We are studying the causes of cancer and cardiovascular illnesses & diabetes to better understand, how to prevent, diagnose & treat black patients in Jamaica and the rest of the Caribbean.
Methodology
Identify & evaluate
Identify the best strategies that optimize enrollment and retention of Caribbean nationals in cohort studies and evaluate the effectiveness of this strategy relative to historical enrollment and retention rates.
Create
Robust longitudinal cohort (follow-up) study) of 8,000 Jamaicans built on the third Jamaica health and lifestyle survey. We will collect and store biological specimens, social, environmental and health data to answer questions about NCD risk factors
Establish
Establish a secure data sharing platform that will enable linkages of the Jamaica cohort with other regional Caribbean and US-based cohorts, and conduct preliminary analysis of data
Determinants of health
Biological (including our DNA) social and environmental factors all have considerable impacts on health. In Jamaica and other predominantly black populations we still have a lot to learn about how these factors affect our risk for non-communicable diseases.
Cross-country collaboration
By comparing, information from the Jamaica cohort with other populations from African and the United States (bullet B) the effect on our biology and where we live and on health risk. This will provide critical evidence for health care decision making and policy.