Folakemi T Odedina

University of Florida | UF · College of Pharmacy

Decentralized clinical trials (DCTs) provide the opportunity to bring interventional studies closer to participants in their homes or a suitable location closer to prospective participants, thus increasing participants’ diversity, accrual, retention, health care, and research access. However, little is known about the burden of caring for cancer pa...

Objectives Communication barriers, such as channels, comfort, and location, can negatively impact Black prostate cancer survivors’ experiences and health outcomes after treatment. Addressing these barriers promotes a survivor-centric approach that views survivors as active partners in their care. This study explored the communication preferences of...

Prostate cancer disproportionately affects Black men in the United States, leading to higher mortality rates and health disparities. In addition, based on historical mistreatment and discrimination and the resulting distrust of the medical system, Black populations are consistently underrepresented in health care-related research. Addressing these...

Introduction: In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), high cancer incidence is compounded by limited healthcare access and out-of-pocket costs. Additional factors like limited research funding, socioeconomic disparities, and cultural influences further affect cancer survivors' well-being. While some studies identify factors improving psychosocial well-being,...

Introduction: Understanding the behavioral aspects of cancer care in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is crucial for developing effective interventions and improving outcomes, particularly during the peri-treatment phase. Synthesizing knowledge sets the stage for prioritizing cancer-focused research in SSA. Therefore, this scoping review aims to synthesize...

Introduction Addressing cancer disparities by meeting people where they are is a crucial aspect of community-engaged research. The impact of this has been seen through the community outreach and engagement efforts of cancer centers across the country, with many focusing on churches, community events, and other trusted places. In the past four years...

Background: Prostate cancer remains a significant health concern, particularly among Black men who experience higher incidence rates and poorer outcomes compared to other racial and ethnic groups. Despite advances in survivorship care, disparities persist in the survivorship experiences, underlying the urgent need for research focusing on the uniqu...

Introduction: In an effort to ensure an all-inclusive initiative that would close the disparity gap among the immigrant communities in Florida, we developed a pilot project under the Inclusive Cancer Care Research Equity (iCCaRE) for Black Men Consortium with generous support from the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center (MCCCC). The objective i...

Intro: Compared to white men, Black men bear the highest burden of prostate cancer, experiencing a higher incidence and mortality rate, and poorer survivorship outcomes. Although prioritized, survivorship and quality of life (QOL) are under-studied in the fight against prostate cancer disparities. To address this issue, clinicians, researchers, and...

Introduction Prostate cancer (CaP) significantly impacts Black men, who face higher morbidity despite lower overall mortality. The disease and its treatments profoundly affect sexuality, relationships, and quality of life (QoL), necessitating robust support systems. Healthcare, spousal support, community involvement, and interactions with other sur...

Health-seeking practices are important for prostate cancer (CaP) screening and control. There is evidence of differences in the health practices of Black men (BM) worldwide; however, the comparison between BM's health-seeking practices in the United States and those in Africa has not been fully elucidated. This study evaluates health-seeking practi...

Background Breast cancer remains a leading cause of cancer morbidity and mortality worldwide. In the United States, Black women face significant disparities in screening mammograms, experience higher rates of breast cancer at advanced stages, and are more likely to die from the disease. Aims This study aimed to develop and beta-test a virtual heal...

Purpose This study examined the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among ethnically diverse Black men (BM) with prostate cancer (CaP) in the United States. Methods A convergent parallel mixed-methods design, employing both qualitative and quantitative research, involved recruiting Black CaP survivors through multiple channels. The target popul...

Purpose This study addresses the critical issue of survivorship care for Black prostate cancer survivors. The aim was to explore their awareness of survivorship care plans to improve prostate cancer care and survivorship within this high-risk group. Methods Utilizing a thematic analysis approach, we conducted in-depth interviews focused on analyzi...

The requirement of community outreach and engagement (COE) as a major component of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Center Support Grant has had enormous impact on the way NCI-designated cancer centers identify, investigate, and address the needs of their catchment area (CA) communities. Given the wide-ranging diversity of our nation, COE...

Purpose Prostate cancer (CaP) is the most common cancer in Black men (BM), and the number of Black CaP survivors is rapidly increasing. Although Black immigrants are among the fastest-growing and most heterogeneous ethnic groups in the USA, limited data exist regarding their CaP experiences. Therefore, this study aimed to explore and model the expe...

This study explores the role of community engagement in promoting health equity by incorporating underrepresented populations into research initiatives. Utilizing a multi-method approach, the project involved 383 participants across 12 events, focusing on African American/Black, Hispanic & Latino, and LGBTQ+ communities. Key efforts included distri...

