Partnering With a Purpose: Promoting Equity and Justice for Black Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Black children with autism and their families face disparities within clinical care and services, leading to inequitable health outcomes. However, there is limited research centering the voices of the Black autism community in understanding how to address these inequities. In this study, researchers explored the perspectives of caregivers of Black children with autism regarding barriers to equitable care and recommendations for improved services. METHODS: Community leaders from an autism advocacy group and researchers from a large academic medical center partnered to conduct a Group Level Assessment with 31 Black families of children with autism. During a three-hour research event, participants discussed their experiences within community, school, and clinical services, collectively coded and interpreted the data, and generated action steps to improve services. RESULTS: The findings revealed 6 areas of need regarding the services Black children with autism and their caregivers receive. Black caregivers recommended that systems of care improve access to culturally responsive care, integrate caregiver priorities within their care, and engage in collaborative decision-making with caregivers. Providers should also equip caregivers with an accessible roadmap for navigating their child's services and connect them to care management professionals and resources for mental health support. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study address a critical gap in the literature by partnering with the Black autism community to identify solutions to address their needs; these recommendations can be used as a foundation for service providers to reduce disparities and improve outcomes for Black children with autism and their families.

Walking together in friendship: Learning about cultural safety in mainstream mental health services through Aboriginal Participatory Action Research.

OBJECTIVE: Culturally safe service provision is essential to improving social and emotional wellbeing among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and to eliminating health inequities. Cultural safety is about ensuring that all people have a safe and healing journey through services, regardless of their cultural background. In this project, we aim to (1) understand how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples conceptualise cultural safety, and (2) co-design a qualitative interview for the next phase of this project, where we plan to learn about experiences of cultural safety within mental health services. METHODS: We conducted six focus groups (in one metro and two regional areas, Western Australia). Following an Aboriginal Participatory Action Research methodology, we yarned with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health service users, carers, community members, mental health professionals and Cultural Healers about cultural safety. RESULTS: Participants described a culturally safe service as one where Aboriginal cultural knowledges, life experiences, issues and protocols are understood and acknowledged, and reported that mainstream mental health services are not currently culturally safe. Participants emphasised the importance of building trust, rapport, reciprocity and following appropriate relational processes when designing a qualitative interview for the next phase. CONCLUSIONS: A lack of cultural safety in mental health services is likely to contribute to the disparity in outcomes between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians. Embedding cultural safety into research design allows for authentic community engagement and facilitates knowledge sharing around ways to improve cultural safety in mental health services.

Culturally Relevant Africultural Coping Moderates the Association Between Discrimination and Antiretroviral Adherence Among Sexual Minority Black Americans Living with HIV.

Exposure to discrimination has been linked to lower HIV antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence and poor HIV care outcomes among Black Americans. Coping has been shown to mitigate the harmful effects of discrimination on health behaviors, but the use of cultural relevant Africultural coping strategies is understudied as a moderator of the association between intersectional discrimination and ART adherence among Black Americans. We used adjusted logistic regression to test whether Africultural coping strategies (cognitive/emotional debriefing; collective; spiritual-centered; ritual-centered) moderated associations between multiple forms of discrimination (HIV, sexual orientation, race) and good ART adherence (minimum of 75% or 85% of prescribed doses taken, as measured by electronic monitoring in separate analyses) among 92 sexual minority Black Americans living with HIV. Mean adherence was 66.5% in month 8 after baseline (36% ≥ 85% adherence; 49% ≥ 75% adherence). Ritual-centered coping moderated the relationship between each of the three types of discrimination at baseline and good ART adherence in month 8 (regardless of the minimum threshold for good adherence); when use of ritual coping was low, the association between discrimination and adherence was statistically significant. The other three coping scales each moderated the association between racial discrimination and good ART adherence (defined by the 75% threshold); cognitive/emotional debriefing was also a moderator for both HIV- and race-related discrimination at the 85% adherence threshold. These findings support the benefits of Africultural coping, particularly ritual-centered coping, to help sexual minority Black Americans manage stressors associated with discrimination and to adhere well to ART.

Developing a culturally relevant physical activity guide for Alaska Native Head Start students in rural Alaska: the Got Neqpiaq? Study.

