Alexandra F Lightfoot
Biographic Data
| ID | 83197 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Alexandra F Lightfoot |
| GIVEN NAMES | Alexandra F |
| FAMILY NAME | Lightfoot |
| SIGNATURE | LIGHTFOOT A F |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-9681-5081 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 32 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 55 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 32 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2012 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
“You’ve got the door cracked enough that maybe they can’t quite get it closed again”
Objective Diversity training is commonly used by organizations, but evidence of positive impacts is mixed. Antiracism training, which focuses on structural racism, is largely unexamined in the diversity training literature. The Racial Equity Institute (REI) offers a widely implemented antiracism training called Phase 1 which has never been formally evaluated. As a part of larger community-based participatory research partnership, the research tea…
Listening to the community
Multi-level interventions promoting healthy weight in rural preschool children aged 2–5 years are limited. With the goal of developing a community-informed obesity prevention intervention for rural preschool-aged children, the purpose of this descriptive study was to identify: (1) community settings and intervention strategies to prioritize for an intervention; (2) potential implementation challenges and solutions; and (3) immediate interventions…
Mechanisms to enhance racial equity in health care
Background: As medical and public health professional organizations call on researchers and policy makers to address structural racism in health care, guidance on evidence-based interventions to enhance health care equity is needed. The most promising organizational change interventions to reduce racial health disparities use multilevel approaches and are tailored to specific settings. This study examines the Accountability for Cancer Care throug…
Rural and nonrural racial variation in mentally unhealthy days
Rural-nonrural health disparities are well documented, yet researchers rarely consider how mental health is experienced across racial groups in rural areas. Black Americans frequently demonstrate better mental health than White Americans, which is puzzling, given their exposure to interpersonal and structural racism and discrimination. To determine if this paradoxical mental health patterning occurs within the context of rurality, we used zero-in…
Photovoice Reveals Residents’ Concerns for Air and Water Quality in Industry-Impacted Rural Community
Rural communities of color in the southeastern U.S. experience a high burden of environmental hazards from concentrated industry placement. Community-engaged research and qualitative methods can improve our understanding of meaning-making in a community impacted by polluting facilities. This study applies the photovoice method to assess how a predominantly African American community in rural North Carolina, impacted by a landfill and confined ani…
We grew up in the church
Structural Barriers to HIV Prevention and Services
BACKGROUND: African American women are at a disproportionate HIV risk compared with other U.S. women. Studies show that complex structural and social determinants, rather than individual behaviors, place African American women at greater risk of HIV infection; however, little is known about women's views of what puts them at risk. AIMS: This study sought to comprehend the perceptions of African American women living in low-income housing regardin…
The MI-PHOTOS Project
Despite the persistent health inequities faced by rural women in the United States, few researchers have partnered with women in rural communities to co-create sustainable change. To fill this gap, Mothers Improving Pregnancy and Postpartum Health Outcomes Through stOry Sharing (MI-PHOTOS) employed a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach by partnering with mothers, community leaders, and community-based organizations in Robeson C…
Lessons Learned in Centering Youth Voices in HIV Prevention
Our three study phases included six AHWG meetings from 2019 to 2020, youth-only meetings guided by a participatory engagement framework (Youth Generate and Organize), and interviews (n=13) and surveys with youth in the community (N=87). We also developed materials such as an AHWG mission statement, a list of themes and informational needs, and documented strategies about pivoting the project during the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic.Lesson…
Expanding the Reach of an Evidence-Based, System-Level, Racial Equity Intervention
The abundance of literature documenting the impact of racism on health disparities requires additional theoretical, statistical, and conceptual contributions to illustrate how anti-racist interventions can be an important strategy to reduce racial inequities and improve population health. Accountability for Cancer Care through Undoing Racism and Equity (ACCURE) was an NIH-funded intervention that utilized an antiracism lens and community-based pa…
Awareness of and attitudes toward pre-exposure prophylaxis among African American women living in low-income neighborhoods in a Southeastern city
African American women in the South are disproportionately affected by HIV but have often been ignored in HIV prevention efforts, including in the rollout of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). To inform strategies to promote PrEP awareness and access in this population, we conducted a venue-based community survey with 53 African American women living in low-income neighborhoods of a Southeastern city to understand women's knowledge of and attitudes…
Refining Black men’s depression measurement using participatory approaches
