Association between Childhood Maltreatment and Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Los Angeles.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been associated with poor mental health outcomes in adulthood. Childhood maltreatment is related to both depressive and anxiety symptoms. Our objective was to investigate these associations among low-income, mostly Black and Latino men who have sex with men (MSM), as these may be a particularly vulnerable population group.

Perceived social support moderates the association between household dysfunction adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and self-reported drug use among men who have sex with men in Los Angeles, California.

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been shown to be associated with drug use in adulthood. The single ACE of household substance use history (part of the household dysfunction category) has frequently been associated with drug use. Resilience factors such as perceived social support appear to buffer the association between ACEs and drug use and may be particularly relevant for urban men who have sex with men (MSM).

Real World Feedback: How Well Did the Virtual Training Academy Prepare California's COVID-19 Contact Tracing Workforce?

To effectively respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, California had to quickly mobilize a substantial number of case investigators (CIs) and contact tracers (CTs). This workforce was comprised primarily of redirected civil servants with diverse educational and professional backgrounds. The purpose of this evaluation was to understand whether the weeklong, remote course developed to train California's CI/CT workforce (i.

Measuring impact of storyline engagement on health knowledge, attitudes, and norms: A digital evaluation of an online health-focused serial drama in West Africa.

Background: "Cest la Vie!" (CLV) is a serial drama that entertains, educates, and promotes positive health behaviors and social change for West African audiences. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if watching the CLV Season 2 series online had an impact on people's health knowledge, attitudes, and norms, focusing on populations in francophone West Africa.

Methods: Between July 2019 and October 2019, viewers of CLV and non-viewers were recruited from Facebook and YouTube.

Strategies for Effective Collaboration with Middle School Physical Education Teachers: An Application of School-Engaged Research.

Background: Increasing the capacity of teachers to deliver physical education (PE) lessons that are high in moderate to vigorous physical activity (PA) is one strategy to increase the amount of exercise students receive during school. However, traditional research approaches have not directly engaged the school community as equitable partners in the intervention design process. The purpose of this article is to describe the process, outputs, and lessons learned from a school-engaged research study, which incorporates the unique needs of schools-in terms of structure, accountability measures, and array of stakeholders into the research process and design.

Cardiovascular disease behavioral risk factors among Latinos by citizenship and documentation status.

Background: Studies have observed that recent Latino immigrants tend to have a physical health advantage compared to immigrants who have been in the US for many years or Latinos who are born in the United States. An explanation of this phenomenon is that recent immigrants have positive health behaviors that protect them from chronic disease risk. This study aims to determine if trends in positive cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk behaviors extend to Latino immigrants in California according to citizenship and documentation status.

Exploring the Relationship Between MyPlate Knowledge, Perceived Diet Quality, and Healthy Eating Behaviors Among Adolescents.

Purpose: MyPlate is the current dietary guidance icon meant to communicate healthy eating patterns. The purpose of this study is to evaluate knowledge of MyPlate nutrition education messages among middle school students and its association with dietary intake and perceived diet quality.

Design: Secondary analysis of cross-sectional data.

Nutrition Campaign Knowledge and Dietary Behavior in Middle School Students.

Background: Federal nutrition campaigns are designed to make dietary recommendations accessible but have not been extensively evaluated. This paper explores whether knowledge of nutrition campaigns is associated with dietary behavior among young adolescents.

Methods: Cross-sectional survey data were collected from 4,773 middle school students in Southern California.

Evaluation of an Intervention to Increase Physical Activity in Low-Income, Urban Middle Schools.

Background: Physical education (PE) can provide opportunities to engage in daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), but MVPA levels in many classes are low. This study examines MVPA during middle school PE lessons before and after receiving the SPARK (Sports, Play, and Active Recreation for Kids) program.

Methods: Sixteen schools were enrolled in the study.

The Effects of a 2-Year Middle School Physical Education Program on Physical Activity and Its Determinants.

: This study examines the effects of the middle school SPARK physical education (PE) curriculum on predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors for physical activity (PA) as well as self-reported PA in a predominantly low-income, Latinx student population in Los Angeles, CA. : Data were collected from 3763 students of seventh and eighth grades at 2 time points at the 16 middle schools enrolled in the study. Hierarchical logistic regression models were used to assess intervention effects on PA attitudes, PE enjoyment, FitnessGram passing, daily PA, and muscle-strengthening PA, controlling for demographic variables.

Severe housing-cost burden and obesity among preschool-aged low-income children in Los Angeles County.

Despite high rates of housing-cost burden in the United States, little is known regarding its impact on childhood obesity. In this article, we determine whether low-income 2-5-year-olds living in housing-cost burdened households are more likely to be obese and examine the potential moderators and behavioral and psychosocial mediators of this relationship. We used data from a triennial survey (2011, 2014) of a random sample of Los Angeles County participants of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (n = 2307).

"You Only Teach PE and It Doesn't Really Matter": Middle School PE Teachers' Perspectives on Intervention Efforts to Increase Physical Activity.

Physical education (PE) is a frequent site of public health intervention to promote physical activity (PA); however, intervention research frequently overlooks the perspective of PE teachers. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore teachers' experiences with and perceptions of a PA curriculum intervention. Six findings within three categories were identified and described in detail.

Rapid Assessment of Nutrition Services in Los Angeles Substance Use Disorder Treatment Centers.