Background: The point of prostate cancer (CaP) diagnosis (PPCD) instantly leads to a life changing experience for Black men, with diverse emotional reactions that includes fear, denial, overwhelmingness, cancer fatalism etc. Black men diagnosed with CaP expressed several needs at the PPCD, including time to reflect on the diagnosis, being comfortab...

Prostate cancer, impacts over 3.1 million survivors, poses persistent challenges in post-treatment care, creating uncertainties regarding the best course of follow-up actions for leading productive lives. Unfortunately, these concerns, especially among ethnically diverse Black men, are frequently overlooked. The post-treatment journey for Black pro...

Prostate cancer (CaP) is a heterogeneous disease characterized by features of non-aggressive, slow-growing disorders to fast-growing disease. Men of African ancestry have disproportionately higher incidence and mortality rates for CaP than men of European ancestry. While there is evidence for a higher genetic predisposition for incidence of CaP in...

Introduction The Florida-California Cancer Research, Education, and Engagement (CaRE ² ) Health Equity Center is a triad partnership committed to increasing institutional capacity for cancer disparity research, the diversity of the cancer workforce, and community empowerment. This article provides an overview of the structure, process innovations,...

The Community Scientist Program (CSP), a model connecting researchers with community members, is effective to inform and involve the general population in health-related clinical research. Given the existing cancer disparities among Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino/a populations, more models describing how cancer-related CSPs are designed...

Background Men of African ancestry experience higher burden from prostate cancer compared to men of other ancestral backgrounds. Limitations in the availability of high-quality biospecimens hinder the inclusion of this population in genetic studies of prostate cancer. The use of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues represent a potential...

Purpose To assess differences in baseline and longitudinal quality of life among Black and White individuals in the US with advanced prostate cancer. Methods Secondary analysis of data from the International Registry for Men with Advanced Prostate Cancer (IRONMAN) including US participants newly diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer and identify...

Background Nigeria has the highest cancer burden in Africa with 124,815 cancer cases and 78,899 cancer deaths in 2020. The limited number of oncology specialists, inaccessibility of essential cancer medicines like chemotherapies, and suboptimal delivery of cancer care lead to poor treatment outcomes. Oncology pharmacy (OP) practitioners are critica...

Purpose: This scoping review explores the application of mHealth technology in prostate cancer (CaP) management along the survivorship continuum. Methods: The scoping review was conducted using the five-step framework developed by Arksey and O'Malley. Using predefined criteria, we screened citations from Embase, EBSCOHost, Cochrane Library, PubM...

Introduction: Pain is one of the complications of cancer or cancer treatment and affects the quality of life of cancer patients. Unfortunately, factors that alleviate cancer pain have been understudied despite pain being one of the most common symptoms of cancer. The purpose of this secondary comparative analysis study was to identify factors that...

Introduction: Although prostate cancer (CaP) mortality rates are low, higher morbidity rates have been reported in Black men. In addition, the transition from treatment to survivorship can be burdensome and negatively impact quality of life (QoL). However, informal and formal support networks and resources, particularly spousal support, help enhanc...

Background: Access to health care is important for prostate cancer (CaP) screening and control. There is evidence of the racial disparities in health access of black men and Hispanics; however, the comparison between black men's access to health in the United States and those in Africa has not been fully elucidated. Aim: This study aims to evaluate...

Purpose Our specific aim was to develop and assess the consensus-based validity of common measures for understanding health behaviors and ancestry in Florida’s population subgroups and establish the feasibility of wide-scale implementation of the measures and biospecimen collection within three cancer centers’ catchment areas. Methods Using the Na...

Introduction: Racial disparities in colorectal cancer (CRC) can be addressed through increased adherence to screening guidelines. In real-life encounters, patients may be more willing to follow screening recommendations delivered by a race concordant clinician. The growth of telehealth to deliver care provides an opportunity to explore whether the...

Purpose: Smoking rates are higher in rural regions compared to urban regions. Given the mobility within the United States, rural norms around tobacco use may persist even after individuals move to urban areas. Little research is available regarding the difference in smoking history by demographics and rural residence history. The purpose of the stu...

Funders’ goals for diversity, equity and inclusion are laudable, but they will only be successful if the funders prioritize health disparities research and address biases in the funding application process.

Background Understanding how older, minoritized patients attend to cues when interacting with web-based health messages may provide opportunities to improve engagement with novel health technologies. We assess acceptance-promoting and acceptance-inhibiting cues of a web-based, intervention promoting colorectal cancer (CRC) screening with a home sto...