Findings from this study illustrate the similar and divergent pathways in which Black men express depressed mood. Furthermore, concept mapping results also yield a novel opportunity for culturally informed scale development in future research
Using Participatory Methods to Assess PrEP Interest and Uptake Among Young People Living in the Southeastern US
How Perceived Structural Racism and Discrimination and Medical Mistrust in the Health System Influences Participation in HIV Health Services for Black Women Living in the United States South
There are racial and geographic disparities for HIV in the United States; Black women have nearly 20 times the risk of White women in being infected with HIV, and lifetime HIV risk is greatest for people living in the southern United States. These disparities, layered with the structural racism and discrimination that is more prominent in the south, is a public health issue. The purpose of this article is to share Black women's perspectives of ho…
Racial Differences in the Influence of Health Care System Factors on Informal Support for Cancer Care Among Black and White Breast and Lung Cancer Survivors
This retrospective, secondary qualitative analysis investigates whether health system factors influence social support among Black and white breast and lung cancer survivors and racial differences in support. These data come from race- and cancer-stratified focus groups (n = 6) and interviews (n = 2) to inform a randomized controlled trial utilizing antiracism and community-based participatory research approaches. Findings indicate social support…
They were just waiting for me to mess up”
This paper explores Latinx adolescents' perceptions of power dynamics with authority around them. We seek to inform how community‐based professionals engage with and seek to understand members of this population. We conducted a critical discourse analysis of data collected during a community action photovoice project with 13 Latinx adolescents living in a metropolitan region of the southeastern United States. Participants felt they were under gre…
Missing Mayberry
Establishing New Community-Based Participatory Research Partnerships using the Community-Based Participatory Research Charrette Model
Overall, the CHAMPS partnership benefited significantly from the charrette process. Specifically, the charrette process engendered greater transparency, accountability, and trust among CHAMPS partners by encouraging collective negotiation of project goals and implementation, roles and responsibilities, and compensation and communication structures. The process also allowed for the exploration of newly identified challenges and potential solutions…
It's like you don't have a roadmap really’
Background: Cancer patients can experience healthcare system-related challenges during the course of their treatment. Yet, little is known about how these challenges might affect the quality and completion of cancer treatment for all patients, and particularly for patients of color. Accountability for Cancer Care through Undoing Racism and Equity is a multi-component, community-based participatory research intervention to reduce Black-White cance…
Making a difference in medical trainees' attitudes toward Latino patients
Because We All Trust and Care about Each Other”
Implementing a cross-disciplinary intervention in a new setting is best achieved through a local community-engaged process, with active involvement of relevant stakeholders. We suggest strategies to strengthen community partnerships cooperating in implementation of complex, context-tailored interventions
Community-Guided Focus Group Analysis to Examine Cancer Disparities
A collaborative qualitative data analysis process strengthened the capacity of our community-medical-academic partnership, enriched our research moving forward, and enhanced the transparency and accountability of our research approach
Engaging African American Faith-Based Organizations in Adolescent HIV Prevention
‘I learned to accept every part of myself’
Theatre-based interventions have been used in health promotion activities among young people to address HIV and sexual health. In this study, we explored the experience of undergraduate student performers participating in a theatre-based HIV prevention and sexual health education intervention for high school students in the USA. Undergraduate students enrolled in a credit-bearing course to learn about HIV and sexual health, participatory theatre …
‘I learned to be okay with talking about sex and safety’
Adolescents are at increased risk of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the Southern states of the USA, where rates among youth are higher than in the rest of the nation. This paper reports on findings from a pilot study of an HIV prevention intervention that uses interactive theatre to educate young people about sexual health. The intervention was developed in Los Angeles and adapted for testing in the Southern USA, with its legac…
Making a difference in medical trainees' attitudes toward Latino patients
Missing Mayberry
Beyond Incentives for Involvement to Compensation for Consultants
Leveraging CE expertise and compensating them for their role benefits both university and community. Creating a place for community expertise within academia is an important step toward equitably including the community in research
You Still Got to See Where She’s Coming From”
African Americans have the highest rate of new HIV infection in the United States. This photovoice study explored the perspectives and experiences of African American female youth and sought to understand how adolescent development impacts HIV risk. This study used the photovoice methodology with seven African American or Biracial female youth, in Grades 8 through 12, residing in North Carolina. Study findings indicate that African American femal…
Exploring the Social and Community Context of African American Adolescents' HIV Vulnerability
