2017-2018 Faculty Research Grants
Padma Tadi Uppala (Public Health, Nutrition & Wellness)
Establishing Community Partnerships with Minority African American Women in Benton Harbor to Study the Relationship between Metabolic Syndrome and Triple Negative Breast Cancer
The purpose of the research proposal is to build trust and partnerships with target African-American (AA) women in Benton Harbor to facilitate participation in a study that will investigate the relationship between metabolic syndrome and Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The Specific Aims are: (1) Conduct a community-based participatory research (CBPR) study to investigate AA women’s knowledge, attitudes, and perspectives towards participation in the metabolic syndrome and TNBC clinical study. (2) Conduct a non-invasive onsite screening of glucose, lipids and other parameters that indicate the presence of metabolic syndrome in target AA women. In Berrien County, Michigan, roughly 72% of adults are overweight or obese. A priority health need that emerged from Berrien County Needs Assessment Report was obesity. Cancer is listed as the second cause of death. TNBC is common among premenopausal women, especially among those of AA descent. Currently, there is no receptor-targeted therapy for TNBC. The insulin-leptin-adiponectin axis is implicated in breast tumors that are insensitive to estrogen. AA women from 18-90 years of age will be recruited from Benton Harbor. Harbor of Hope, a community group affiliated with 老司机传媒 Church will be our recruitment site. We will recruit 60 women with or without metabolic syndrome as well as those with or without breast cancer. Our recruitment plan is multifaceted. We will utilize mixed approaches to recruit participants. Knowledge, Attitudes, and perspectives (KAP) questionnaire will be used to conduct the CBPR study. We expect that women with metabolic syndrome will be at risk for TNBC.