The rapidly rising cancer burden and mortality rate in Africa are in contrast to the increase in cancer survivorship in Europe and North America. Genomic medicine has contributed to the rise in survival and has facilitated precision cancer control. However, there is a shortage of African representation in genomic databases, even for cancers that di...

Background Cancer of the prostate (CaP) is a public health problem that affects the male genitourinary system causing a significant threat to men’s quality of life (QoL). Experiencing financial constraints and poor illness perception may further compromise the QoL of men with CaP. Methods Aim: To examine the relationship between financial toxicity...

In the US, Black adults are less likely than White adults to be screened for colorectal cancer (CRC). This study uses a subjective culture approach to describe and compare perceptions of a CRC screening intervention delivered via virtual health assistants (VHAs) among rural Black and White study participants. We analyzed 28 focus groups with Black...

Introduction Patients are more likely to complete colorectal cancer screening when recommended by a race-concordant healthcare provider. Leveraging virtual healthcare assistants to deliver tailored screening interventions may promote adherence to colorectal cancer screening guidelines among diverse patient populations. The purpose of this pilot stu...

INTRODUCTION Citizen scientists are an essential part of research. After a successful pilot in 2019, the Florida-California Cancer Research Education and Engagement (CaRE2) Health Equity Center held a full CaRE2 Cancer Citizen Scientist Training Program in 2020. However, COVID-19 forced a program reliant on in-lab experiences to develop a cadre of...

Background: In 2020, 191,930 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. The lives of these men will change dramatically as they go through the prostate cancer care and survivorship process. Black men are especially affected, as they are more likely to get and die from prostate cancer. The primary objective of this study was to explain the experien...

Since prostate cancer incidence, prevalence and mortality are still highest among Black men in the United States, it is important to effectively address the factors that contribute to prostate cancer disparities in this at-risk population as well as their low participation in biomedical research/clinical trials. An effective communication strategy...

PURPOSE In a dramatic reversal of longstanding trends, cancer now kills more Africans than malaria. Despite Africa's growing cancer burden, individuals of African descent, notably those residing in Africa, remain drastically under-represented in cancer clinical trials. Two recent summits-the 1st All Africa Clinical Trial Summit and the Operational...

The Research Training Opportunities for Outstanding Leaders (ReTOOL) program was implemented in 2012 to increase the representation of racial and ethnic minorities in the biomedical workforce. Specifically, the ReTOOL program aims to foster the capacity for scientific research among underserved populations as well as address the cultural appropriat...

PURPOSE The burden of cancer in Africa is of significant concern for several reasons, including that incidence of cancer in Africa continues to rise while Africa is also dealing with communicable diseases. To combat cancer in Africa, oncology clinical trials are needed to develop innovative interventions for cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis,...

PURPOSE In a dramatic reversal of longstanding trends, cancer now kills more Africans than malaria. Despite Africa’s growing cancer burden, individuals of African descent, notably those residing in Africa, remain drastically under-represented in cancer clinical trials. Two recent summits—the 1st All Africa Clinical Trial Summit and the Operational...

INTRODUCTION: Citizen Science is the engagement of lay people in the process of scientific research. From IRB membership to the formation of programs like CitizenScience.gov, citizen scientists are an increasingly essential part of every type of research study teams. The formation of the Florida-California Cancer Research Education and Engagement (...

p>Introduction: The Florida-California CaRE2 Health Equity Center was established in 2018 to address cancer health disparities in Black and Latino communities through innovative translational research in cancers of high mortality. Long term, the CaRE2 Center aims to: 1) reduce cancer disparities in Blacks and Latinos; 2) train and increase the pool...

Prostate cancer (CaP) has been identified as the most common cancer among men globally with higher prevalence, incidence and mortality rates in Black men. This study aims to assess the risk factors for CaP among West African men residing in Nigeria, Cameroon and the United States. A validated Prostate Cancer Transatlantic Consortium (CaPTC) familia...

Poor understanding of the clinicopathological features of prostate cancer (CaP) in Black men (BM) is one of the major challenges implicated in the management and prevention of the disease. The development of CaP involves an accumulation of multiple oncogenic events with associated increase in prostate specific antigen (PSA) and stress related hormo...

Conducting prostate cancer research, especially prospective data collection in Africa, has numerous challenges. Some of the difficulties stem from socio-cultural factors that consider sensitive topics about men's health as taboo. Our primary aim was to determine how to overcome barriers in conducting a transatlantic prostate cancer familial study i...

Background: Prostate cancer is a significant public health problem affecting men globally. In 2012, it was the second most commonly diagnosed cancer among men worldwide and disproportionately impact men of African ancestry. Established risk factors for this disease include older age; family history; and African ancestry. While these factors are non...

