Perspectives on Biological Monitoring in Environmental Health Research: A Focus Group Study in a Native American Community.

Reliance on natural resources brings Native American communities into frequent contact with environmental media, which, if contaminated, represents an exposure route for environmental pollutants. Native American communities vary in their perspectives on research and relatively little is known about the range of perspectives regarding the use of biological samples for environmental exposure assessment. Thirty-one members of Zuni Pueblo (median age = 40.

Launching native health leaders: reducing mistrust of research through student peer mentorship.

Objectives: We assessed the impact of Launching Native Health Leaders (LNHL), a peer-mentoring and networking program that introduced American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) undergraduates to health and research careers and concepts of community-based participatory research (CBPR).

Methods: We conducted 15 interviews and 1 focus group with students who had attended 1 or more LNHL meetings, which took place during 9 professional health research conferences in 2006 to 2009. We completed data collection in 2010, within 1 to 4 years of LNHL participant engagement in program activities.

Launching native health leaders: students as community-campus ambassadors.

Background: Ancient teaching styles such as storytelling can help Native students to navigate the educational pipeline, and become forces for shaping health and research landscapes. Many experience isolation on campuses where these worldviews are marginalized.

Objective: Launching Native Health Leaders (LNHL) reduces academic isolation by creating an environment where students identify with Native values while exposing them to health and research career opportunities and interdisciplinary professional and community networks.