Program Description
NIMHD is leading a collaborative research effort at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with several NIH Institutes to support U.S.-Caribbean research in the area of cohort or surveillance studies on chronic disease in the Caribbean region. This effort will allow a better understanding of the health of Caribbean immigrant populations in the United States, as well as fostering partnerships between U.S.-based and Caribbean-based researchers. Part of improving the health of immigrant populations that constitute populations experiencing health disparities in the United States includes considering the determinants of health in the native countries of immigrants. These determinants include environmental exposure, sociocultural factors, health beliefs and behaviors, and the nature of and interaction with healthcare systems.
Chronic diseases are a focus of this research because their prevalence and mortality are increasing in the Caribbean region. Chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, chronic liver disease, chronic inflammatory conditions, arthritis, and HIV/AIDS, are the predominant causes of premature morbidity and mortality in the United States and the Caribbean.
Ultimately, this research can inform preventive, treatment, and policy interventions to improve chronic disease outcomes of individuals of Caribbean descent in the Caribbean and the United States.
NIH Guide No.: PAR-17-470
Page updated Jan. 12, 2024