Background: Concern was voiced by Elders, teachers, and parents that and playtime activities of the Head Start preschool programme were not aligned with the local Alaska Native culture in their communities.Methods: The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium partnered with 12 Head Start preschool programmes, administered by Rural Alaska Community Action Program in rural Alaska, to explore with community members Alaska Native value-based solutions to the concerns they raised. Local input was gathered via focus groups, interviews, and surveys.Results: We worked together with communities to create a physical activity guide specific to preschool-age children in the region. The guide includes activity descriptions, lesson plans, flash cards, and photos of traditional Alaska Native physical activities and games specific to the region. This manuscript details the community engagement process foundational to the physical activity guide's adoption and implementation.Conclusions: The processes by which the guide was developed were strength-based and participatory. Widespread community engagement and participation led to a guide that was readily adopted because the community had taken ownership of the content. The lessons learned have been invaluable in developing long-term community-based partnerships and in setting the precedent to further incorporate local/regional culture into rural Alaska Head Start programmes.

Exploring self-determined solutions to service and system challenges to promote social and emotional wellbeing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: a qualitative study.

Introduction: Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living on Kaurna Country in northern Adelaide experience adverse health and social circumstances. The Taingiwilta Pirku Kawantila study sought to understand challenges facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and identify solutions for the health and social service system to promote social and emotional wellbeing. Methods: This qualitative study applied Indigenous methodologies undertaken with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander governance and leadership. A respected local Aboriginal person engaged with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members and service providers through semi-structured interviews and yarning circles that explored community needs and challenges, service gaps, access barriers, success stories, proposed strategies to address service and system challenges, and principles and values for service design. A content analysis identified the breadth of challenges in addition to describing key targets to empower and connect communities and optimize health and social services to strengthen individual and collective social and emotional wellbeing. Results: Eighty-three participants contributed to interviews and yarning circles including 17 Aboriginal community members, 38 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service providers, and 28 non-Indigenous service providers. They expressed the need for codesigned, strengths-based, accessible and flexible services delivered by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers with lived experience employed in organisations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership and governance. Community hubs and cultural events in addition to one-stop-shop service centres and pre-crisis mental health, drug and alcohol and homelessness services were among many strategies identified. Conclusion: Holistic approaches to the promotion of social and emotional wellbeing are critical. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are calling for places in the community to connect and practice culture. They seek culturally safe systems that enable equitable access to and navigation of health and social services. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce leading engagement with clients is seen to safeguard against judgement and discrimination, rebuild community trust in the service system and promote streamlined access to crucial services.

Evaluating a social and emotional well-being model of service piloted in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services in Western Australia: an Aboriginal Participatory Action Research approach.

INTRODUCTION: The delivery of services to improve Aboriginal health and well-being must centre culture and integrate a social and emotional well-being understanding and approaches. These approaches are essential in increasing access to, and engagement with, health services, as well as ensuring culturally safe, person-centred and community-centred care. This study will evaluate the Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia's social and emotional well-being model of service being piloted in five Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services across five of Western Australia's regions. The model of service includes the establishment of interdisciplinary social and emotional well-being teams and a four-pillar approach to service delivery. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: An Aboriginal Participatory Action Research methodology will be undertaken which calls for Indigenous leadership and governance, capacity-building of community co-researchers and engagement in reflexive practice. The evaluation will take a mixed-methods approach to data collection, including at each pilot site, yarns with up to five clients engaging with social and emotional well-being services; qualitative interviews with up to five service providers at each site, and up to five key knowledge holders from stakeholders including funders and commissioning bodies; the collection of clinical data; facilitated discussion using the social and emotional well-being Systems Assessment Tool; and document analysis and cost-estimation. Analysis will be guided by a client journey mapping framework, and data will be collectively analysed through a socioecological framework to understand the connections and inter-relatedness between client outcomes and experiences, social and emotional well-being team and service provider experiences, service systems and governance structures. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This evaluation was approved by the Western Australian Aboriginal Health Ethics Committee (HREC1204). The findings will be disseminated through the production of an evaluation report and academic publications and presentations. Findings will also be disseminated through community forums and plain language summaries. These outputs will detail evaluation findings and recommendations, the process of evaluation through an Aboriginal Participatory Action Research approach and the collaborative stakeholder relationship-building that underpinned the project.

Cultural interventions addressing disparities in the HIV prevention and treatment cascade among Black/African Americans: a scoping review.

