Garzon, Giovanna Moreno

Purpose The Sangre Por Salud (SPS) Biobank was established to facilitate biomedical research opportunities for the Latino community by creating an easily accessible prospective cohort for scientists interested in studying health conditions and health disparities in this population. Participants Individuals self-identifying as Latino, aged 18–85 years, were prospectively recruited from the primary care Internal Medicine clinic at Mountain Park Health Center in Phoenix, Arizona. After obtaining informed consent, detailed medical history questionnaires were captured, and blood samples were obtained for common laboratory tests. Participants authorised the research team to access their electronic health records for research purposes. In addition, participants had serum, plasma and DNA samples isolated and stored at the Mayo Clinic Arizona Biorepository Laboratory for long-term storage and future access. As part of the study, participants consented and agreed to be contacted for potential participation in future research studies. Findings to date 3756 participants provided informed consent, of whom 3733 completed all study questionnaires, an oral glucose tolerance test and had blood collected and stored. The SPS cohort is predominantly composed of females (72%), with a median age at time of consent of 42 years. All participants self-identified as Hispanic/Latino, 45% were married, 53% were employed for wages and 60% had less than a high school degree. Around 25% of participants met diagnostic criteria for overweight (BMI 25–29 kg/m 2 ), and 49% met for obesity (BMI≥30 kg/m 2 ). At time of recruitment, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia and depression affected 22%, 20% and 13% of the cohort, respectively. Future plans We plan to regularly update the participants’ electronic health records and self-reported health data to longitudinal research. Additionally, we plan to obtain a more comprehensive genomic analysis on the entire cohort, ensuring greater research interest and investigation into the underlying genetic factors that contribute to disease susceptibility in this cohort.

Abstract Introduction: Underrepresented communities experience a lack in research participation due to multifaceted barriers including historical research mistrust, language barriers, transportation inaccessibility, and other social determinants of health. The disproportionate representation in racial, ethnic, and medically underserved communities furthers the gap in health disparities and treatment outcomes. For this reason, the Mayo Clinic Community Research Registry (CoRR) was developed in 2022 to specifically create a registry of underrepresented communities and connect them to research studies. Methodology: Mayo Clinic CoRR utilizes a community based participatory research (CBPR) approach involving bidirectional engagement with community participants, partnership with community stakeholders and leaders, dissemination of clinical trial information, and use of evidence-based education materials for community outreach. CoRR community partnerships include fraternities, sororities, churches, the American Legion, local physicians, pharmacies, clinics, and health fair events. Through questionnaires, study participants indicate the level of research participation they are comfortable with and are matched to research studies based on their individualized responses. New Unpublished Data: As of early June 2023, CoRR has 270 participants enrolled in the registry with 94% of participants being Black and 6% Hispanic. Average age of the participants is 63 years and includes 63% female and 37 % male. As community input is vital to its development, Mayo Clinic CoRR has partnered with a community advisory board for ongoing discussion of study procedures and recruitment initiatives. This feedback has resulted in over 25 protocol modifications from bidirectional community input and engagement with the study to tailor it to community needs. Revisions include modification of inclusion and exclusion criteria to allow interested, low literacy participants to join, offering written and online platforms for participation in Somali, French, and Creole languages. CoRR adaptations have also implemented a community newsletter to visually provide updated CoRR information, highlight research studies in which CoRR participants have been included, as well as engage CoRR participants regularly. Future developments for CoRR include the establishment of an ad hoc Committee with registry participants to provide another level of safeguarding for enrolled CoRR participants. Conclusion: Responsivity to the needs of the community is vital for the continued development and success of Mayo Clinic CoRR, which has led to a successful ongoing enrollment of underrepresented communities into research studies. By utilizing targeted CBPR, the CoRR demonstrates a proof of concept in recruiting and retaining participants in hard-to-reach demographics with the goal of reducing health disparities in chronic diseases, including cancer. Citation Format: Emelina Asto-Flores, Chelsea Mir, Sandy Goncalves, Giovanna Moreno Garzon, Nuwanthi Heendeniya, Jennifer Crook, Folakemi Odedina. Increasing involvement and accrual in research studies from communities of underrepresented populations through the lens of a community based participatory approach via the Community Research Registry (CoRR) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2023 Sep 29-Oct 2;Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(12 Suppl):Abstract nr A038.