Piloting Market Food Environment Assessments in LMICs: A Feasibility Assessment and Lessons Learned.

Background: Food environments are rapidly changing in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), leading to dietary shifts. Many gaps exist in the measurement of food environments in LMICs making it difficult to characterize the linkages between food environments and diets.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the feasibility of implementing USAID Advancing Nutrition's Market Food Environment Assessment (MFEA)-a suite of 7 non-resource intensive food environment assessments.

Social connectedness and sleep in Blackfeet American Indian adults.

Objectives: A growing body of work documents a link between indices of social connectedness and sleep health. Sleep is implicated in the chronic health conditions which disproportionately affect American Indian adults, however the relationship between social connectedness and sleep health is largely understudied in this population. The current project investigates relationships between multiple indices of social connectedness and sleep health in a sample of American Indian adults.

Training community members to deliver an intervention for substance use disorder: Overcoming implementation barriers in American Indian communities.

Introduction: Although American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people have high rates of abstinence from alcohol and other drugs, there also is evidence of greater rates of substance use disorders (SUDs) in Native communities. Health disparities associated with substance use are compounded by inadequate access to evidence-based treatments (EBTs). Lack of mental health providers is one notable barrier to EBT implementation in rural AI reservation communities.

Determinants of Poor Health among Workers in Criminal Justice, Community and Social Services, and Healthcare: Adverse Childhood Experiences, Workplace Trauma Exposure, and Gender Differences.

Adverse childhood experiences and workplace trauma exposure are associated with poor health. However, their differential impacts by gender are difficult to assess in studies of organizations with gender imbalances (e.g.

Childhood trauma exposure, age and self-compassion as predictors of later-life symptoms of depression and anxiety in American Indian adults.

Background: Although previous research has established a relationship between childhood trauma and later-life anxiety and depression symptoms in American Indian samples, less is known about protective factors that may reduce the strength of this relationship.

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to investigate in a sample of American Indian adults, whether age moderates the relationship between self-compassion and poor mental health associated with childhood trauma.

Participants And Setting: Seven hundred and twenty-nine self-identifying American Indian adults (age 18-95) residing in the United States completed an online survey.

Rapamycin does not alter bone microarchitecture or material properties quality in young-adult and aged female C57BL/6 mice.

Advancing age is the strongest risk factor for osteoporosis and skeletal fragility. Rapamycin is an FDA-approved immunosuppressant that inhibits the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex, extends lifespan, and protects against aging-related diseases in multiple species; however, the impact of rapamycin on skeletal tissue is incompletely understood. We evaluated the effects of a short-term, low-dosage, interval rapamycin treatment on bone microarchitecture and strength in young-adult (3 mo old) and aged female (20 mo old) C57BL/6 mice.

Critical lessons from a pragmatic randomized trial of home-based COVID-19 testing in rural Native American and Latino communities.

Purpose: Native Americans and Latinos have higher COVID-19 infection and mortality rates and may have limited access to diagnostic testing. Home-based testing may improve access to care in rural and underserved populations. This study tests the effect of community health worker (CHW) support on accessibility, feasibility, and completion of COVID-19 home testing among Native American and Latino adults living on the Flathead Reservation in Montana and in Yakima Valley, Washington.

Physical Activity, Sleep, and Demographic Patterns in Alaska Native Children and Youth Living in Anaktuvuk Pass.

Physical activity (PA), sleep, and weight are important factors for youth health. However, data about these factors are unknown in youth living in isolated Alaska Native communities. This study aims to assess PA, sleep, height and weight in elementary through high school students living in Anaktuvuk Pass.

A Call to Improve Usability, Accuracy, and Equity of Self-Testing for COVID-19 and Other Rapid Diagnostic Tests.

The increasing availability of rapid diagnostic self-tests (RDSTs) for COVID-19 has played an important and increasing role during the pandemic. However, for many underserved communities, RDSTs potential benefits are offset by problems with usability, accuracy, and equity. Given the increased need for and interest in home testing for acute and chronic diseases, including COVID-19, this piece offers ways that regulatory agencies, federal public health agencies, and test developers should engage with diverse communities to ensure equity throughout test development, implementation, and evaluation.

Factors influencing COVID-19 testing among Native Americans and Latinos in two rural agricultural communities: a qualitative study.

Objective: To examine factors influencing decisions to test for COVID-19 among Native Americans on the Flathead Reservation in Montana and the Latino community in the Yakima Valley of Washington state.

Methods: We conducted 30 key informant interviews with community leaders and six focus groups with community members to examine factors impacting decisions to test for COVID-19 during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic from May 2021 to June 2021.

Results: Three major themes that impacted testing for COVID-19 were identified: (1) Social factors, including the influence of families and friends and employment practices; (2) health factors, including testing procedures, home-based testing, and health communication; and (3) contextual factors, including distrust for government and medical communities and the impact on cultural practices and celebrations.

Sleep Time, Physical Activity, and Screen Time among Montana American Indian Youth.

The purpose of this study is to describe sleep, PA, and screen time behaviors among rural American Indian (AI) youth, stratified by sex and grade, to better understand how to address these health behaviors in AI youth. Body composition, a screen time survey, and demographic information were collected from 65 AI youth. Accelerometers were worn for 7 days.