There is an increasing call for HIV prevention programs that target social determinants of HIV. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences and perceptions of 12 African American adolescents to identify important social and community targets for HIV prevention. We used photovoice methodology to engage adolescents in a critical analysis of their experiences to arrive at a deeper understanding of the social determinants of HIV and dete…
In My House”
Finding effective and responsive ways to implement HIV/AIDS prevention in faith settings is facilitated by engaging diverse partners throughout the research process
Community-Guided Focus Group Analysis to Examine Cancer Disparities
A collaborative qualitative data analysis process strengthened the capacity of our community-medical-academic partnership, enriched our research moving forward, and enhanced the transparency and accountability of our research approach
We grew up in the church
They were just waiting for me to mess up”
This paper explores Latinx adolescents' perceptions of power dynamics with authority around them. We seek to inform how community‐based professionals engage with and seek to understand members of this population. We conducted a critical discourse analysis of data collected during a community action photovoice project with 13 Latinx adolescents living in a metropolitan region of the southeastern United States. Participants felt they were under gre…
Establishing New Community-Based Participatory Research Partnerships using the Community-Based Participatory Research Charrette Model
Overall, the CHAMPS partnership benefited significantly from the charrette process. Specifically, the charrette process engendered greater transparency, accountability, and trust among CHAMPS partners by encouraging collective negotiation of project goals and implementation, roles and responsibilities, and compensation and communication structures. The process also allowed for the exploration of newly identified challenges and potential solutions…
Community-Responsive Research Priorities
Tapping into an established community-based network and linking researchers to community-identified priorities ensures that NC TraCS addresses the most pressing health needs of North Carolina's residents
Podcast Interview Transcript
Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action - Volume 6, Issue 4, Winter 2012
In My House”
Finding effective and responsive ways to implement HIV/AIDS prevention in faith settings is facilitated by engaging diverse partners throughout the research process
Community-Responsive Research Priorities
Tapping into an established community-based network and linking researchers to community-identified priorities ensures that NC TraCS addresses the most pressing health needs of North Carolina's residents
Beyond Incentives for Involvement to Compensation for Consultants
Leveraging CE expertise and compensating them for their role benefits both university and community. Creating a place for community expertise within academia is an important step toward equitably including the community in research
Exploring the Social and Community Context of African American Adolescents' HIV Vulnerability
There is an increasing call for HIV prevention programs that target social determinants of HIV. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences and perceptions of 12 African American adolescents to identify important social and community targets for HIV prevention. We used photovoice methodology to engage adolescents in a critical analysis of their experiences to arrive at a deeper understanding of the social determinants of HIV and dete…
Where is the Faith? Using a CBPR Approach to Propose Adaptations to an Evidence-Based HIV Prevention Intervention for Adolescents in African American Faith Settings
Engaging African American Faith-Based Organizations in Adolescent HIV Prevention
‘I learned to accept every part of myself’
Theatre-based interventions have been used in health promotion activities among young people to address HIV and sexual health. In this study, we explored the experience of undergraduate student performers participating in a theatre-based HIV prevention and sexual health education intervention for high school students in the USA. Undergraduate students enrolled in a credit-bearing course to learn about HIV and sexual health, participatory theatre …
‘I learned to be okay with talking about sex and safety’
Adolescents are at increased risk of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the Southern states of the USA, where rates among youth are higher than in the rest of the nation. This paper reports on findings from a pilot study of an HIV prevention intervention that uses interactive theatre to educate young people about sexual health. The intervention was developed in Los Angeles and adapted for testing in the Southern USA, with its legac…
You Still Got to See Where She’s Coming From”
African Americans have the highest rate of new HIV infection in the United States. This photovoice study explored the perspectives and experiences of African American female youth and sought to understand how adolescent development impacts HIV risk. This study used the photovoice methodology with seven African American or Biracial female youth, in Grades 8 through 12, residing in North Carolina. Study findings indicate that African American femal…
Because We All Trust and Care about Each Other”
Implementing a cross-disciplinary intervention in a new setting is best achieved through a local community-engaged process, with active involvement of relevant stakeholders. We suggest strategies to strengthen community partnerships cooperating in implementation of complex, context-tailored interventions
Community-Guided Focus Group Analysis to Examine Cancer Disparities
