Measuring Food Security among American Indian and Alaska Native Adults: Validity Evidence Supports the Use of the US Department of Agriculture Module.

Background: Inequities in access, availability, and affordability of nutritious foods produced by settler colonialism contribute to high rates of food insecurity among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) households. Efforts to understand the influences of food security programming among AI/AN individuals in the United States are constrained by the absence of validity evidence for food security assessments for this population.

Objective: This study assessed whether AI/AN adult responses on the Food Security Survey Module provide an accurate assessment of food security prevalence, especially when compared with other racial and ethnic groups.

Strong Men, Strong Communities: Revision of a Diabetes Prevention Intervention for American Indian and Alaska Native Men During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This paper describes the revision of the in-person Strong Men, Strong Communities (SMSC) study to a remote protocol and highlights key successes, challenges, and critical lessons learned applicable to remote trial implementation. The SMSC study is the first randomized controlled trial to exclusively recruit American Indian and Alaska Native men into a diabetes prevention intervention. The five-year randomized controlled trial was in its 42nd month with 99 subjects enrolled when the COVID-19 pandemic ceased all in-person research.

Gestational Diabetes and Breastfeeding Among Women of Different Races/Ethnicities: Evidence from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring Surveys.

Objective: To examine risk factors for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and factors associated with breastfeeding patterns among women with GDM from different racial/ethnic groups.

Methods: We used data from Phase 8 (2016-2018) of the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System. We used logistic regression to estimate factors associated with GDM and with breastfeeding initiation, and conducted survival analysis using Kaplan-Meier curves, and Cox proportional hazards regression to analyze early cessation of breastfeeding.

COVID-19 Vaccine Willingness and Hesitancy Among Marshallese Pacific Islanders.

COVID-19 has disproportionally burdened racial and ethnic minorities. Minority populations report greater COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy; however, no studies document COVID-19 vaccine willingness among Marshallese or any Pacific Islander group, who are often underrepresented in research. This study documents United States (US) Marshallese Pacific Islanders': willingness to get the COVID-19 vaccine, willingness to participate in vaccine trials, and sociodemographic factors associated with willingness.

Examining elevated blood pressure and the effects of diabetes self-management education on blood pressure among a sample of Marshallese with type 2 diabetes in Arkansas.

Introduction: Hypertension is a leading risk factor for heart attack and stroke. Undiagnosed hypertension increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. The risk of hypertension is increased for those with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

A Cultural Dance Program Improves Hypertension Control and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Native Hawaiians: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Native Hawaiians have higher hypertension (HTN) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) rates than non-Hispanic whites, calling for culturally responsive interventions to close this gap.

Purpose: We tested the effects of a 6-month behavioral intervention, a cultural dance program based on hula (the customary dance of Hawai'i), for improving blood pressure (BP) and CVD risk among Native Hawaiians with uncontrolled HTN.

Methods: In a randomized controlled trial, we tested the effects of the hula-based intervention among 263 Native Hawaiians with uncontrolled HTN (systolic ≥ 140 or ≥ 130 mmHg if diabetes) and no CVD at enrollment.

Increasing health equity through biospecimen research: Identification of factors that influence willingness of Native Americans to donate biospecimens.

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people are underrepresented in biomedical research, particularly in biospecimen research, yet little research has been conducted to assess AI/AN attitudes about biospecimen donation. Survey data were collected from 278 AI/AN people in Seattle, Washington in 2016 to assess general willingness to donate, background characteristics related to willingness, and circumstances that would increase or decrease willingness to donate biospecimens. Less than half (43%) of participants were willing to donate.

Development and Evaluation of a Blood Glucose Monitoring YouTube Video for Marshallese Patients Using a Community-Based Participatory Research Approach.

The purpose of this study was to (a) describe the development of a culturally appropriate glucose monitoring video using a community-based participatory research approach and (b) assess the cultural appropriateness and effectiveness of the video. The topic of the video-using a glucometer and the importance of performing blood glucose checks-was chosen by Marshallese community stakeholders. The video was produced in Marshallese with English subtitles and disseminated through YouTube.

Diabetes Disparities and Promising Interventions to Address Diabetes in Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Populations.

Purpose Of Review: The Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) population is rapidly growing in the USA. NHPIs face significant health disparities and have a high prevalence of diabetes compared to the general US population.

Recent Findings: Recent culturally-adapted diabetes interventions have shown promise in addressing these disparities among NHPI communities.

Kā-HOLO Project: a protocol for a randomized controlled trial of a native cultural dance program for cardiovascular disease prevention in Native Hawaiians.

Background: As a major risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease (CVD), hypertension affects 33% of U.S. adults.

Social Support Groups in the Maintenance of Glycemic Control after Community-Based Intervention.

Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (NH/PI; e.g., Samoan and Chuukese) have higher type 2 diabetes prevalence compared to other groups in Hawai'i.

Cultural Dance Program Improves Hypertension Management for Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders: a Pilot Randomized Trial.

Objective: Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHPI) bear an unequal burden of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Hula, the traditional dance of Hawaii, has shown to be a culturally meaningful form of moderate-vigorous physical activity for NHPI. A pilot study was done in Honolulu, Hawaii, to test a 12-week hula-based intervention, coupled with self-care education, on blood pressure management in NHPI with hypertension in 2013.

Sociodemographic, behavioral, and biological variables related to weight loss in native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders.

Objective: Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (NHs/PIs) have a high obesity prevalence compared to other ethnic groups. We examined socio-demographic, behavioral, and biological factors related to ≥3% weight loss in 100 overweight/obese NHs/PIs who completed a lifestyle intervention.

Design And Methods: Data were from 56 Native Hawaiians, 22 Chuukese, and 22 Other Pacific Islanders who participated in a randomized controlled trial of the Partnership for Improving Lifestyle Intervention (PILI) 'Ohana Project.

Outcomes from a diabetes self-management intervention for Native Hawaiians and Pacific People: Partners in Care.

Background: Culturally adapted interventions are needed to reduce diabetes-related morbidity and mortality among Native Hawaiian and Pacific People.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to pilot test the effectiveness of a culturally adapted diabetes self-management intervention.

Methods: Participants were randomly assigned in an unbalanced design to the Partners in Care intervention (n = 48) or wait list control group (n = 34).