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Community and population health

Supporting health in at-risk populations

We work with communities to research health needs and implement solutions. Community health research may assess ways to improve nutrition or fitness education. Often, multiple groups, such as schools and health care systems in specific cities, work together toward the same goal. Population research focuses on promoting health in at-risk populations.

Investigators

Key projects

Using systems science methods to study cardiac risk in the Somali community

We studied connections between the social environment and risk of metabolic syndrome in the Somali population. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Somali culture is unique in that it attaches significant value to clan structure. The community can benefit from this study, which will provide a framework to evaluate the factors linking social networks to metabolic syndrome.

Choose your fish

With the Minnesota Department of Health, we produced a brochure and website aimed at increasing the consumption of fish low in mercury and other contaminants among Minnesota women of childbearing age and their families. This project, Choose Your Fish, used focus groups, surveys and other input from HealthPartners patients and members to develop fish consumption messages. Our research and patient education experts created materials that would resonate most with the target population. The resulting materials are a brochure and mobile-responsive website with videos, tips for cooking fish and a recipe page with a Pinterest-like format.

Increasing human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations in Hmong youth

We are developing and testing a mHealth intervention to increase HPV vaccinations in 11- to 17-year-old Hmong youth. mHealth involves sharing information between patients and clinicians via mobile and wireless devices. This is a collaboration with the University of Minnesota School of Social Work and SoLoHmo, a community-based research organization affiliated with the Westside Community Health Services Clinics, a federally qualified health center. Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this randomized controlled trial began in 2018.

Reduce suffering from gout in the Hmong community

We are identifying and developing a research agenda to reduce the suffering associated with gout in Minnesota’s Hmong community. This project involves collaboration with Westside Community Health Services Clinics, the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy and the Hmong Gout Coalition. It is funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.

Key publications