Background: Collection of data concerning men's health generally and urological health particularly has always had its challenges, especially in the African setting. Some of the difficulties stem from cultural factors that consider sensitive topics pertaining to men's health as taboo. Aim: To determine how to overcome barriers in conducting a trans...

Prostate cancer (CaP) is the most common male gender cancer and present with a 5-year prevalence, incidence and mortality rate in Nigerian Black men. There is disproportionate prevalence and poor understanding of CaP in Black men globally. The Prostate Cancer Transatlantic Consortium (CaPTC) has documented significant CaP burden among Nigerian blac...

With the growing burden of cancer in minority populations and limited progress in eliminating cancer disparities, it has become important to develop a diverse oncology workforce in basic, clinical, and behavioral research who will address cancer disparities and increase the participation of minority populations in clinical trials. To address the la...

African American women bear a disproportionate burden of HIV disease. Socioeconomic and psycho-social factors while adding to the vulnerability of this population also contribute to non-adherence and consequently poor outcomes. The provider-patient relationship has the potential to enhance HIV medication adherence in this population. Using in-depth...

Objective: To assess the change in the level of cultural competency and knowledge of health disparities among students in the third year of the doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) program at the University of Florida and to explore the demographic correlates. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 3 consecutive academic years. Chi-square tes...

Aim: The magnitude of the age-related declines in testosterone rather than levels measured at single point in time may be related to the genesis of prostate cancer (PCa). We examined age-related variations of testosterone levels among black and white males, which may provide important insights into racial disparities in PCa incidence and mortality...

To address the need for a significant increase in cancer advocacy programs in Africa, the University of Florida (UF), the Prostate Net, and the African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC) co-hosted the first biennial International Workshop on Cancer Advocacy for African Countries (CAAC) on November 29, 2011, one-day prior to A...

Oftentimes, cancer advocates in Africa look at the developed nations in North America and Europe for guidance on cancer advocacy. However, lessons learnt from developed nations do not necessarily apply to the situational context of Africa. Without a doubt, successful cancer advocates in Africa can best serve as learning sources and role models for...

In this paper, we present six case studies describing innovative cancer advocacy programs in Africa. For each case study, an example of an advocacy activity, list of factors contributing to the success of the organization, and an example of an obstacle addressed by the organization are described.

Although there is significant evidence of a cancer epidemic in Africa, there is limited awareness about cancer in most African countries. By partnering with international organizations and institutions such as the University of Florida and the Prostate Net, the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC) is committed to improv...

To evaluate the level of competency and knowledge about health disparities among third-year doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students at 2 Florida public colleges of pharmacy and to explore the demographic correlates of these variables. A cross-sectional survey study design was used to collect data from participants. The students had low health-disparit...

Summary of health beliefs and cultural beliefs of participants

Multiple regression analyses results for demographic correlates

Participants’ demographics

The most common male malignancy in the United States is prostate cancer; however its rate of occurrence varies significantly among ethnic groups. In a previous cDNA microarray study on CaP tumors from African American (AA) and Caucasian (CA) patients, we identified 97 candidate genes that exhibited opposite gene expression polarity with respect to...

Since behavioral factors are significant determinants of population health, addressing prostate cancer (CaP)-related health beliefs and cultural beliefs are key weapons to fight this deadly disease. This study investigated the health beliefs and cultural beliefs of black men relative to CaP, and the key socio-demographic correlates of these beliefs...

To explore the personal factors related to modifiable prostate cancer risk-reduction and detection behaviors among black men. Three thousand four hundred thirty (3430) black men were surveyed and structural equation modeling employed to test study hypotheses. Modifiable prostate cancer risk-reduction behavior was found to be influenced by perceived...

Background: The Healthy Immigrant Effect (HIE) phenomenon proposes that: (1) when immigrants arrive in the U.S., they are healthier than their locally born counterparts; and that (2) this health advantage dissipates over time. While this phenomenon has been well studied and documented among Asians and Hispanics, few studies have explored the HIE am...

Improving health care providers' knowledge and ability to provide culturally competent care can limit the health disparities experienced by disadvantaged populations. As racial and ethnic cultures dominate cultural competency topics in education, alternative cultures such as disability have consistently been underrepresented. This article will make...

African American men have the highest prostate cancer morbidity and mortality rates than any other racial or ethnic group in the US. Although the overall incidence of and mortality from prostate cancer has been declining in White men since 1991, the decline in African American men lags behind White men. Of particular concern is the growing literatu...