In fall 2021, Marshall University and the West Virginia Health Equity Action Team (WVHEAT) worked with community-based organizations – the WV Coalition of Minority Health, Race Matters, the Positive People Association, WV Health Right, Ebenezer Medical Outreach, and the Hope Community Development – in an effort to survey West Virginians who identify as a racial or ethnic minority in the southern part of the state. As a community-based participatory evaluation effort, all partners of this project were included in every part of the data collection process.

The survey included questions around access to health care, nutrition, physical activity, and what health-related resources are available and whether survey takers would use the resources available to them. The organizations called upon the people they directly work with to recruit for the survey. The survey was available online and in paper format to encourage people to take it.