An Examination of the Impact of Social and Cultural Traditions Contributing to Overweight and Obesity Among Black Women.

Black women living in Prince George's (PG) County, Maryland, have high rates of overweight and obesity. Obesity significantly impacts Black women, leading to poor physical and mental health, decreased social well-being, and a financial strain on the healthcare system. Despite living in an affluent area and having middle to high incomes and high education levels, Black women living in PG County have difficulty managing their weight.

Enhancing FDA's Reach to Minorities and Under-Represented Groups through Training: Developing Culturally Competent Health Education Materials.

Health communications may not reach intended populations due to cultural and language barriers. These barriers may prohibit consumers from understanding information needed to make informed health decisions. It is important to ensure everyone-especially racial and ethnic minorities and under-served and under-represented populations-has access to information on medical products.

Clinician Agreement, Self-Efficacy, and Adherence with the Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma.

Background: The 2007 Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma provide evidence-based recommendations to improve asthma care. Limited national-level data are available about clinician agreement and adherence to these guidelines.

Objective: To assess clinician-reported adherence with specific guideline recommendations, as well as agreement with and self-efficacy to implement guidelines.

Knowledge and behavioral effects in cardiovascular health: Community Health Worker Health Disparities Initiative, 2007-2010.

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and disparities in cardiovascular health exist among African Americans, American Indians, Hispanics, and Filipinos. The Community Health Worker Health Disparities Initiative of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) includes culturally tailored curricula taught by community health workers (CHWs) to improve knowledge and heart-healthy behaviors in these racial/ethnic groups.

Methods: We used data from 1,004 community participants in a 10-session curriculum taught by CHWs at 15 sites to evaluate the NHLBI's health disparities initiative by using a 1-group pretest-posttest design.

Salud Para Su Carozón--a Latino promotora-led cardiovascular health education program.

Salud Para Su Carozón is a culturally sensitive, community-based program to increase heart healthy knowledge and behaviors among Latinos. Promotoras were trained using a 10-session manual to teach participants from 7 communities about heart disease risk factors and skills to achieve heart healthy behaviors. In 435 participants with pre-to-post self-reported data, there were increases in physical activity outside of work (57%-78%), heart health knowledge (49%-76%), and confidence in preparing heart healthy meals (66%-81%) (all Ps < .

Healthy Heart, Healthy Family: a NHLBI/HRSA collaborative employing community health workers to improve heart health.

Kokua Kalihi Valley, a federally qualified health center in Hawaii, collaborated with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to test the efficacy of community health workers (CHWs) to deliver the Healthy Heart, Healthy Family curriculum to low-income Filipinos with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. At 12 months, significant improvements were seen in health behaviors, knowledge, and self-efficacy in managing chronic diseases. We also observed decreases in total cholesterol from 186.

Student vaccination requirements of U.S. health professional schools: a survey.

Background: Unvaccinated health care personnel are at increased risk for transmitting vaccine-preventable diseases to their patients. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that health care personnel, including students, receive measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, varicella, influenza, and pertussis vaccines. Prematriculation vaccination requirements of health professional schools represent an early opportunity to ensure that health care personnel receive recommended vaccines.