Background: Lung cancer represents the leading cause of cancer death for Pacific Islanders in the United States, but they remain underrepresented in studies leading to the lack of evidence-based cessation programs tailored to their culture and lifestyle.
Objectives: This paper aims to describe the development of culturally tailored and community informed recruitment materials, and provide lessons learned regarding implementation and adaptation of strategies to recruit Pacific Islander young adult smokers into a randomized cessation study.
Methods: Development of recruitment materials involved a series of focus groups to determine the cessation program logo and recruitment video.
Recent studies have found high levels of stress among Americans, particularly amongst young adults and ethnic minority groups. The purpose of this secondary data analysis was to explore the association between stress and social support among a sample of 276 young adult smokers of Pacific Islander ancestry, specifically Samoans and Tongans with an average age of 25.3 years.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Despite the high burden of tobacco-related diseases experienced by Samoans and Tongans, there is relatively little understanding of the factors that influence their smoking behaviors which could inform effective smoking cessation strategies. This study examined several psychosocial characteristics that intertwine to predict smoking patterns in these Pacific Islander subgroups.
Methods: Samoans and Tongans between the ages of 18 and 33, who consumed at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and were current smokers, were categorized as light, moderate, or heavy smokers.
This study tested the feasibility of collecting saliva samples from Pacific Islanders (PIs) via a community-based participatory research approach. Collection of saliva samples were conducted by trained and trusted PI community leaders at various partner sites. A total of 214 saliva samples were donated by PIs living in Southern California, more than half of whom were females between the ages of 18 and 35 years.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDespite increasing rates of cancer, biospecimen donations for cancer research remains low among Pacific Islanders (PIs). To address this disparity, researchers partnered with PI community organizations to develop and test a theory-based culturally tailored educational intervention designed to raise awareness about the issues surrounding biospecimen research. A total of 219 self-identified PI adults in Southern California were recruited to participate in a one-group pre-post design study.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPacific Islander (PI) populations of Southern California experience high obesity and low physical activity levels. Given PI's rich cultural ties, efforts to increase physical activity using a community-tailored strategy may motivate members in a more sustainable manner. In this paper, we (1) detail the program adaptation methodology that was utilized to develop the Weaving an Islander Network for Cancer Awareness, Research and Training (WINCART) Center's PI Let's Move Program, a culturally tailored program aimed to increase physical activity levels among members of PI organizations in Southern California, and (2) share the program's pilot evaluation results on individual and organizational changes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives. The purpose of this article is to describe a community-based participatory research pilot project conducted to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs that Pacific Islanders (PIs) hold toward biospecimen collection, use, and banking, all of which will help drive higher PI participation rates in both medical and behavioral research studies. Method.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBreast and cervical cancers are the second and fourth leading causes of cancer death among Asian and Pacific Islander women. Despite screening exams that can detect these cancers early and increase survival, racial and ethnic populations continue to be disproportionately affected. This study examined the sources of information and their impacts on cancer screening compliance among native Hawaiians in Orange County, California.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFollowing the goals of Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR), this paper describes how Native Hawaiian values emerged as a methodology for the conduct of a study with Native Hawaiians residing in Southern California. The equitable placing of community values side by side with scientific values show that community concepts can parallel and extend CBPR premises and are more than a variable to be added in the analysis. The community partners, whose voices guide this paper, introduced the values associated with the concepts of "aloha," "mālama," "maihilahila," "na'auao," and "ano ano hua.
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