For Immediate Release
April 12, 2012

Washington, DC – The Johns Hopkins University Press’ Progress in Community Health Partnerships (PCHP), in collaboration with the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF), released the first ever special journal issue focused on Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) health featuring leading community-based participatory research initiatives across our nation.

“PCHP’s special issue elevates AA and NHPI community health needs to the national public health arena, highlighting community-driven approaches, strategies and lessons learned in conducting research that garners community respect, trust and encourages participation,” said Kathy Lim Ko, APIAHF President and CEO. “As we celebrate National Minority Health month over the coming weeks, we hope that policy makers, public health officials and researchers will rely on this special issue and corresponding research approaches.”

AA and NHPI communities are incredibly diverse and experience a number of health and health care related disparities, including high rates of chronic diseases like cancer and Hepatitis B, high rates of uninsurance and barriers to accessing preventive care. To further the progress made in incorporating a disparities- and health equity-focused agenda across federal and state health programs, it is critical to enhance the current understanding of community and population health and health needs and develop an associated community-centered research infrastructure to document these needs and evaluate the effectiveness of community interventions.

“The lack of community trust in researchers and public health research initiated by or in partnership with AA and NHPI communities has made it difficult to assess community health needs, develop community relevant interventions and ensure adequate resource allocation for medically underserved communities,” said Winston Tseng, APIAHF Senior Policy Associate. “The practices and research highlighted in this month’s journal demonstrate that community-based participatory research is essential to ensuring AA and NHPI communities participate in research, and creating an AA and NHPI public health evidence base that can be used to eliminate disparities and meet the health needs of our communities.”

This special issue was supported by APIAHF’s Health Through Action program via support from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. APIAHF’s Winston Tseng and Won Kim Cook and J. Keawe’aimoku Kaholokula, University of Hawaii, and Sela Panapasa, University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, served as guest editors for the special issue.

Select articles in the issue include: Asian American Health Research: What Community Agencies on the Front Line Need to Know; Improving Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Health: National Organizations Leading Community Research Initiatives and Community-Based Participatory Research Approach to Evidence-Based Research: Lessons From the Pacific Islander American Health Study. Read the AA and NHPI special issue here.

The Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum influences policy, mobilizes communities, and strengthens programs and organizations to improve the health of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.

The Johns Hopkins University Press, founded in 1878, is recognized as one of the world’s finest and most accomplished scholarly publishers and publishes over 70 scholarly periodicals and more than 200 new books each year.