Resilience and health in American Indians and Alaska Natives: A scoping review of the literature.

American Indians and Alaska Natives suffer from disproportionately high rates of chronic mental and physical health conditions. These health inequities are linked to colonization and its downstream consequences. Most of the American Indian and Alaska Native health inequities research uses a deficit framework, failing to acknowledge the resilience of American Indian and Alaska Native people despite challenging historical and current contexts.

Germ-Free C57BL/6 Mice Have Increased Bone Mass and Altered Matrix Properties but Not Decreased Bone Fracture Resistance.

The gut microbiome impacts bone mass, which implies a disruption to bone homeostasis. However, it is not yet clear how the gut microbiome affects the regulation of bone mass and bone quality. We hypothesized that germ-free (GF) mice have increased bone mass and decreased bone toughness compared with conventionally housed mice.

Impacts of the Four-Day School Week on Early Elementary Achievement.

This study explores the impact of four-day school weeks on early elementary achievement. Using covariate adjusted regression analyses and data on all students who entered kindergarten in Oregon, USA between 2014 and 2016, we examine differences in 3rd grade math and English Language Arts test scores (i.e.

Sex-specific effects of calving season on joint health and biomarkers in Montana ranchers.

Background: Agricultural workers have a higher incidence of osteoarthritis (OA), but the etiology behind this phenomenon is unclear. Calving season, which occurs in mid- to late-winter for ranchers, includes physical conditions that may elevate OA risk. Our primary aim was to determine whether OA biomarkers are elevated at the peak of calving season compared to pre-season, and to compare these data with joint health survey information from the subjects.

Ovarian absence: a systematic literature review and case series report.

Ovarian absence is an uncommon condition that most frequently presents unilaterally. Several etiologies for the condition have been proposed, including torsion, vascular accident, and embryological defect. A systematic review was conducted to describe the clinical presentation of ovarian absence, as well as its associations with other congenital anomalies, through a systematic search of Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.

Emotion Regulation Strategies Relate to Ambulatory Cardiovascular Activity in an American Indian Community.

Objective: Poor emotion regulation is associated with risk for cardiovascular disease. However, much of this research is conducted in primarily White samples, thus limiting our understanding of this relationship in other racial/ethnic groups. American Indians (AIs) are uniquely and disproportionately at risk for cardiovascular disease.

Impacts of the Four-Day School Week on High School Achievement and Educational Engagement.

Four-day school week schedules are being adopted with increasing frequency, particularly in rural areas. In this paper we consider the academic implications of students in Oregon attending a four-day school week for the first time when they enter high school. We find 11 grade math achievement in 0.

Functional genomics analysis identifies loss of HNF1B function as a cause of Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome.

Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome is a congenital condition characterized by aplasia or hypoplasia of the uterus and vagina in women with a 46,XX karyotype. This condition can occur as type I when isolated or as type II when associated with extragenital anomalies including kidney and skeletal abnormalities. The genetic basis of MRKH syndrome remains unexplained and several candidate genes have been proposed to play a role in its etiology, including HNF1B, LHX1 and WNT4.

A pragmatic randomized trial of home-based testing for COVID-19 in rural Native American and Latino communities: Protocol for the "Protecting our Communities" study.

Background: Home-based testing for COVID-19 has potential to reduce existing health care disparities among underserved populations in the United States. However, implementation of home-based tests in these communities may face significant barriers. This study evaluates the acceptability, feasibility, and success of home-based testing and the potential added benefit of active support from trusted community health workers for Native Americans and Hispanic/Latino adults living in rural Montana and Washington states.

COVID-19 and food insecurity in the Blackfeet Tribal Community.

To examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food insecurity in the Blackfeet American Indian Tribal Community. American Indian adults residing on the Blackfeet reservation in Northwest Montana (n = 167) participated in a longitudinal survey across 4 months during the COVID-19 pandemic (August 24, 2020- November 30, 2020). Participants reported on demographics and food insecurity.

Historical loss: Implications for physical activity levels in American Indian adults.

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between daily thoughts about historical loss and daily levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in American Indian (AI) adults residing on the Blackfeet reservation in Browning, Montana.

Methods: The study was designed and conducted using a community-based participatory research framework and ecological momentary assessment. Over a period of 1 week, 100 AI adults (mean age = 42.

The Embryological Landscape of Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser Syndrome: Genetics and Environmental Factors.

Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome is a disorder caused by Müllerian ducts dysgenesis affecting 1 in 5000 women with a typical 46,XX karyotype. The etiology of MRKH syndrome is complex and largely unexplained. Familial clustering suggests a genetic component and the spectrum of clinical presentations seems consistent with an inheritance pattern characterized by incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity.

The Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Food Supply in the Emergency Food System: A Case Study at 2 Food Pantries.

Background: The onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic increased demand for emergency food assistance and has caused operational shifts in the emergency food system.

Objective: This research explored how the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the food supply of 2 food pantries.

Methods: A case study approach was applied to collect data during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.