Supporting and Advancing Health Research!
The Center for Population Health Research (CPHR) fosters multidisciplinary research success to inform, develop and test strategies for improving health across the lifespan. The long-term goal of CPHR is to contribute to improved health outcomes and quality of life among rural and other vulnerable populations in our state through a sustainable, multi-disciplinary center that addresses challenging rural health problems. CPHR fosters collaboration by uniting faculty from diverse disciplines, such as medicine, epidemiology, mathematical sciences, exposure science, health economics, and social and behavioral sciences. This interdisciplinary approach builds a strong community of investigators, enhancing the Center's mission to improve human health research in rural communities.
Latest Projects
Wildfires and Cardiovascular Health: Evaluating Associations and Intervention Strategies
Dr. Ethan Walker - School of Public and Community Health
Wildfires are a growing public health crisis as they increase in size, intensity, and duration across the United States. There is a critical need for the development and evaluation of intervention strategies that reduce wildfire exposures and improve health outcomes, particularly among susceptible populations such as older adults. This project focuses on the development and evaluation of a residential indoor air pollution intervention called AIRWISE (Air Improvement and Real-time Monitoring for Wellness through Interactive Strategies and Education). The primary aim of AIRWISE in this study is to reduce indoor air pollution and improve cardiovascular health among older adults in Western Montana through education, accessible equipment, and behavioral recommendations. Long-term, our goal is to implement AIRWISE as an adaptable and accessible intervention that can benefit susceptible populations across various settings.
Addressing Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) Through a Doula Intervention
Dr. Jessica Liddell - School of Social Work
Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) are the most common complication of childbirth and are especially prevalent among rural populations who experience heightened negative maternal and child health (MCH) outcomes. The use of doulas, who are non-medically trained birth support professionals, may be one way to address existing healthcare gaps, improve mental health outcomes, and promote maternal health. This research will use community-based research methods to develop and pilot an intervention using doulas to help address PMADs and other MCH needs of rural populations in Montana.
Café Move: A Novel Program for Prevention of Age-Related Physical Frailty
Café Move uses simple yet robust assessments of strength, mobility and balance to enable people to quickly and easily gain insight to their physical function, relative to normative data (accounting for age, height, etc). All of the Café Move assessments can be performed outside of formal healthcare settings, thus promoting autonomy and reducing barriers to access. In this study, we plan to make Café Move available in select independent-living senior communities via three modalities (dine-in, kiosk and delivery). We will conduct a double-baseline cohort study intended to yield the data necessary to calculate within- and between-site variance in the outcome measures of interest (e.g., health barriers, rates of engagement with prevention strategies), which will inform the design of an R01-level trial.