April 14th, 2020

with Dr. Farzanna Haffizulla

Research

Caribbean Diaspora Healthy Nutrition Outreach Project

Next

Author

Dr. Farzana Haffizulla

Nova Southeastern University

College of Allopathic Medicine

Results

An intercept post-survey will measure effectiveness of materials on adopting healthier eating and living.

If this pilot campaign is successful, we plan to connect with Palm Beach and Miami-Dade County's Department of Health to further expand the reach and proposed benefit of our work.

Community Partners:

Department of Health (DOH) in Broward County

Nutrition and Fitness Task Force (NFTF) of Broward County

Broward Regional Health Planning Council (BRHPC)

Broward Sheriff’s Office: Safety & Wellness Program

Family Nutrition Program (FNP)

Broward County Public Library System

Children’s Services Council (CSC)

Data Analysis

• High interaction educational modules are in progress

Univariate analysis of quantitative social determinant data as well as some focus group data was performed using Python 2.4.7 to generate descriptive statistics and accompanying graphics.

Statistics, such as frequencies, means and ranges, were computed with the use of Python’s Numpy, Pandas, and Seaborn libraries.

Focus group notes were hand-coded to identify overarching themes and to organize cultural insights provided form participants in each group.

Large lists, such as common foods, were analyzed using word clouds to associate common items with greater weights.

Purpose and Motivation

Materials are have been translated and printed in English, Spanish and Creole, and distrubuted around the community

My Research Mentor

Dr. Farzana Haffizulla,

M.D. FACP, FAMWA

The primary objective of this project is to create culturally, visually and linguistically appropriate healthy nutrition materials using (GSW) format directed to the Caribbean diaspora of Broward County

Broward County is one of the top four counties with Caribbean immigrants, representing 41% of the Caribbean immigrant population in the United States.

This educational outreach campaign is the first one of its kind and is projected to make deep impact in our heterogeneous Caribbean population.

Method

Dr. Haffizulla joined the College of Allopathic Medicine in 2017 as assistant dean for community and global health

• Demographic and quantitative data were collected with the use of a 20-item survey adapted from the PRAPARE survey set while qualitative data was gathered from notes taken during focus groups.

In order to gain a contextual understanding of mis- and under-representation of Caribbean culture in present nutrition materials, an in-depth analysis was performed via semi-structured focus groups during which both quantitative and qualitative data was collected from participants from five Caribbean islands.

• The structure of the focus group discussion was guided by pre-written questions as well as the five packets of health and nutrition information. Participants were asked to evaluate each of the packets.

Research Question

• Guided by the moderator, the group then discussed every page of every packet to identify missing foods, cultural notions, and organization of information

The premise of the project is that educating the community about ways to eat healthier will be more effective by telling people about foods they already know, rather than promoting healthy foods they may never eat.

WE HOPE THAT

If more people adopt healthier eating, the incidence of obesity, overweight, diabetes, heart disease will be reduced

Would the implementation of culturally, visually and linguistically appropriate healthy nutrition materials using the Go Slow Whoa (GSW) format directed to the Caribbean diaspora of Broward County be effective on adopting healthier eating and living?

Stage of the Study

Pilot Study

Design

Funding

Data Collection

Data Analysis

Results

Post Intercept survey

Thank You!!