Evaluation of a Health Professionals' Training Program to Conduct Research in New York City's Asian American Community

Background Because health disparities among Asian Americans are understudied, a partnership program between the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center and the Center for the Study of Asian American Health was created to increase awareness and interest in Asian American research. Purpose To evaluate the process, outcome, and impact of a health professionals' research training program. Methods Mixed research methods were employed to collect data from online surveys administered to mentors and trainees of the program. Results Although many trainees did not continue to pursue Asian American health disparities research, the results indicate that the program has positive impacts on trainees in their preparedness to conduct community-based participatory research (CBPR), work within the Asian American community, and network with public health professionals and researchers. Discussion This evaluation adds to the current literature of research training programs, but more research on Asian American health disparities is needed. Translation to Health Education Practice Although the program has helped raise awareness in Asian American health disparities research, more Asian American-specific research training programs are needed to stimulate a true generation of researchers.