“UHAND”—A National Cancer Institute Funded Partnership to Advance Cancer Health Equity through Scholar Training

Arooba A. Haq, Lorraine R. Reitzel, Tzuan A. Chen, Shine Chang, Kamisha H. Escoto, Kayce D. Solari Williams, Crystal Roberson, Litty Koshy and Lorna H. McNeill
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Arooba A. Haq: Department of Psychological, Health, and Learning Sciences, University of Houston, 491 Farish Hall, Houston, TX 77204, USA
Lorraine R. Reitzel: Department of Psychological, Health, and Learning Sciences, University of Houston, 491 Farish Hall, Houston, TX 77204, USA
Tzuan A. Chen: Department of Psychological, Health, and Learning Sciences, University of Houston, 491 Farish Hall, Houston, TX 77204, USA
Shine Chang: Department of Epidemiology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1155 Pressler St., Houston, TX 77030, USA
Kamisha H. Escoto: Department of Health Disparities Research, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1400 Pressler St., Houston, TX 77030, USA
Kayce D. Solari Williams: Department of Psychological, Health, and Learning Sciences, University of Houston, 491 Farish Hall, Houston, TX 77204, USA
Crystal Roberson: Department of Health Disparities Research, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1400 Pressler St., Houston, TX 77030, USA
Litty Koshy: Department of Psychological, Health, and Learning Sciences, University of Houston, 491 Farish Hall, Houston, TX 77204, USA
Lorna H. McNeill: Department of Health Disparities Research, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1400 Pressler St., Houston, TX 77030, USA

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 10, 1-18

Abstract: Black and Hispanic adults are disproportionately affected by cancer incidence and mortality, and experience disparities in cancer relative to their White counterparts in the US. These groups, including women, are underrepresented among scientists in the fields of cancer, cancer disparities, and cancer care. The “UHAND” Program is a partnership between institutions (University of Houston and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center) aiming to build the capacity of underrepresented and racial/ethnic minority student “scholars” to conduct research on eliminating cancer inequities by reducing social and physical risk factors among at-risk groups. Here, we examine the outcomes of the UHAND Program’s first scholar cohort (n = 1 postdoctoral fellow, n = 3 doctoral scholars, n = 6 undergraduate scholars). Data collection included baseline, mid-program, and exit surveys; program records; and monthly scholar achievement queries. From baseline to exit, scholars significantly increased their research self-efficacy ( p = 0.0293). Scholars largely met goals for academic products, achieving a combined total of 65 peer-reviewed presentations and nine empirical publications. Eight scholars completed the 2-year program; one undergraduate scholar received her degree early and the postdoctoral fellow accepted a tenure-track position at another university following one year of training. Scholars highly rated UHAND’s programming and their mentors’ competencies in training scholars for research careers. Additionally, we discuss lessons learned that may inform future training programs.

Keywords: UHAND Program; cancer disparities; cancer health equity; women; minorities; educational training program (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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