An interinstitutional academic collaborative partnership to end health disparities.

Much has been published in the health care literature describing partnerships between academic institutions and community or health care agencies that are designed to improve health outcomes in medically underserved populations. However, little has been published regarding partnerships between minority- and majority-serving academic institutions with this same aim. Key principles of collaborative partnerships are used in a descriptive analysis of the development, functions, and benefits of such an interinstitutional academic partnership that was formed to reduce and ultimately eliminate health disparities in rural South Carolina.

The LIFE project: a community-based weight loss intervention program for rural African American women.

Obesity continues to be a significant health problem for African American women. While a number of obesity interventions target urban African American women, few target rural ones. The LIFE Project is a 10-week intervention designed to reduce obesity in this rural population.

Demands and resources: parents of school-age children with asthma.

Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in children and is frequently noted as the reason for school absences. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the differences in demands and resources reported by African American (AA) and European American (EA) parents of school-age children with asthma. A convenience sample of 37 parents participated in the study.