Culture is an important determinant of HIV risk and protective behaviors; yet, we know little about how it is integrated in HIV interventions. This scoping review characterizes the integration of culture in HIV prevention and treatment interventions focused on Black/African Americans. We searched MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Google Scholar for peer-reviewed manuscripts published between July 1, 2011, and June 28, 2021. Twenty-five interventions were identified, with 96% focused on prevention. Most (40%) targeted men who have sex with men or transgender women. Only three were grounded in cultural theory. Although all interventions were labeled "culturally based," only two explicitly defined culture. Moreover, there was much diversity regarding the ways in which interventions integrated cultural elements, with some conflating race/ethnicity with culture. To improve uptake and HIV-related outcomes, interventions integrating culture are greatly needed. Additionally, HIV interventions purporting to be "culturally based" must include basic information to support rigor and reproducibility.

Using Community-Based Participatory Research Methods to Inform the Development of Medically Tailored Food Kits for Hispanic/Latine Adults with Hypertension: A Qualitative Study.

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan is the most effective dietary intervention for cardiovascular disease (CVD), but it excludes the consideration of culture and cost. The Hispanic/Latine population is disproportionately affected by CVD, with risks increasing if persons are accustomed to a Westernized diet. This research aims to understand the cultural dietary practices aligned with a DASH eating plan and the social determinants of health impacting fruit and vegetable (F/V) consumption among immigrant Hispanic/Latine individuals at a community-based clinic in Minnesota. Utilizing community-based participatory research methods, a community survey informed the development of DASH-focused, medically tailored food kits of varying F/V modalities. Qualitative feedback was sought out regarding the kits when presented to 15 individuals during in-depth interview sessions to validate the cultural appropriateness of food kits for clinical use. Box A was the highest rated kit (66.7%) and consisted of fresh F/V. The average F/V consumption per day was 2.6 ± 1.4 servings. The food insecurity questionnaires showed high/marginal (40%), low (53.3%), and very low (6.7%) food security. The barriers to consuming F/V were money, time, and transportation. Understanding cultural dietary practices related to the DASH eating plan is necessary to mitigate CVD risk and provide inclusive medical nutrition therapy for Hispanic/Latine populations.

"I Think [Western] Healthcare Fails Them": Qualitative Perspectives of State-recognized Women Tribal Members on Elders' Healthcare Access Experiences.

Elder tribal members are important cultural and spiritual leaders and experts among many American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) cultures. AI/AN Elders play a key role in the maintenance and transmission of traditional cultural knowledge and practices and are highly valued members of AI/AN communities. AI/AN populations face disparities in healthcare outcomes, and the healthcare needs of AI/AN Elders remain an understudied area of research, particularly among tribes in the South and for tribes who do not have federal recognition. Qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews among 31 women, all of whom are members of a state-recognized Tribe in the Southern United States. While the interview questions were specific to their own reproductive healthcare experiences, repeated concerns were voiced by the women regarding the health of the Elders in their community. Key findings captured several concerns/barriers regarding Elders' healthcare experiences including: (a) Language and communication barriers between Elders and healthcare workers; (b) Prior negative experiences with Western medicine; (c) Lasting impacts of educational discrimination; (d) Concerns over self-invalidation; (e) Transportation barriers; and (f) Need for community programs. Issues related to these barriers have resulted in a concern that Elders are not receiving the full benefit of and access to Western healthcare systems. The purpose of this analysis was to highlight the concerns voiced by women tribal members on the health and wellbeing of Elders in their community. Opportunities related to the importance of prioritizing and improving AI/AN Elders' healthcare experiences and access are also described.

Closing the miscommunication gap: A user guide to developing picture-based communication tools for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in emergency departments.

OBJECTIVE: To document an illustration-based methodology for culturally safe communication between Indigenous patients and clinicians in an urban ED. METHODS: We co-designed a pre-ED visual tool to minimise miscommunication when triaging First Nations patients. Our steps included establishing project governance, conducting a literature review, obtaining ethics approval and designing illustrations. We then consulted relevant stakeholders, finalised the resource and contributed to the evidence base and to knowledge exchange. RESULTS: Co-design is an important principle in reducing miscommunication and ensuring cultural safety in EDs. CONCLUSIONS: Co-design methodologies can guide improvements in culturally safe clinical communication with First Nations patients in EDs.

Culturally Responsive Care Delivery in Oncology: The Example of Multiple Myeloma.

