Eastern Carolina University
Department of Family Medicine, Research Division
NC HWTF Eliminating Health Disparities Initiative
Evaluation Team
The Eastern Carolina University Department of Family Medicine, Research Division (ECU) is evaluating the NC Health and Wellness Trust Fund's Eliminating Health Disparities Initiative. The Health Disparities Initiative is designed to address the problem of unequal health outcomes for African-Americans, Latinos and American Indians in North Carolina by offering grants to eliminate health disparities related to diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. There are two components to the evaluation: “Behavioral Outcomes: Cohort Study” and “Process Evaluation: Health Disparities Initiative Goals and Objectives.”
In the behavioral outcomes component of the evaluation, ECU will be examining the impact of the Initiative on key biological and behavioral outcome variables. ECU is following a cohort of more than 2000 individuals receiving services from grantee organizations. Baseline data has been collected; every six months over the grant period, more data will be collected on individuals’ fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity, quality of life and access to care. A process evaluation is the second evaluation component and will assess the extent to which the goals and objectives of the Initiative are met by the grantee organizations.