A community-based program evaluation of community competency trainings.

Transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals encounter a multitude of barriers to accessing clinically and culturally competent health care. One strategy to increase the quality and competence of care delivery is workplace trainings. This study describes a community-based program for the evaluation of this type of training.

How do communities want their information? Designing educational outreach on organ donation for Asian Americans.

Context: Support of organ donation among Asian Americans has been limited, but lack of access to information and prevalence of misinformation are 2 barriers that might be counteracted by public education.

Objective: To solicit advice from 4 Asian American communities on the design of a culturally appropriate educational campaign on organ donation and transplantation.

Design And Setting: Cross-sectional, multilingual survey administered at community festivals and supermarkets.

Disaster preparedness for limited English proficient communities: medical interpreters as cultural brokers and gatekeepers.

Current disaster and emergency response planning does not adequately address the needs of limited English proficient (LEP) communities. The complexities of language and cultural differences pose serious barriers to first responders and emergency providers in reaching LEP communities. Medical interpreters are potential key cultural and linguistic linkages to LEP communities.

Understanding the experiences of lesbian, bisexual and trans survivors of domestic violence: a qualitative study.

Objectives: Using a participatory approach, our objectives were to understand community perspectives on domestic violence (DV) in lesbian, bisexual and trans (LBT) communities, and to assess access to and cultural appropriateness ofDVservices for LBT survivors.

Methods: We used qualitative methods and conducted focus groups and semi-structured interviews with LBT survivors of DV.

Results: Nearly all participants reported that the level of awareness regarding DV in their communities was limited.

Participatory action research in practice: a case study in addressing domestic violence in nine cultural communities.

Participatory action research (PAR) is increasingly recognized as a viable approach to developing relationships with communities and working closely with them to address complex public health problems. In the case of domestic violence research, where ensuring the safety of women participants who are battered is paramount, participatory approaches to research that include advocates and women who are battered in research design, implementation, analysis, and dissemination are critical to successful and mutually beneficial projects. This article presents a case study of a PAR project that conducted formative qualitative research on domestic violence in nine ethnic and sexual minority communities.

"Like a bird in a cage": Vietnamese women survivors talk about domestic violence.

In recent years, a growing literature has emerged that explores the role of culture in domestic violence for ethnic minority populations, including immigrants and refugees. This article presents qualitative data collected from Vietnamese refugee women through a research project in partnership with the Refugee Women's Alliance in Seattle, Washington. Through the women's stories, their own self-awareness of domestic violence as Vietnamese women residing in the United States is available for reflection and review.

"No way out": Russian-speaking women's experiences with domestic violence.

This article explores the experience of domestic violence and utilization of domestic violence resources among immigrant women who were Russian speaking. Participants, many of whom came to the United States as so-called mail-order brides, reported diverse forms of abuse, including isolation and financial restrictions, and were reluctant to get outside help because of embarrassment about their circumstances. Survivors stressed the importance of language- and culture-appropriate outreach and services and urged that women receive information about domestic violence services and laws on immigration.

"For us it is like living in the dark": Ethiopian women's experiences with domestic violence.

This article discusses the experiences of domestic violence among Ethiopian refugees and immigrants in the United States. A subset (n=18) of the larger study sample (N=254) participated in three focus groups with Amharic-speaking survivors of domestic violence who were currently in or had left abusive relationships. The research was conducted through a public health department, University, and community agency partnership.

"Women must endure according to their karma": Cambodian immigrant women talk about domestic violence.

Asian populations living in the United States share similar cultural values that influence their experiences with domestic violence. However, it is critical to recognize how differential cultural beliefs in the context of immigration and adjustment to life in the United States affect attitudes, interpretations, and response to domestic violence. This article discusses findings from community-based participatory action research that explores how Cambodian immigrant women talk about domestic violence, what forms of abuse contribute to domestic violence, and what strategies they use to cope with and respond to abuse in their lives.

Older adult perspectives on physical activity and exercise: voices from multiple cultures.

Introduction: Increasing physical activity is a goal of Healthy People 2010. Although the health benefits of physical activity are documented, older adults are less physically active than any other age group. The purpose of this study was to examine barriers and facilitators to physical activity and exercise among underserved, ethnically diverse older adults.