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Community-Academic Partnerships to Reduce Black-White Disparities in Infant Mortality in Florida

2011; Johns Hopkins University Press; Volume: 5; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1353/cpr.2011.0009

1557-055X

Hamisu M. Salihu, Euna M. August, Amina P. Alio, Delores Jeffers, Deborah Austin, Estrellita Berry,

Community Health and Development

Problem: In Florida, data reveal a widening black-white disparity in infant mortality to the disadvantage of black families. Eight Florida counties have a significantly pronounced black-white infant mortality gap: Broward, Duval, Gadsden, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, Orange, Palm Beach, and Putnam. Purpose: The black Infant Health Community Collaborative (BIHCC) was established to address the rising racial/ethnic disparities in infant mortality. The program used a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to enable communities to develop sustainable initiatives to improve community health and reduce infant mortality. Key Points: Grounded in CBPR principles, a community-academic-state partnership was created to address the upsurge in black-white disparity in infant mortality. Community teams from each participating county underwent a 2-year period of capacity building. The culmination of this process was community-driven action plans to alleviate infant health disparities. Conclusion: The BIHCC provides a replicable model for the development of community-academic-state partnerships to enhance capacity for improving infant health outcomes.