Wellness Tour for Tribal Communities During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Uniting Sacred Space with Western Medicine to Prevent Substance Use.

Substance use disorders (SUD) and overdose deaths worsened further during the Covid-19 pandemic in American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) communities. The Native Dad's Network (NDN) delivered the Wellness Tour, offering cultural activities and SUD prevention education, from March 2021 to June 2022, to 11 AIAN tribal communities across California. The in-person program created a "sacred space" through culturally congruent song, dance, and prayer.

Implementation of medication for opioid use disorder treatment in Indian health clinics in California: A qualitative evaluation.

Introduction: American Indians and Alaska Native (AIAN) populations are disproportionately affected by opioid misuse. Medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) is essential to decrease overdose events and overdose deaths. AIAN communities can benefit from MOUD programs that are housed within primary care clinics to improve treatment accessibility.

American Indian and Alaska Native substance use treatment: Barriers and facilitators according to an implementation framework.

Introduction: Substance use disorder (SUD) and overdose deaths are higher in the American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) population than in other racial/ethnic groups. Multi-level gaps hinder SUD treatment for AIAN patients. Few studies have engaged front-line clinicians and administrators of SUD treatment programs serving AIAN patients to identify barriers and facilitators to improve the implementation of effective treatment.

Examining multilevel influences on parental HPV vaccine hesitancy among multiethnic communities in Los Angeles: a qualitative analysis.

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine hesitancy is a growing concern in the United States, yet understudied among racial/ethnic minority parents. We conducted qualitative research to understand parental HPV vaccine hesitancy and inform community-specific, multilevel approaches to improve HPV vaccination among diverse populations in Los Angeles.

Methods: We recruited American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN), Hispanic/Latino/a (HL) and Chinese parents of unvaccinated children (9-17 years) from low-HPV vaccine uptake regions in Los Angeles for virtual focus groups (FGs).

Exploring Culturally Based Treatment Options for Opioid Use Disorders Among American Indian and Alaska Native Adults in California.

Objective: American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) communities have been severely affected by the opioid epidemic, resulting in high opioid overdose death rates and disrupted community life. An added complexity is the diversity of AIAN communities throughout California, with regional differences, resources, infrastructure, and economic opportunities. This study examined the perspective of 163 AIANs in California to assess culturally based or traditional healing treatment modalities to treat opioid/substance use disorder.

Project SUN: Pilot Study of a Culturally Adapted Smoking Cessation Curriculum for American Indian Youth.

American Indian Alaska Native (AIAN) youth have disproportionately higher rates of commercial tobacco product use compared to other racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. These rates underscore a need for commercial tobacco product cessation interventions that are culturally informed.

Centering racial justice for Black/African American and Indigenous American people in commercial tobacco product regulation.

Although overall health in the United States (US) has improved dramatically during the past century, long-standing health inequities, particularly the unequal and unjust burden of tobacco-related disease and death among racialized populations, persist. A considerable gap exists in our understanding of how commercial tobacco product regulations and policies cause and/or exacerbate race-based health inequities among Black/African American (B/AA) and Indigenous American people. The purpose of this paper is to 1) describe how existing US commercial tobacco regulatory policies may contribute to structural racism and undermine the full benefits of tobacco prevention and control efforts among B/AA and Indigenous American groups; and 2) initiate a call to action for researchers and regulators of tobacco products to examine policies using an equity lens.

Substance and Behavioral Addictions among American Indian and Alaska Native Populations.

Objective: This paper examines substance and behavioral addictions among American Indian and Alaska Natives (AIAN) to identify the structural and psychosocial risk and cultural protective factors that are associated with substance use and behavioral addictions.

Methods: Five databases were used to search for peer reviewed articles through December 2021 that examined substance and behavioral addictions among AIANs.

Results: The literature search identified 69 articles.

A qualitative assessment of the perceptions and attitudes towards commercial tobacco policies and education among tribal communities in California.

: California has the largest American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) population in the United States and faces several commercial tobacco related disparities. This study assessed current interest, readiness, and knowledge regarding commercial tobacco control policies in California Tribal communities.: A community readiness assessment was conducted in California Tribal communities to understand commercial tobacco policies that included: Tobacco 21 (California State, and now federal, law restricting commercial tobacco sales to age 21 and over), tobacco tax, smoke-free worksites on Tribal lands, smoke-free households, and smoke-free indoor and outdoor areas in multi-unit housing.

Urban American Indian and Alaska Native Data Sovereignty: Ethical Issues.

This paper examines the ethical issues underlying research with urban American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) through the lens of tribal sovereignty. There are 574 federally recognized tribes within the United States. Each of those tribes is recognized by the federal government as having sovereign status, an important political designation that ensures that decisions impacting tribal peoples must be made after consultation with those nations.

An opioid and substance use disorder needs assessment study for American Indian and Alaska Native youth in California.

American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) youth demonstrate significant substance use and mental health disparities and represent a highly underserved population with regard to effective services. A community-based needs assessment study of urban and rural AIAN youth throughout California was conducted to inform the development of community-based, culturally relevant opioid and substance use services. This study examined AIAN youth experiences with opioid and other substance use disorders (OUD/SUD) in their communities, utilization of existing programs, and service system recommendations.

Prevalence, Co-Occurrence, and Correlates of Substance and Behavioral Addictions Among American Indian Adolescents in California.

