An effort to tackle health challenges and improve nutrition among Native Americans, who suffer disproportionately from a variety of diseases, encompasses several University of Nebraska–Lincoln research and extension initiatives across the country that range from training future health care workers to promoting production of traditional tribal crops.
The goal of these efforts is to reduce or eliminate health disparities in Nebraska and beyond. To achieve this goal, researchers and extension educators work directly with the communities they serve and incorporate important cultural elements into programs that encourage health and wellness.
For example, Nebraska is one of 17 land-grant university partners in the Well Connected Communities initiative, which reaches 40 communities across the country, including Macy and Lincoln. Another initiative is the Community Based Participatory Research program supported by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. Nebraska’s project aims to adapt cardiovascular disease risk reduction efforts in Native populations.
Lisa Franzen-Castle, associate professor and extension nutrition specialist in the nutrition and health sciences department, said the WCC initiative is …
Read the full article by Dan Moser on Nebraska Today.