Publications by authors named "Elena S Kuo"

Background: Appropriate annual screenings for colorectal cancer (CRC) are an essential preventive measure for the second-leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Studies have shown that CRC screening rates are influenced by various social determinants of health (SDOH) factors, including race, ethnicity, and geography. According to 2018 national data, participation in screening is lowest among Hispanic or Latinx individuals (56.

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Introduction: Reaching preschool-aged children to establish healthy lifestyle habits, including physical activity, is an important component of obesity prevention efforts. However, few studies have examined family child care homes where nearly 1 million children receive care.

Study Design: A pre- and post-intervention evaluation without a control group was conducted to evaluate what changes occurred in family child care homes that participated in the Healthy Eating and Active Living project, a multicomponent obesity prevention initiative, focused on community-driven policy and environmental change in neighborhoods within Kaiser Permanente service areas.

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Introduction: From 2012 to 2014, a total of 17 family child care homes participated in a multisector, community-wide initiative to prevent obesity. Strategies included staff workshops, materials, site visits, and technical assistance regarding development and implementation of nutrition policies. The purpose of the evaluation was to examine the impact of the initiative on family child care home nutrition-related policies and practices and child dietary intake.

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Introduction: From 2011 to 2014, small stores in three communities participated in a community-wide obesity prevention initiative. The study aimed to determine how participation in the initiative influenced store environments and consumer purchases.

Study Design: Pre- and post-intervention without control.

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Introduction: A growing number of health systems are leading health promotion efforts in their wider communities. What impact are these efforts having on health behaviors and ultimately health status? This paper presents evaluation results from the place-based Kaiser Permanente Healthy Eating Active Living Zones obesity prevention initiative, implemented in 2011-2015 in 12 low-income communities in Kaiser Permanente's Northern and Southern California Regions.

Methods: The Healthy Eating Active Living Zones design targeted places and people through policy, environmental, and programmatic strategies.

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Unlabelled: Food waste and food insecurity are both significant issues in communities throughout the U.S., including Boulder, Colorado.

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Introduction: Regular physical activity is a vital component of child health, and schools play an important role in the promotion of physical activity among children. This paper describes the implementation and evaluation of a playground redesign involving structural and loose play equipment to increase students' physical activity at an intermediate school in Leadville, Colorado.

Methods: Direct observations were conducted during recess before the redesign in May 2014, then again at 6 months and 1 year after the redesign.

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Unlabelled: Successful community-level health initiatives require implementing an effective portfolio of strategies and understanding their impact on population health. These factors are complicated by the heterogeneity of overlapping multicomponent strategies and availability of population-level data that align with the initiatives. To address these complexities, the population dose methodology was developed for planning and evaluating multicomponent community initiatives.

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Unlabelled: A major challenge in community-based health promotion is implementing strategies that could realistically improve health at the population level. Population dose methodology was developed to help understand the combined impact of multiple strategies on population-level health behaviors. This paper describes one potential use of dose: as a tool for working collaboratively with communities to increase impact when planning and implementing community-level initiatives.

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Problem: Early identification and intervention are critical for reducing the adverse effects of depression on academic and occupational performance. Cost-effective approaches are needed for identifying adolescents at high depression risk. This study evaluated the utility of school record review versus universal school-based depression screening for determining eligibility for an indicated depression intervention program implemented in the middle school setting.

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The high prevalence of depression among incarcerated youth indicates a need to better understand factors that contribute to depression within this vulnerable subgroup. Previous research in general community samples has suggested that high levels of stress and low levels of parental support are associated with depression in young people, but it is unclear whether or how they might be associated with depression among incarcerated youth who are already vulnerable. Using a sample of 228 adolescents (aged 13-18 years) who were detained in the juvenile justice system, stress and support were modeled as independent main effects and as interactive risk factors in relation to depressive symptoms.

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This article describes the implementation of the Developmental Pathways Screening Program (DPSP) and an evaluation of program feasibility, acceptability, and yield. Using the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ) and externalizing questions from the Youth Self Report (YSR; Achenbach, 2001), universal classroom-based emotional health screening was implemented with students as they began middle school. Of all sixth graders enrolled in four participating Seattle schools, 861 (83%) were screened.

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The Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ) is examined for its utility in screening youth in juvenile justice settings for depression. In a cross-sectional study conducted at King County Juvenile Detention Center, a representative sample of 228 detained adolescents complete structured assessments, including the MFQ and the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument. Fifty youth also complete the Voice-Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children.

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Using information available from the longitudinal Children in Community Study, population-attributable risk percentage was calculated to estimate the amount of failure to complete secondary school in the United States that is associated with adolescent psychiatric disorder. Over half the adolescents in the United States who fail to complete their secondary education have a diagnosable psychiatric disorder. The proportion of failure to complete school that is attributable to psychiatric disorder is estimated to be 46%.

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