Beliefs and interest in cancer risk in an underserved Latino cohort.

Objective: To measure beliefs about cancer causation, cancer screening behaviors, access to information about and resources for cancer screening, and interest in cancer genetics services in two underserved predominantly Latino communities.

Methods: An anonymous survey, in both English and Spanish, was distributed at the registration desk to all attendees of selected general medicine clinics in two underserved healthcare systems.

Results: There were a total of 312 respondents, representing 98% of eligible candidates.

A community participatory research partnership: the development of a faith-based intervention for children exposed to violence.

When an inner city Latino immigrant faith community in Los Angeles identified mental health care as an area of need, a community-research partnership was formed that resulted in the adaptation of an intervention for children who have trauma-related symptoms from violence exposure. This participatory research partnership includes St. Thomas the Apostle School and Church community; QueensCare Health and Faith Partnership, an organization that provides health services and outreach to faith communities; and mental health researchers from UCLA.

Obstacles and opportunities in providing mental health services through a faith-based network in Los Angeles.

This study surveyed attitudes toward mental health services and barriers to providing these services within the agencies of QueensCare Health and Faith Partnership, a network of faith-based organizations, and parish nurses who provided health care in a low-income, ethnically diverse area of Los Angeles. Representatives from 42 organizations responded. Informal counseling was the most frequently provided service (57 percent); yet only 19 percent reported that counselors had at least a moderate amount of training.