Multiple myeloma (MM) represents ∼1% of all cancers and is the second most common hematologic malignancy worldwide. The incidence of MM is at least two times higher in Blacks/African Americans compared with their White counterparts, and Hispanics/Latinxs are among the youngest patients diagnosed with the disease. Recent advances in available treatments for MM have demonstrated significant improvement in survival outcomes; however, patients from non-White racial/ethnic groups clinically benefit less due to multiple factors including access to care, socioeconomic status, medical mistrust, underutilization of novel therapies, and exclusion from clinical trials. Health inequities in disease characteristics and risk factors based on race also contribute to inequities in outcomes. In this review, we highlight racial/ethnic factors as well as structural barriers attributed to variations in MM epidemiology and management. We focus on three populations-Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, and American Indian/Alaska Native-and review factors that healthcare professionals may consider when treating patients of color. We offer tangible advice for healthcare professionals on how to incorporate cultural humility into their practice by following the five key steps: establishing trust, respecting cultural diversity, undergoing cross-cultural training, counseling patients on appropriate available clinical trial options, and connecting patients to community resources. The outlined recommendations will help the medical community to better understand and apply the important concept of cultural humility into their practice to provide the best care for all their patients, regardless of race/ethnicity.

Ideals of counseling practice: Therapeutic insights from an Indigenous first nations-controlled treatment program.

Indigenous Canadians suffer disproportionately from mental health concerns tied to histories of colonization, including exposure to Indian Residential Schools. Previous research has indicated that preferred therapies for Indigenous populations fuse traditional cultural practices with mainstream treatment. The present study comprised 32 interviews conducted with Indigenous administrators, staff, and clients at a reserve-based addiction treatment center to identify community-driven and practical therapeutic solutions for remedying histories of coercive colonial assimilation. Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews revealed that counselors tailored therapy through cultural preferences, including the use of nonverbal expression, culturally appropriate guidance, and alternative delivery formats. Additionally, they augmented mainstream therapeutic activities with Indigenous practices, including the integration of Indigenous concepts, traditional practices, and ceremonial activities. Collectively, this integration of familiar counseling approaches and Indigenous cultural practices in response to community priorities resulted in an innovative instance of therapeutic fusion that may be instructive for cultural adaptation efforts in mental health treatment for Indigenous populations and beyond. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The Effects of the Culturally Tailored Narratives on COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence Among Hispanics: A Randomized Online Experiment.

Guided by the health belief model (HBM), cultural sensitivity approach, and the theory of situated cognition, this study compares the effects of culturally tailored narratives and generic narratives on the COVID-19 vaccine confidence among Hispanics. It also examines an array of cognitive responses (perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and perceived side effects) associated with the COVID-19 vaccine confidence, and the interaction of these cognitive responses with the two narrative types of messaging. The findings suggest that Hispanics exposed to culturally tailored narratives are more confident in the COVID-19 vaccine compared to Hispanics exposed to generic narratives. The study provides support for the HBM, as the perceived benefit was positively related to vaccine confidence, and the perceived barrier was negatively associated with vaccine confidence. Finally, vaccine confidence was the strongest among Hispanics who had high perceived susceptibility and were exposed to culturally tailored narratives.

Heart health for South Asians: improved cardiovascular risk factors with a culturally tailored health education program.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The Kaiser Permanente (KP) Northern California Heart Health for South Asians (HHSA) Program is a two-hour educational class that provides culturally relevant lifestyle and dietary recommendations to South Asian (SA) patients, in an effort to reduce their known disproportionate burden of cardiovascular (CV) disease. We evaluated the impact of the HHSA Program on CV risk factors and major adverse CV events (MACE). METHODS: A retrospective cohort study identified 1517 participants of SA descent, ≥ 18 years old from 2006 to 2019. We evaluated the change in risk factors with program attendance (median follow up of 6.9 years) for systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), triglycerides (TG), LDL, HDL, BMI, and HbA1c. We also performed a propensity matched analysis to evaluate differences in MACE including stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), coronary revascularization, and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: There were significant improvements in DBP, TG, LDL-c, HDL-c, BMI, and HbA1c at one year follow up and sustained improvements in DBP (-1.01mmHg, p = 0.01), TG (-13.74 mg/dL, p = 0.0001), LDL-c (-8.43 mg/dL, p = < 0.0001), and HDL-c (3.16 mg/dL, p = < 0.0001) levels at the end of follow up. In the propensity matched analysis, there was a significant reduction in revascularization (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.14-0.78, p = 0.011) and mortality (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.22-0.79, p = 0.008), and a trend towards reduction in stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates the efficacy of a culturally tailored SA health education program in improving CV risk factors and reducing MACE. The program highlights the importance and value of providing culturally tailored health education in primary CV disease prevention.

