The Center for Community Health Research

Community health research has been at the heart of the Hispanic Health Council since our founding in 1978. Our discipline- – applied anthropology – brings community collaboration to the process of research. The results of each study – the findings and statistics – contribute, sometimes immediately, to improved community health education; closer relationships between the social scientists and the community studied; broader understanding and acceptance of methodologies and science (the technology transfer); and empowerment. The new knowledge becomes an important tool for advocacy, policy reform, social change and better community health. In our work, participant-observation ethnographic techniques are merged with epidemiological survey, surveillance methods, and psycho-social/behavioral assessment to form the Center’s unique ethno-epidemiological and psycho-social approach to community-based health research.

Goals

To develop a better understanding of and to create data bases on health-related issues, health status, health care access and utilization, and health beliefs and behaviors among Latinos and other low-income populations in Hartford, the Northeast region and internationally where applicable.

To improve our direct services by applying the results of study; to evaluate on-going work; and to conduct new needs assessments.

To put our local health issues within a global context through the development of multi-site comparative studies, including both national and international research initiatives.

To publicize the work of the Center’s staff through internal briefings and community meetings; to develop conference presentations that summarize key findings and insights; to publish a newsletter that reports on our current areas of work and research issues of concern; and, to submit articles for publication in professional journals.

To increase the research capacity of the Center through collaboration with other research and community institutions; to translate research findings into community education and advocacy efforts; to explore and adopt new research methodologies and technologies; to stay abreast of developments in research ethics; to build up our research library and data bases; and to expand and diversify our research staff, their research skills and our topical expertise.