Faculty, Staff and Student Publications
Helping Everyone Achieve a LifeTime of Health - Future Addiction Scientist Training Program Outcomes
Language
English
Publication Date
1-1-2025
Journal
Health Behavior and Policy Review
DOI
10.14485/HBPR.12.3.5
PMID
41041517
PMCID
PMC12488081
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
10-2-2025
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Author MSS
Abstract
Objectives: Addiction to alcohol, tobacco, and/or other drugs (ATOD) remains a leading cause of cancer and a contributor to diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, disproportionately affecting marginalized and minoritized groups. Social and structural inequities including limited healthcare access, employment instability, inadequate housing, and environmental stressors increase these risks. A diverse scientific workforce is necessary to mitigate ATOD-related health disparities; yet underrepresentation persists in ATOD research. Helping Everyone Achieve a LifeTime of Health-Future Addiction Scientist Training (HEALTH-FAST) is a NIDA funded research education program that aims to reduce ATOD-related disparities by training future scholars in addiction science and health equity.
Methods: From 2021-2023, 8 Doctoral Scholars, 2 Postdoctoral Fellows, and 6 Early-Stage Investigators (44% Black, 19% Hispanic, 63% women; 37.5% disadvantaged and/or first generation) were trained in the HEALTH-FAST Program.
Results: The program achieved its objectives, showing gains in research knowledge (80% increase from baseline to program exit for Doctoral Scholars and 40% for Postdoctoral Fellows and Early-Stage Investigators, respectively), research self-efficacy (37% and 30% increases, respectively), and research preparation (47% and 35% increases, respectively). Scholars rated ATOD research presentations, professional development seminars, and other programming highly. Program satisfaction for both groups fell between 9 and 10; 10 = completely satisfied. As of April 2025, scholars produced 160 peer-reviewed publications and secured 41 grants.
Conclusions: HEALTH-FAST can serve as a model research education program to train historically excluded scholars and diversify the ATOD health equity research workforce to address related health disparities.
Keywords
health equity science, addiction science, educational training program, underrepresented scholars, early-stage investigators, doctoral and postdoctoral scholars
Published Open-Access
yes
Recommended Citation
Moosa, Asfand B; Segura, Christina M; Siddiqi, Ammar D; et al., "Helping Everyone Achieve a LifeTime of Health - Future Addiction Scientist Training Program Outcomes" (2025). Faculty, Staff and Student Publications. 3890.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/uthmed_docs/3890