Current

Localized mHealth approach to boosting COVID-19 testing and vaccine literacy, access, and uptake among women with criminal legal system involvement (U01MD017415. 2022-2024)      

We will engage women with criminal legal system involvement as stakeholders to study regional and individual differences in COVID-19 testing and vaccine literacy, access, and uptake. We will use findings to rapidly develop an mHealth intervention focused on COVID-19 literacy, and then push the intervention to CLSI women in three cities (Oakland, Birmingham, Kansas City) to boost COVID-19 literacy, testing, access, and uptake, and vaccination. Findings will be used to develop dissemination strategies with stakeholders to push the mHealth intervention to the two million women and 11 million men who interface with the criminal legal system annually in the U.S.

Sexual health empowerment for jail-involved women's health literacy and prevention (2R01CA181047, 2019-2024)

The original objective of SHE (R01 CA181047) was to assess effectiveness of a jail-based sexual health empowerment intervention to increase cervical health literacy and cancer screening. With a strong record of productivity and promising results (SHE was associated with increased cervical health literacy and up-to-date cervical cancer screening), we started piloting adaptations of SHE to address breast cancer, birth control, and STI literacy, as well as documenting successful strategies of reaching women leaving jail, using integrated multimedia approaches. Thus, the objective of this renewal is to expand reach of SHE to address women's health disparities more broadly to create a sustainable model for dissemination of health promotion interventions for vulnerable populations. 

Sexual Health Empowerment for Jail-Involved Women’s Health Literacy and Prevention – Diversity Supplement for Shawana Moore (R01 CA181047-08S1, 2021-2024)

Dr. Moore will develop an electronic literacy intervention focused on the prevention of cervical cancer through implementation of HPV catch-0up vaccination among criminal legal system (CLS)-involved women aged 27-45.

Tri-City Cervical Cancer Prevention Study among Women in the Justice System (R01CA226838 2018-2023)

The objective of this study is to develop a better understanding the natural history of cervical cancer risk and prevention behaviors among community-based justice-involved women. For this study we plan to leverage three existing samples of community-based, justice-involved women - in Kansas City, MO, Birmingham, AL, and Oakland, CA - to become one of the first long-term cancer prevention studies of high-risk women across cities in the U.S.

Tri-City Cervical Cancer Prevention Study Among Women in the Justice System – Diversity Supplement for Sierra Stites:  Cervical Researchers Empowerment Women-Engagement for Multi-Level Intervention (R01 CA226838-03S1, 2021-2023)

The primary objective is to conduct a participatory action research (PAR) project to inform a multi-level cervical cancer prevention intervention for women with criminal legal system (CLS) involvement.

Supplement: Tri-City Cervical Cancer Prevention Study Among Women in the Justice System (R01CA226838, 2020-2021)

To examine how the COVID-19 outbreak affects screening and care among women at elevated risk for cervical cancer in three U.S. cities. To understand how the COVID-19 outbreak and related public health mandates contribute to health disparities among women at high risk for cervical cancer in three U.S. cities, Kansas City, KS, Birmingham, AL, and Oakland, CA.

Past

Sexual health empowerment for cervical health literacy and cancer prevention (R01 CA181047, 2014 - 2019)

Using an experimental design, the first aim of the study was to assess the impact of a sexual health empowerment intervention (SHE Project) on cervical health knowledge, barriers to screening that are related to beliefs about cervical cancer, and self-efficacy for screening and follow-up among women leaving jail.  Using a three-year observational design employing both survey and ethnographic methods for follow-up, the second aim of the study was to understand how knowledge, beliefs, self-efficacy, and other factors change post-release cervical health prevention behaviors over time. 

Sexual Health Empowerment (SHE) for Cervical health Literacy and Cancer Prevention (R01CA181047-S2, Diversity Supplement with Michelle Pickett, 2017-2019)

The primary objective of the diversity supplement subproject is to assess the effectiveness of the SHE cervical health literacy intervention at reducing sexual health risk, create and pilot an STI prevention adaptation of the intervention, and explore the feasibility of an electronic platform for delivering the intervention.

Improving Cervical Cancer Prevention In The Community Health Delivery System For Post-Incarcerated Women (R01 CA181047-04S1, Diversity supplement with Sharla Smith, 2017-2019)

The primary objective of the study is to identify post-incarcerated women's community health delivery systems (CHDS) and explore barriers to care availability and accessibility of cervical cancer prevention treatment and decision-making on cervical cancer preventive care in the existing CHDS.

Correctional and public health links to bolster HPV vaccine and cancer prevention (R21 CA204767, 2016 –2018)

Our project objective is to assess a pilot implementation strategy that links county juvenile detention facilities with county health departments to provide HPV vaccination for incarcerated young women and men.  We will also collect information about the barriers and facilitators of such a potential linkage throughout a four-state region (Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa), directly informing a subsequent R01 project to scale up our implementation strategy to the region.

Opportunity Votes: A Public Health and Community Organizing Collaboration to Register Voters in Jails, 2016

Opportunity Votes was a partnership between our public health research team and a local group, Communities Creating Opportunity (CCO), to register voters in Kansas City jails.

Addressing Health Disparities through Critical Health Literacy with Inmates, 2015

Our objective was to run a pilot evaluation of the Health, Activism, Literacy, and Opportunity (HALO) curriculum, which was a 9-hour critical health literacy intervention that would empower incarcerated men to learn about social determinants of health, how to identify their sources, assess the differential effects in their own and others' lives, take action to address health disparities, and ultimately take better care of their own health

Social context for sexual health risk and health care access among women leaving jail (KL2TR000119, CTSA - KL2 Scholar, 2011- 2014)

The objective of this project was, from the perspectives of incarcerated women, to understand factors that support or undermine utilization of STI and family planning services among women leaving jail. Our research team proposed a two-aim investigation to understand the prevalence, predictors, and underlying causes of utilization of sexual health care after release from jail.

Mental health service needs among men and women in community corrections, 2012

The purpose of this study was to better understand the mental health needs and services for the populations of men and women under the supervision North Central Region of the Community Corrections Program of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Understanding the cervical cancer health gap for women in jail (R03 CA162869, 2011-2013)

The objective of this application was, from the perspectives of incarcerated women and medical record review, to understand incarcerated women’s abnormal Pap events and difficulty with subsequent follow-up.  First, we conducted focus groups and in-depth interviews with 40 women in a Kansas City county jail about abnormal Pap screening and subsequent follow-up events. Second, we asked the women previously interviewed for permission to access their medical records, in order to investigate whether incarcerated women’s self-report of abnormal Pap and follow-up events matched actual medical records of these events.

Expressing writing program for women in jails, 2011

A five-session expressive writing intervention was piloted with six jailed women to address high levels of stress, a critical mediator for mental, physical health, and drug problems.

Assessing cervical cancer risk, barriers to care and follow-up for women leaving Kansas City jails (ACS IRG-09-062-01, Pilot Grant, 2010) 

This project assessed cervical cancer risk, barriers to cervical cancer screening and care for women in Kansas City jails. 

Health service use among men and women prior to incarceration, 2010

Over six months in spring-fall 2010, University of Kansas School of Medicine and University of Missouri Kansas City research staff conducted a health care use assessment with men and women (N=596) in three jails serving greater Kansas City. The objective of this project was to describe community-based health service use prior to incarceration among men and women in the justice system. Further, researchers sought to understand contextual and community factors related to health outcomes and health service use among men and women in jail. This project laid the foundation for the (S)HE team's research program in Kansas City.