Understanding Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration Involving the Deaf Population.

There has been an increase in intimate partner violence (IPV) research regarding the deaf population; however, no studies to date obtained data directly from members of the deaf population who disclose IPV perpetration. This community-based participatory research study explored the social context of IPV perpetration involving the deaf population through interviews with deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals who self-identified as perpetrating either physical or sexual abuse in an intimate relationship where at least one partner was deaf. Through semi-structured interviews using video relay, an interdisciplinary research team, which included deaf investigators, explored questions which included IPV triggers, types of IPV, weapon use, childhood victimization, and interactions with first responders and response systems (e.

Social capital, gender, and health: an ethnographic analysis of women in a Mumbai slum.

Objective: Quantitative studies have demonstrated that social capital can positively impact community health, but qualitative explorations of the factors mediating this relationship are lacking. Furthermore, while the world's poor are becoming increasingly concentrated in the cities of lower-middle income countries, most of the existing literature on social capital and health explores these variables in Western or rural contexts. Even fewer studies consider the impact of social constructs like race, gender, or class on the creation of social capital and its operationalization in health promotion.

A Qualitative Analysis of Family Dynamics and Motivation in Sessions With 15 Women in Drug Treatment Court.

Women with substance use disorders (SUDs) often experience inadequate health care, mental and physical health problems, trauma, lack of social support, and undermining of support for psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness needed for motivation and well-being. For women with SUD trying to reclaim sobriety and a healthy life, family can present both barriers and support. The aim of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of the intersection of family relationships with motivation of women in Drug Treatment Court (DTC) to attain their health goals.

Deaf Victims' Experiences With Intimate Partner Violence: The Need for Integration and Innovation.

While in recent years, intimate partner violence (IPV) has attracted considerable research attention, the experiences of IPV affecting the Deaf community have been understudied. As a linguistic and cultural minority, Deaf victims of IPV encounter significant barriers in accessing information and services designed to address the medical and legal consequences of victimization. The number of Deaf Americans who communicate via American Sign Language (ASL) may well exceed a half-million, yet little is known about Deaf IPV victims' experiences and the characteristics of persons who perpetrate IPV with ASL users.

Images of a Healthy Worksite: A Group-Randomized Trial for Worksite Weight Gain Prevention With Employee Participation in Intervention Design.

Objectives: We assessed the effects of a worksite multiple-component intervention addressing diet and physical activity on employees' mean body mass index (BMI) and the percentage of employees who were overweight or obese.

Methods: This group-randomized trial (n = 3799) was conducted at 10 worksites in the northeastern United States. Worksites were paired and allocated into intervention and control conditions.

A qualitative assessment of program characteristics for preventing secondary conditions in individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

Background: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are a major public health problem that affects 2 to 5 percent of the population. Individuals with FASD are at high risk for secondary conditions, such as mental health problems, school disruptions, and trouble with the law. Evidence-based intervention programs are needed to prevent and treat secondary conditions in this population.

Worksite Environmental Interventions for Obesity Prevention and Control: Evidence from Group Randomized Trials.

Worksites provide multiple advantages to prevent and treat obesity and to test environmental interventions to tackle its multiple causal factors. We present a literature review of group-randomized and non-randomized trials that tested worksite environmental, multiple component interventions for obesity prevention and control paying particular attention to the conduct of formative research prior to intervention development. The evidence on environmental interventions on measures of obesity appears to be strong since most of the studies have a low (4/8) and unclear (2/8) risk of bias.

Prevention of secondary conditions in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: identification of systems-level barriers.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) impact 2-5% of the US population and are associated with life-long cognitive and behavioral impairments. Individuals with FASD have high rates of secondary conditions, including mental health problems, school disruptions, and trouble with the law. This study focuses on systems-level barriers that contribute to secondary conditions and interfere with prevention and treatment.

Deaf mothers and breastfeeding: do unique features of deaf culture and language support breastfeeding success?

Background: Deaf mothers who use American Sign Language (ASL) consider themselves a linguistic minority group, with specific cultural practices. Rarely has this group been engaged in infant-feeding research.

Objectives: To understand how Deaf mothers who use ASL learn about infant feeding and to identify their breastfeeding challenges.

Perceptions of cardiovascular health in an underserved community of deaf adults using American Sign Language.

Background: Cardiovascular disease leads in overall mortality and morbidity in the United States. Cardiovascular disparities remain high among minority and underserved groups. Deaf American Sign Language (ASL) users are an underserved and understudied group that receives little attention from researchers due to language and communication barriers.

Contraceptive methods and use by women aged 35 and over: A qualitative study of perspectives.