A collaborative qualitative data analysis process strengthened the capacity of our community-medical-academic partnership, enriched our research moving forward, and enhanced the transparency and accountability of our research approach
Establishing New Community-Based Participatory Research Partnerships using the Community-Based Participatory Research Charrette Model
Overall, the CHAMPS partnership benefited significantly from the charrette process. Specifically, the charrette process engendered greater transparency, accountability, and trust among CHAMPS partners by encouraging collective negotiation of project goals and implementation, roles and responsibilities, and compensation and communication structures. The process also allowed for the exploration of newly identified challenges and potential solutions…
It's like you don't have a roadmap really’
Background: Cancer patients can experience healthcare system-related challenges during the course of their treatment. Yet, little is known about how these challenges might affect the quality and completion of cancer treatment for all patients, and particularly for patients of color. Accountability for Cancer Care through Undoing Racism and Equity is a multi-component, community-based participatory research intervention to reduce Black-White cance…
Making a difference in medical trainees' attitudes toward Latino patients
How Perceived Structural Racism and Discrimination and Medical Mistrust in the Health System Influences Participation in HIV Health Services for Black Women Living in the United States South
There are racial and geographic disparities for HIV in the United States; Black women have nearly 20 times the risk of White women in being infected with HIV, and lifetime HIV risk is greatest for people living in the southern United States. These disparities, layered with the structural racism and discrimination that is more prominent in the south, is a public health issue. The purpose of this article is to share Black women's perspectives of ho…
Racial Differences in the Influence of Health Care System Factors on Informal Support for Cancer Care Among Black and White Breast and Lung Cancer Survivors
This retrospective, secondary qualitative analysis investigates whether health system factors influence social support among Black and white breast and lung cancer survivors and racial differences in support. These data come from race- and cancer-stratified focus groups (n = 6) and interviews (n = 2) to inform a randomized controlled trial utilizing antiracism and community-based participatory research approaches. Findings indicate social support…
They were just waiting for me to mess up”
This paper explores Latinx adolescents' perceptions of power dynamics with authority around them. We seek to inform how community‐based professionals engage with and seek to understand members of this population. We conducted a critical discourse analysis of data collected during a community action photovoice project with 13 Latinx adolescents living in a metropolitan region of the southeastern United States. Participants felt they were under gre…
Missing Mayberry
Expanding the Reach of an Evidence-Based, System-Level, Racial Equity Intervention
The abundance of literature documenting the impact of racism on health disparities requires additional theoretical, statistical, and conceptual contributions to illustrate how anti-racist interventions can be an important strategy to reduce racial inequities and improve population health. Accountability for Cancer Care through Undoing Racism and Equity (ACCURE) was an NIH-funded intervention that utilized an antiracism lens and community-based pa…
Awareness of and attitudes toward pre-exposure prophylaxis among African American women living in low-income neighborhoods in a Southeastern city
African American women in the South are disproportionately affected by HIV but have often been ignored in HIV prevention efforts, including in the rollout of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). To inform strategies to promote PrEP awareness and access in this population, we conducted a venue-based community survey with 53 African American women living in low-income neighborhoods of a Southeastern city to understand women's knowledge of and attitudes…
Refining Black men’s depression measurement using participatory approaches
Findings from this study illustrate the similar and divergent pathways in which Black men express depressed mood. Furthermore, concept mapping results also yield a novel opportunity for culturally informed scale development in future research
Using Participatory Methods to Assess PrEP Interest and Uptake Among Young People Living in the Southeastern US
Structural Barriers to HIV Prevention and Services
BACKGROUND: African American women are at a disproportionate HIV risk compared with other U.S. women. Studies show that complex structural and social determinants, rather than individual behaviors, place African American women at greater risk of HIV infection; however, little is known about women's views of what puts them at risk. AIMS: This study sought to comprehend the perceptions of African American women living in low-income housing regardin…
The MI-PHOTOS Project
Despite the persistent health inequities faced by rural women in the United States, few researchers have partnered with women in rural communities to co-create sustainable change. To fill this gap, Mothers Improving Pregnancy and Postpartum Health Outcomes Through stOry Sharing (MI-PHOTOS) employed a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach by partnering with mothers, community leaders, and community-based organizations in Robeson C…
Medicine (29 works) · Sociology (26 works) · Political science (20 works) · Psychology (20 works) · Nursing (16 works) · Public health (15 works) · Family medicine (13 works) · Participatory action research (13 works) · Community-based participatory research (12 works) · Gerontology (12 works)