探花楼

Texas Woman鈥檚 School of Health Promotion and Kinesiology Assistant Professor , received a $5,000 Cancer/CHD Research Completion Award from the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center, funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Amuta will use the award for a research project titled 鈥淎 Phenomenological Study into how African American and Black Immigrant Women in the U.S. Experience and Understand Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control.鈥�

鈥淓ach year, millions of dollars are spent on cervical cancer research and public health interventions, yet, the progress made among Black/African Americans trails the amount of money and effort spent,鈥� said Amuta. 鈥淲e hypothesize that part of the problem is that sociocultural factors play a significant role in cervical cancer risk. Most studies lump 鈥楤lack Immigrant Women鈥� (BIW) and 鈥楢frican American Women鈥� (AAW) as 鈥楤lack/African American.鈥� This categorization assumes the sociocultural and eco-developmental determinants that influence BIW are the same for AAW, but BIW have health and mortality profiles that vary from AAW.鈥�

Amuta鈥檚 study aims to investigate the process of cervical cancer screening and the barriers and facilitators of BIW and AAW willingness to receive a pap smear. She will conduct formative qualitative research to illuminate the underlying causes of engaging in proactive cervical health care. Investigating in-group differences may provide the tools and mechanisms that allow public health programs to implement and deliver effective culturally appropriate health promotion interventions. Semi-structured interviews will be analyzed using interpretive phenomenological analysis looking for emergent themes.

鈥淚 am extremely honored to receive such an important research award,鈥� said Amuta. 鈥淚 am earnestly grateful for the recognition of my research work because I am sure this was a very competitive award.鈥�

The project will start in August and conclude in November.