Negative mood is associated with sociobehavioral factors contributing to cardiovascular risk in an immigrant population.

Background: After settling in the United States (US), immigrants often accumulate obesity and cardiovascular risk factors. As mood is often associated with health behaviors in the US population, mood may be an important mediating factor in immigrant populations.

Methods: The Healthy Immigrant Community (HIC) study, set in southeast Minnesota, enrolled 475 adult participants in a weight loss intervention designed to reduce cardiovascular risk.

Negative Mood is Associated with Sociobehavioral Factors Contributing to Cardiovascular Risk in an Immigrant Population.

Background: Immigrants to the United States, on average, accumulate cardiovascular risk after resettlement, including obesity. There is a need to co-create interventions to address these disparities, and mood may be an important mediating factor.

Methods: The (HIC) study, set in southeast Minnesota, enrolled 475 adult participants in a weight loss intervention to reduce cardiovascular risk.

Rochester Healthy Community Partnership: Then and now.

Community-engaged research partnerships promote health equity through incorporation of regional contexts to inform partnership dynamics that shape research and interventions that reflect community voice and priorities. Long-term partnerships build trusted relationships and promote capacity building among community and academic partners, but there are many structural barriers to sustaining long-term partnerships. Here we describe lessons learned from sustaining Rochester Healthy Community Partnership (RHCP), an 18-year community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnership in Southeast Minnesota.

The Recruitment to Dissemination Continuum in Community-based Participatory Research.

Background: Dissemination of research findings to participants and communities, particularly among traditionally marginalized groups, is a systemic challenge. In community-based participatory research (CBPR), long-term partnerships may foster a link between recruitment to research studies, dissemination of results, and recruitment to future studies.

Objectives: To analyze the recruitment to dissemination continuum of a CBPR study and its potential impact on partnership processes and future research.

Pilot Social Network Weight Loss Intervention With Two Immigrant Populations During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Purpose: To examine the feasibility and acceptability of a social network weight loss intervention delivered by lay health promoters (HPs) to immigrant populations.

Design: Single-arm, non-randomized, pilot study of a social network weight loss intervention developed by a community-based participatory research partnership and delivered by HPs.

Setting: Community-based setting in Southeastern Minnesota, United States.

Community-Engaged Bidirectional Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication With Immigrant and Refugee Populations During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objectives: This study was conducted to assess an intervention that was created by a community-academic partnership to address COVID-19 health inequities. We evaluated a community-engaged bidirectional pandemic crisis and emergency risk communication (CERC) framework with immigrant and refugee populations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A 17-year community-engaged research partnership adopted a CERC framework in March 2020 to address COVID-19 prevention, testing, and socioeconomic impacts with immigrant and refugee groups in southeast Minnesota.

Facilitated Stories for Change: Digital Storytelling as a Tool for Engagement in Facilitated Discussion for Reduction of Diabetes-Related Health Disparities Among Rural Latino Patients With Diabetes.

Introduction: Latino populations, particularly those living in rural areas, experience a disproportionately high prevalence and poorer outcomes of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The purpose of this study was to test the acceptability and perceived effectiveness of a group-based, facilitated digital storytelling intervention for T2DM self-management among rural Latino patients.

Method: Twenty Latino adults with T2DM participated in facilitated storytelling discussions at two primary clinics.

Association of social network factors with weight status and weight loss intentions among hispanic adults.

Hispanic adults have the highest obesity prevalence in the United States, but little is known about weight-related social network influences. A community-based sample of 610 Hispanic participants completed height/weight and a survey. The proportion of overweight or obese (OW/OB) network members was higher for OW/OB respondents compared to normal weight respondents.

Diabetes Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors Among Somali and Latino Immigrants.

Persons from Somalia constitute the largest group of immigrants and refugees from Africa among whom diabetes-related health disparities are well documented. As one of the first steps toward developing a behavioral intervention to address diabetes among Somali immigrants and refugees, we administered a face to face interview-based survey to Somali and Latino adults with diabetes in a single community to assess diabetes knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. Respondents (N = 78) reported several barriers to optimal diabetes management for physical activity and glucose self-monitoring, as well as a high burden of disease and negative perceptions of diabetes.

Stories for change: development of a diabetes digital storytelling intervention for refugees and immigrants to minnesota using qualitative methods.

Background: Immigrants and refugees are affected by diabetes-related health disparities, with higher rates of incident diabetes and sub-optimal diabetes outcomes. Digital storytelling interventions for chronic diseases, such as diabetes may be especially powerful among immigrants because often limited English proficiency minimizes access to and affects the applicability of the existing health education opportunities. Community-based participatory research (CBPR), whereby community members and academia partner in an equitable relationship through all phases of the research, is an intuitive approach to develop these interventions.