GRIT focuses primary on implementation science, or “the scientific study of methods to promote the systematic uptake of research findings and other EBPs into routine practice, and, hence, to improve the quality and effectiveness of health services (Bauer et al 2015).” Our studies typically employ mixed quantitative-qualitative designs, identifying factors that impact uptake across multiple levels, including patient, provider, clinic, facility, organization, and the broader community and policy environment.
A secondary research area aims to examine emerging issues in global health governance and explores the intersection between public health, international relations and political science, especially the role of state power in the pursuit of health equity worldwide.
Current GRIT Studies include:
- QUIT-4-Life
Nearly a quarter of AIDS-related deaths are attributable to smoking. While there is substantial evidence supporting interventions to help tobacco users in the general population quit, little is available relevant to the challenges facing HIV+ tobacco users, especially those living in low-income African countries. We approach this gap with a randomized control trial (RCT) to test the efficacy of a tailored short message service (SMS) based tobacco use cessation intervention on prolonged tobacco use abstinence compared to the standard of care (brief advice to quit) and nicotine replacement therapy (nicotine patches) among HIV+ tobacco users in Uganda and Zambia. Our study will provide insight into the efficacy, feasibility, applicability, and affordability of delivering tobacco cessation interventions through HIV treatment centers in two countries with different tobacco use patterns, policy environments, and health care resources. Learn More.
- GEOHealth Hub for Eastern Africa
Air pollution is a leading risk factor for global mortality, accounting for over 7 million premature deaths or 8.7% of the 2017 global mortality burden. The issue is particularly dire in eastern Africa where air pollution data has historically been inaccessible or of poor quality, making efforts to track the problem and support policy change difficult. The Global Environmental and Occupational Health (GEOHealth) Hub for Eastern Africa, established in 2015 with funding from the Fogarty International Center at the US National Institute of Health, in partnership with International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, carries out air pollution monitoring and research capacity building at national and regional levels throughout the Eastern African region. Learn More.
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- Assessment of Youth Public Health Ambassador (YPHA) Training Program
GRIT is partnered with Children Chance International and Energy in Action to implement the Youth Public Health Ambassador Program in Lira District, Northern Uganda. GRIT investigators have taken the lead in evaluating the program on participating youth and their communities. Learn More.
- Malaria Knowledge, Behavior, and Attitudes Study
GRIT partnered with the Youth Public Health Ambassador Program and US Peace Corps to carry out a community-based survey of knowledge, behaviors and attitudes about malaria and bed net usage in Northern Uganda in Spring 2021. Scientific presentations of the study results were made at the 2021 Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Global Health Conference by USC undergraduate student Sarah Phillips (Class of 2024) and the 2022 Annual Conference of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health by USC undergraduate student Abigail Kim (Class of 2022). Learn More.
- Young Adult Focus Group on Impact of COVID-19 Lockdowns
GRIT investigators organized focus group discussions with Public Health Youth Ambassadors (young adults aged 17-22 in Lira District, Northern Uganda) just as they were facing the second national COVID-19 lockdown in June 2021. Scientific presentations of the focus group results were made at the 2021 Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) Global Health Conference and the 2022 Annual Conference of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health by USC undergraduate student Ally Koh (Class of 2022). Learn More.
- Lira District Community Health Assessment
GRIT investigators worked closely with Children’s Chance International, Energy in Action, and participants in the Youth Public Health Ambassador program to design and implement a community-based participatory research study assesses health throughout Lira District, Northern Uganda. The study includes household surveys and observations, adolescent surveys, health facility surveys and observations, and school surveys and observations. Learn More.
- Community-Based Drowning Prevention Assessment
GRIT is partnering with Swim Safe Uganda to carry out a comprehensive assessment of community drowning prevention in Mayuge, Uganda, an at-risk district located on the shores of Lake Victoria. The assessment includes. Learn More.
- Evaluating International Institutions: Multilateralism and the COVID-19 Vaccine Story
This study, initiated by USC undergraduate Danny Lou, Class of 2022, evaluates the role of international institutions in promoting global public goods for health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study focuses specifically on the actions international institutions took in promoting collaborative research in the development of COVID-19 vaccines, supporting intellectual property sharing and scale up of vaccine manufacturing, and eventually facilitating equitable allocation of vaccines produced. A blog based on the project was published on the ‘The Big Q’ hosted by University of Auckland in March 2021 and the full research paper was accepted for presentation at the 2022 International Studies Association Annual conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Learn More.