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of nutrition services and utilization of registered dietitian nutritionists at substance use disorder treatment centers in Los Angeles. This cross-sectional descriptive study utilized phone interviews with facilities within a 25-mile radius of the Los Angeles metropolitan area using the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Treatment Services Locator to identify facilities that included a listing of substance abuse as primary focus of care (n = 128). Facilities were asked if they offered any kind of nutrition services, the type of services that were offered, and the credential of the professional providing the services.

A Multifaceted Approach to Public Health Career and Professional Development Training.

The purpose of this article is to describe how a multifaceted approach to career and professional development training, focused on core competencies, student-driven programming, inter and multidisciplinary collaboration, and cultivating a community of insight and support, is being implemented by a university Public Health Career Services office with limited staff and resources and to share these practices for other public health programs to scale this approach to their own students' needs. The design of the career and professional development training program comprised five main approaches: (1) one-on-one career counseling, (2) peer-to-peer learning workshops, (3) community partnerships and experiential opportunities, (4) student-driven programming, and (5) accessible training and digital resources. All programs were tracked to gauge participation and to assess effectiveness.

Physical Activity Correlates in Middle School Adolescents: Perceived Benefits and Barriers and Their Determinants.

The purpose of this study was to examine the determinants of benefits and barriers and their relationship with physical activity (PA) among predominantly Latino middle school students. Data were collected in a cross-sectional survey of 4,773 seventh-grade students recruited from a large, urban school district in Los Angeles. Hierarchical logistic regression models were used to assess determinants of benefits and barriers as well as their association with self-reported PA.

Trends in Socioeconomic Disparities in Obesity Prevalence among Low-Income Children Aged 2-4 Years in Los Angeles County, 2003-2014.

Background: Obesity prevalence among low-income preschool-aged children in the United States decreased between 2010 and 2014. However, this decreasing trend may be varied across socioeconomic subgroups. This study examined trends in obesity prevalence among low-income children from 2003 to 2014 by child's age and household and neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES).

Widening socio-economic disparities in early childhood obesity in Los Angeles County after the Great Recession.

Objective: While economic crises can increase socio-economic disparities in health, little is known about the impact of the 2008-09 Great Recession on obesity prevalence among children, especially low-income children. The present study examined whether socio-economic disparities in obesity among children of pre-school age participating in a federal nutrition assistance programme have changed since the recession.

Design: A pre-post observational study using administrative data of pre-school-aged programme participants from 2003 to 2014.

Assessing quality of care through client satisfaction at an interprofessional student-run free clinic.

Student-run free clinics (SRFCs) have become important contributors not only to improve access to primary-care services for homeless and uninsured populations but also to enhance health sciences student education. In order for SRFCs to reliably provide high quality healthcare services and educationally benefit students, it is imperative to assess client perceptions of the quality of care provided. The objective of this study was to evaluate the delivery of healthcare services through a client satisfaction questionnaire at the University of California, Los Angeles Mobile Clinic Project (UCLA MCP).

Community Residents' Beliefs About Neighborhood Corner Stores in 2 Latino Communities: Implications for Interventions to Improve the Food Environment.

We assessed community residents' perceptions of corner stores to better understand what facilitates and deters patronage at these food outlets. Data came from 978 household interviews in 2 Latino communities undergoing corner store interventions. Chi-square tests, an independent sample test, and a multivariate logistic regression were conducted to assess the relationship between residents' perceptions about corner stores and their reported patronage at these food outlets.

Shifting the Culture Around Public Health Advocacy: Training Future Public Health Professionals to Be Effective Agents of Change.

There is a critical need to build the capacity of our current and future public health workforce and the communities we serve to engage in public health advocacy. Advocacy should be an integral piece of our intervention strategies and public health discourse. Incorporating public health advocacy into public health training, practice, and research serves as a long-term investment for the public's health.

Correlates of Social Support and its Association With Physical Activity Among Young Adolescents.

Background: A substantial proportion of adolescents, particularly girls and minority youth, fail to meet daily physical activity (PA) recommendations. Social support contributes to adolescent PA, but studies examining this relationship have yielded inconsistent results and rarely focus on diverse, urban populations.

Aims: This study examines the correlates of support for PA from family and friends and its relationship with PA outcomes among young adolescents.

Facilitating Partnerships With Community- and Faith-Based Organizations for Disaster Preparedness and Response: Results of a National Survey of Public Health Departments.

Objective: We identify characteristics of local health departments, which enhance collaborations with community- and faith-based organizations (CFBOs) for emergency preparedness and response.

Methods: Online survey data were collected from a sample of 273 disaster preparedness coordinators working at local health departments across the United States between August and December 2011.

Results: Using multiple linear regression models, we found that perceptions of CFBO trust were associated with more successful partnership planning (β=0.

A corner store intervention to improve access to fruits and vegetables in two Latino communities.

Objective: Investments have been made to alter the food environment of neighbourhoods that have a disproportionate number of unhealthy food venues. Corner store conversions are one strategy to increase access to fruits and vegetables (F&V). Although the literature shows modest success, the effectiveness of these interventions remains equivocal.

Comparing Lay Community and Academic Survey Center Interviewers in Conducting Household Interviews in Latino Communities.

Background: The employment of professional interviewers from academic survey centers to conduct surveys has been standard practice. Because one goal of community-engaged research is to provide professional skills to community residents, this paper considers whether employing locally trained lay interviewers from within the community may be as effective as employing interviewers from an academic survey center with regard to unit and item nonresponse rates and cost.

Methods: To study a nutrition-focused intervention, 1035 in-person household interviews were conducted in East Los Angeles and Boyle Heights, 503 of which were completed by lay community interviewers.