Investigating Measures of Social Context on 2 Population-Based Health Surveys, Hawaii, 2010-2012.

Measures from the Social Context Module of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System were used on 2 population-based health surveys in Hawaii to explicate the role of the nonmedical and social determinants of health; these measures were also compared with conventional socioeconomic status (SES) variables. Results showed that the self-reported SES vulnerabilities of food and housing insecurity are both linked to demographic factors and physical and mental health status and significant when controlling for the conventional measures of SES. The social context module indicators should be increasingly used so results can inform appropriate interventions for vulnerable populations.

Weight reduction among people with severe and persistent mental illness after health behavior counseling and monitoring.

The high prevalence of obesity and associated chronic conditions in persons with severe and persistent mental illness has contributed to a mortality rate that is nearly two times higher than the overall population. In 2008, the Central O'ahu Community Mental Health Center of the Hawai'i State Department of Health, Adult Mental Health Division began an unfunded, health counseling intervention pilot project to address such concerns for the health of persons with severe and persistent mental illness. This article reviews the results of this intervention.

Betel nut chewing in Hawai'i: is it becoming a public health problem? Historical and socio-cultural considerations.

This article examines the socio-cultural significance of betel nut use among Micronesians, in light of the recent migration of Micronesians to Hawai'i. The different ways of chewing betel nut are the result of historical changes within Micronesia over time due to Spanish and US colonialism as well as the introduction of tobacco. These divergent ways of chewing may have different risks or impacts on health and it remains to be seen whether or not betel nut will become a significant public health problem in Hawai'i.

Preview of Hawaii Cancer Facts and Figures 2010.

Each year, nearly 6,700 Hawaii residents are diagnosed with cancer and more than 2,000 die from the disease. Detailed data on the burden of cancer in Hawaii, including cancer incidence and mortality rates, are available in Hawaii Cancer Facts & Figures 2010 (CF&F). A collaborative effort of the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, the American Cancer Society and the Hawaii Department of Health, this update of the original version published in 2003 is intended as a tool for public health education, research, and planning.

Overweight and at-risk for overweight among Hawai'i public school students entering kindergarten, 2002-2003.

Recent studies have pointed to an increasing problem of overweight and obesity in children in Hawai'i, but all of these studies have been conducted in specific communities or special population groups. No broad population-based studies have been conducted to document the extent of overweight in the general population of children in Hawai'i. To provide a population based estimate of overweight in Hawai'i's children, this study examined Student Health Records for 10, 199 children entering kindergarten in public schools during 2002-2003.

Community based participatory approaches to address health disparities in Hawai'i: recent applications in cancer prevention, detection and treatment programs.

Assessment of recent trends in the prevalence and incidence of cancer, and its associated risk and protective factors in the State of Hawai'i illustrate that there are definite ethnic, socio-economic, and geographic health disparities. Disparities in access to health care are reflected in decreased and under utilization of all types of preventive cancer screening tests and decreased proportions of people with health insurance coverage. Increases in obesity mirror U.