Risk factors for death among children less than 5 years old hospitalized with diarrhea in rural western Kenya, 2005-2007: a cohort study.

Background: Diarrhea is a leading cause of childhood morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. Data on risk factors for mortality are limited. We conducted hospital-based surveillance to characterize the etiology of diarrhea and identify risk factors for death among children hospitalized with diarrhea in rural western Kenya.

Novel surveillance network for norovirus gastroenteritis outbreaks, United States.

CaliciNet, the outbreak surveillance network for noroviruses in the United States, was launched in March 2009. As of January 2011, twenty state and local health laboratories had been certified to submit norovirus sequences and epidemiologic outbreak data to CaliciNet. During the network's first year, 552 outbreaks were submitted to CaliciNet, of which 78 (14%) were associated with foodborne transmission.

Incorporating the experiences of youth with traumatic injury into the training of health professionals.

Youth violence and related injury continue to be a serious public health problem and are identified as a major priority on the national health care agenda. Despite recommendations by numerous professional organizations to enhance healthcare professionals' roles in youth violence prevention efforts, there has been little documentation of effective training. To address this gap, the University of California, San Diego Department of Pediatrics (UCSD) partnered with San Diego-based Sharp HealthCare's Institute for Injury & Violence Prevention Think First San Diego in a novel program.

Engaging Latino residents to build a healthier community in mid-city San Diego.

Faculty and staff from the University of California, San Diego Academic Center of Excellence on Youth Violence Prevention partnered with a local collaborative, the Mid-City Community Advocacy Network, to build the capacity of the community to identify quality of life issues and advocate for change. In an effort to train and mobilize community residents effectively in the skills needed to engage in advocacy and systems change, the traditional delivery model of community engagement (surveys, focus groups, large and small forums, health fairs, and street fairs) was replaced with culturally specific, active engagement strategies. Engaging diverse communities in Mid-City (Latino, Somali, and Vietnamese) required an approach that included hiring bilingual, bicultural staff recruited from those communities, hosting meetings in residents' homes, and providing extensive leadership training and support for residents.

Youth violence prevention comes of age: research, training and future directions.

Youth violence is recognized as a major public health problem in the United States and the world. Over the past ten years, progress has been made in documenting the factors that contribute to violent behavior. Emerging research is deepening our understanding of the individual and societal influences that contribute to and protect against youth violence.

Understanding the role of culture in domestic violence: the Ahimsa Project for Safe Families.

Domestic violence affects women across all racial, national, social, and economic groups. In particular, immigrant and refugee families are at risk for domestic violence because of their migration history and differences in cultural values and norms. The Ahimsa for Safe Families Project is an innovative collaborative project that addresses domestic violence in immigrant and refugee communities in San Diego.

Navigating between cultures: the role of culture in youth violence.

The purpose of this paper is to review three cultural concepts (acculturation, ethnic identity, bicultural self-efficacy) and their relationship to the known risk and protective factors associated with youth violence. We conducted a review of the relevant literature that addresses these three cultural concepts and the relationship among culture, violent behavior, and associated cognition. The available literature suggests that ethnic identity and bicultural self-efficacy can be best thought of as protective factors, whereas acculturation can be a potential risk factor for youth violence.