The present study investigated the prevalence and co-occurrence of addictions to tobacco, alcohol, other drugs, food/eating, the internet, texting, video games, shopping, love, sex, exercise, work, and gambling among American Indian (AI) youth in California. As with previous work in other cultural groups, the most prevalent addictions were love, internet, and exercise, though prevalence and co-occurrence of these addictions were relatively high among AI youth. A negative life events measure was associated with all the addictions, suggesting that life stressors are associated with high rates of multiple types of addictions among AI youth.

Commercial Tobacco Retailing in Tribal Jurisdictions: A Field Study.

Our objective was to provide data contrasting commercial tobacco retailing in Tribal versus non-Tribal jurisdictions, in 3 states. These data may be relevant for US Food and Drug Administration regulation of Tribal retailing. With Tribal permission, observations were made on commercial tobacco advertising, product variety, pricing, and retail concept for stores within and just outside Tribal jurisdictions in areas of Arizona (AZ), California (CA), and Oklahoma (OK).

Spirituality, Ethnic Identity, and Substance Use among American Indian/Alaska Native Adolescents in California.

American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) adolescents have a higher prevalence of commercial tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use than other racial/ethnic groups in the United States. It is unclear whether cultural factors such as ethnic identity, spirituality, and ceremonial use of traditional tobacco are associated with substance use, especially use of emerging tobacco products such as electronic cigarettes, among AIAN adolescents. This study investigated the association between hypothesized cultural protective factors (ethnic identity, spirituality, and ceremonial use of traditional tobacco) and past-month use of commercial cigarettes, e-cigarettes, marijuana, blunts, and alcohol among 156 AIAN adolescents in California (mean age = 15.

Cigarette and E-Cigarette Retail Marketing on and Near California Tribal Lands.

Retail settings are major channels for the tobacco industry to market commercial tobacco products. However, few studies have examined marketing strategies on Tribal lands. The resulting evidence is important, especially given that American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth and adults have the highest smoking prevalence of any racial/ethnic group in the United States.

Pro-tobacco marketing and anti-tobacco campaigns aimed at vulnerable populations: A review of the literature.

Introduction: We reviewed research literature on pro-tobacco marketing and anti-tobacco campaigns targeting eight vulnerable populations to determine key findings and research gaps. Results can inform tobacco policy and control efforts and the design of public education campaigns for these groups.

Methods: Five journal databases in medicine, communication, and science, were used to identify 8875 peer-reviewed, original articles in English, published in the period 2004-2018.

Tobacco Industry Marketing Exposure and Commercial Tobacco Product Use Disparities among American Indians and Alaska Natives.

: Non-Hispanic American Indians and Alaska Natives (NH AI/AN) have the highest commercial tobacco use (CTU) among U.S. racial/ethnic groups.

Comparison of e-cigarette marketing and availability in tobacco retail outlets among diverse low-income communities in California.

Objective: Research examining marketing and availability of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) within tobacco retail stores is limited, especially among vulnerable communities. However, tobacco retailers tend to be the first point of access to e-cigarette exposure, especially among youth. In response, store observations were conducted among tobacco retailers across five ethnically diverse, low-income communities.

Managers' Practices of Tobacco and Marijuana Smoking Policies in Hispanic-Occupied Multiunit Housing.

This study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of managers of Hispanic-occupied multiunit housing (MUH) related to the prevalence and prevention of secondhand smoke (SHS), thirdhand tobacco smoke, and secondhand marijuana smoke (SHMS). A narrative analysis was conducted of 20 interviews with live-in apartment managers. Their opinions on policies and an educational fotonovela were also gathered.

Statewide collaborative partnerships among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities in California to target the opioid epidemic: Preliminary results of the Tribal Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) key informant needs assessment.

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities have disproportionately been impacted by the opioid epidemic with the second highest opioid-related overdose death rates compared to other ethnic groups. The diversity among California AI/AN tribes, including regional differences in economic opportunities, tribal affiliation and organization, resources and infrastructure, requires a strong community-based partnership approach to assess global statewide patterns in service availability, acceptability, and utilization, as well as capturing the unique challenges and service needs within each region. This article describes a statewide community-based needs assessment of strengths and weakness among key informants in CA to identify facilitators and barriers to treatment of substance use disorders (SUD) and opioid use disorders (OUD).

Point-of-sale marketing of little cigars and cigarillos on and near California Tribal lands.

Introduction: American Indians have the highest cigarette smoking prevalence of any racial/ethnic group in the USA. Tobacco marketing at point-of-sale is associated with smoking, possibly due to easy access to cheap tobacco products. The sale of novel tobacco products like little cigars/cigarillos (LCCs) has increased in recent years which may further increase combustible tobacco use among American Indians.

Stressful life events, ethnic identity, historical trauma, and participation in cultural activities: Associations with smoking behaviors among American Indian adolescents in California.

Introduction: American Indian (AI) adolescents have the highest prevalence of commercial tobacco use of any ethnic group in the United States. This study examines ethnic identity (EI), participation in cultural activities, and stressful life events (SLEs) as correlates of smoking and examines historical trauma (HT) as a mediator of these associations.

Methods: California AI youth (N = 969, ages 13-19, recruited from 49 tribal youth organizations and cultural activities in urban and reservation areas in California) completed a tobacco survey.

The relevance of cultural activities in ethnic identity among California Native American youth.

This study analyzed data from a large statewide sample of Native American adolescents throughout California to determine whether participation in cultural practices was associated with stronger ethnic identity. The Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) scale was used to measure the ethnic identity of 945 Native American adolescents (416 male, 529 female) aged 13 - 19 across California. Respondents who participated in cultural activities including pow-wows, sweat lodge, drum group and roundhouse dance reported significantly higher Native American ethnic identity than their counterparts who did not take part in cultural activities.