Background: More than 30% of the pregnancies in women aged 35 and over are unintended. This paper compares perceptions about contraceptive methods and use among women with and without an unintended pregnancy after turning age 35.

Methods: Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 17 women.

Ambulance personnel perceptions of near misses and adverse events in pediatric patients.

Objective: To identify emergency medical services (EMS) provider perceptions of factors that may affect the occurrence, identification, reporting, and reduction of near misses and adverse events in the pediatric EMS patient.

Methods: This was a subgroup analysis of a qualitative study examining the nature of near misses and adverse events in EMS as it relates to pediatric prehospital care. Complementary qualitative methods of focus groups, interviews, and anonymous event reporting were used to collect results and emerging themes were identified and assigned to specific analytic domains.

Perceptions of cardiovascular health in underserved communities.

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of deaths and illnesses in US adults, and the prevalence is disproportionately high in underserved populations. In this study, we assessed respondents' understanding of context-specific differences in knowledge and perceptions of disease, risk, and prevention in 6 underserved communities, with the longer-term goal of developing appropriate interventions.

Methods: Thirty-nine small-group sessions and 14 interviews yielded data from 318 adults.

Inadequate: a metaphor for the lives of low-income women?

Exclusive breastfeeding of infants for the first 6 months of life with continued breastfeeding for at least 6 more months occurs only 11.9% of the time in the United States. Efforts of the past 30 years to promote optimal breastfeeding practices have had little impact.

Health care workers in the Dominican Republic: self-perceived role in smoking cessation.

A Dominican Republic (DR)-based multi-community trial of smoking cessation viewed health care workers (HCWs) as potential interventionists. Effectively engaging them requires a clear understanding of their attitudes and practices regarding smoking. A Rapid Assessment Procedure, conducted among HCWs in six economically disadvantaged communities, included physicians, nurses, other health professionals, paraprofessionals, and lay workers.

A barrier to exclusive breastfeeding for WIC enrollees: limited use of exclusive breastfeeding food package for mothers.

Background: In the first 2 weeks of life, most breastfeeding mother-infant dyads in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) receive infant formula from WIC, instead of a larger food package designed for exclusively breastfeeding mothers. This study was designed to explore reasons for high rates of formula supplementation of breastfeeding newborns enrolled in WIC and the limited use of the WIC expanded food package.

Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews with 29 mothers who either partially or exclusively breastfed for at least 2 months.

Emergency medical services provider perceptions of the nature of adverse events and near-misses in out-of-hospital care: an ethnographic view.

Objectives: The objectives were to examine the perceptions of emergency medical services (EMS) providers regarding near-misses and adverse events in out-of-hospital care.

Methods: This study uses qualitative methods (focus groups, interviews, event reporting) to examine the perceptions of EMS providers regarding near-misses and adverse events in out-of-hospital care. Results were reviewed by five researchers; analytic domains were assigned and emerging themes were identified.

Barriers to reducing ETS in the homes of inner-city children with asthma.

This study assessed knowledge regarding the harm of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure and barriers to reducing ETS from the point-of-view of urban parents of asthmatic children. We conducted in-depth interviews with 15 mothers of children with asthma. All parents had good knowledge regarding the harmful effects of ETS.

Barrier to pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations in Black elderly communities: mistrust.

Objectives: To understand the role of trust of medical institutions in the decision by elderly black Americans to receive pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations.

Design: Cross-sectional, qualitative study, using semistructured in-depth interviews.

Participants: Twenty black Americans age > or = 65 years from two different socioeconomic groups.

Nonurgent use of a pediatric emergency department: a preliminary qualitative study.

Objectives: To understand patterns of decision making among families presenting to a pediatric emergency department (ED) for nonacute care and to understand pediatric ED staff responses.

Methods: Cross-sectional qualitative study using in-depth interviews, direct observations, and nonidentifying demographic data.

Results: Eleven percent of visits made during the study period were identified as nonacute.

Parental beliefs about medications and medication adherence among urban children with asthma.

Background: Although national guidelines recommend controller medications for children with persistent asthma, adherence is poor. Prior studies have begun to explore parental beliefs regarding controller asthma medications and their effect on adherence.

Objective: To describe parental beliefs about controller medications among a community-based sample of urban children with persistent asthma and to examine the relationship between parental beliefs and adherence.

Planning emergency medical services for children in Bolivia: part 1-the use of rapid assessment procedures.

Objectives: To describe an expedited process for collecting social and cultural data before program planning to develop emergency medical services for children in La Paz, Bolivia. The overall goal was to understand the relevant issues from the point of view of those most affected.

Methods: An interdisciplinary collaborative research team used several qualitative data collection tools in gathering and interpreting data.