TiTi San
Fairbanks School of Public Health
PBHL-S 349
Final Research Poster
The Burden of Heart Disease among African Americans in Indiana
PBHL-S349: Research Methods in Public Health was selected as an engaged learning course for reflection. This artifact comes from the course and demonstrates my engagement with public health research methods, including understanding study design, data analysis, and critical evaluation of scholarly research. The following artifact highlights the skills and knowledge developed through this course.
My project, The Burden of Heart Disease among African Americans in Indiana, examines the disproportionate impact of cardiovascular disease (CVD) on African American adults in Indiana. Using a cross-sectional observational study design, I analyzed how social determinants such as income, education, living conditions, and access to healthcare contribute to higher rates of CVD in this population. The study also explores how risk factors like hypertension, diabetes, and obesity influence these disparities. Through data analysis and review of relevant literature, the project highlights the need for targeted public health policies and interventions, such as improving access to healthcare and healthy foods, to reduce CVD risk and promote health equity among African Americans in Indiana.
What I learned
I chose this assignment because it represents a project I worked very hard on and that I am particularly proud of. It allowed me to apply the research skills I learned in PBHL-S349, from framing a research question to analyzing data and interpreting results. I also appreciated the opportunity to focus on a topic that is meaningful to me—health disparities and cardiovascular disease among African Americans in Indiana. This project challenged me to think critically about social determinants of health and how public health interventions can address inequities. Completing it helped me strengthen my research skills, improve my ability to interpret data, and deepen my understanding of health equity, all of which will be valuable in my future public health career.