Civic Learning, Science, and Structural Racism.

Vaccine hesitancy is a major public health challenge, and racial disparities in the acceptance of vaccines is a particular concern. In this essay, we draw on interviews with mothers of Black male adolescents to offer insights into the reasons for the low rate of vaccination against the human papillomavirus among this group of adolescents. Based on these conversations, we argue that increasing the acceptance of HPV and other vaccines cannot be accomplished merely by providing people with more facts.

In Their Own Words: Young Adults' Menthol Cigarette Initiation, Perceptions, Experiences and Regulation Perspectives.

Background: Menthol cigarettes are disproportionately used by young people and have been called smoking starter products. However, limited qualitative research exists on young adults' perceptions of and experiences with these products, with much of it based on document reviews of the tobacco industry's research.

Methods: We conducted six focus groups with young adult (ages 18-24) menthol smokers in New Jersey (half with black smokers) between December 2014 and March 2015.

Engaging the community to improve nutrition and physical activity among houses of worship.

Background: Obesity, physical inactivity, and poor nutrition have been linked to many chronic diseases. Research indicates that interventions in community-based settings such as houses of worship can build on attendees' trust to address health issues and help them make behavioral changes.

Community Context: New Brunswick, New Jersey, has low rates of physical activity and a high prevalence of obesity.

Research to reality (R2R) mentorship program: building partnership, capacity, and evidence.

Despite a wealth of intervention research in cancer control, full integration of evidence-based interventions into practice often fails, at least in part because of inadequate collaboration between practitioners and researchers. The National Cancer Institute piloted a mentorship program designed for practitioners to improve their ability to navigate evidence-based decision making within a context of inadequate resources, political barriers, and organizational constraints. The National Cancer Institute simultaneously sought to provide opportunities for practitioners and researchers to share and learn from each other.

The role of health literacy on African American and Hispanic/Latino perspectives on cancer clinical trials.

Although cancer clinical trials are important for discovering lifesaving therapies, participation remains low among racial/ethnic minorities, and little research explores the role of health literacy in racial/ethnic minority perceptions of cancer clinical trials (CCTs). Five focus groups (n = 50) with African American and Hispanic participants explored CCT perceptions using a multidimensional health literacy framework. We found poor scientific literacy including misconceptions of scientific information, perceptions of clinical trials as uncertain and fear; limited civic literacy around topics of trust, perceptions of participants as guinea pigs, and concerns about of IRB protections; and cultural literacy challenges regarding the importance of home remedies for health, use of native language, and the importance of race/ethnicity matching to health care professionals.

Ancillary services for individuals living with HIV/AIDS.

Providing comprehensive care to those living with HIV/AIDS remains a daunting task. Access to early HIV medical care helps to delay an AIDS diagnosis, and ancillary services can help meet the non-medical needs of HIV-positive individuals, which can ultimately impact their ability to access medical care. Some research has been done measuring ancillary service provision and primary care entry and retention; however, due to the lack of a comprehensive system of care, it has been difficult to determine the true impact of ancillary service usage and health outcomes.