Ear and hearing care programs for First Nations children: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Ear and hearing care programs are critical to early detection and management of otitis media (or middle ear disease). Otitis media and associated hearing loss disproportionately impacts First Nations children. This affects speech and language development, social and cognitive development and, in turn, education and life outcomes. This scoping review aimed to better understand how ear and hearing care programs for First Nations children in high-income colonial-settler countries aimed to reduce the burden of otitis media and increase equitable access to care. Specifically, the review aimed to chart program strategies, map the focus of each program against 4 parts of a care pathway (prevention, detection, diagnosis/management, rehabilitation), and to identify the factors that indicated the longer-term sustainability and success of programs. METHOD: A database search was conducted in March 2021 using Medline, Embase, Global Health, APA PsycInfo, CINAHL, Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, and Academic Search Premier. Programs were eligible or inclusion if they had either been developed or run at any time between January 2010 to March 2021. Search terms encompassed terms such as First Nations children, ear and hearing care, and health programs, initiatives, campaigns, and services. RESULTS: Twenty-seven articles met the criteria to be included in the review and described a total of twenty-one ear and hearing care programs. Programs employed strategies to: (i) connect patients to specialist services, (ii) improve cultural safety of services, and (iii) increase access to ear and hearing care services. However, program evaluation measures were limited to outputs or the evaluation of service-level outcome, rather than patient-based outcomes. Factors which contributed to program sustainability included funding and community involvement although these were limited in many cases. CONCLUSION: The result of this study highlighted that programs primarily operate at two points along the care pathway-detection and diagnosis/management, presumably where the greatest need lies. Targeted strategies were used to address these, some which were limited in their approach. The success of many programs are evaluated as outputs, and many programs rely on funding sources which can potentially limit longer-term sustainability. Finally, the involvement of First Nations people and communities typically only occurred during implementation rather than across the development of the program. Future programs should be embedded within a connected system of care and tied to existing policies and funding streams to ensure long term viability. Programs should be governed and evaluated by First Nations communities to further ensure programs are sustainable and are designed to meet community needs.

Cancer Distribution Among Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Subgroups - United States, 2015-2019.

Non-Hispanic Asian (Asian) and non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) persons represent growing segments of the U.S. population (1). Epidemiologic cancer studies often aggregate Asian and NHPI persons (2,3); however, because Asian and NHPI persons are culturally, geographically, and linguistically diverse (2,4), subgroup analyses might provide insights into the distribution of health outcomes. To examine the frequency and percentage of new cancer cases among 25 Asian and NHPI subgroups, CDC analyzed the most current 2015-2019 U.S. Cancer Statistics data.* The distribution of new cancer cases among Asian and NHPI subgroups differed by sex, age, cancer type, and stage at diagnosis (for screening-detected cancers). The percentage of cases diagnosed among females ranged from 47.1% to 68.2% and among persons aged <40 years, ranged from 3.1% to 20.2%. Among the 25 subgroups, the most common cancer type varied. For example, although breast cancer was the most common in 18 subgroups, lung cancer was the most common cancer among Chamoru, Micronesian race not otherwise specified (NOS), and Vietnamese persons; colorectal cancer was the most common cancer among Cambodian, Hmong, Laotian, and Papua New Guinean persons. The frequency of late-stage cancer diagnoses among all subgroups ranged from 25.7% to 40.3% (breast), 38.1% to 61.1% (cervical), 52.4% to 64.7% (colorectal), and 70.0% to 78.5% (lung). Subgroup data illustrate health disparities among Asian and NHPI persons, which might be reduced through the design and implementation of culturally and linguistically responsive cancer prevention and control programs, including programs that address social determinants of health.

Creating an Alianza: Group Perinatal Education for Newly Immigrated Latinx Pregnant People.

Pregnant people who are recent immigrants often face barriers navigating the health care system and establishing a support network to sustain them through pregnancy and new parenthood. The Cultivando una Nueva Alianza (CUNA) program from the Children's Home Society of New Jersey was created to address these obstacles. For over 20 years, CUNA has collaborated with local midwives to develop a program for newly immigrated, Spanish-speaking Latinx pregnant people. The curriculum, facilitated by trained members of the community, provides education around pregnancy, birth, and early parenting and connects participants with prenatal care and community resources while cultivating a social support network. The program's success is seen in improved clinical outcomes, ongoing involvement by graduates, and strong continued support from community stakeholders. The CUNA program has been replicated in nearby communities and offers a blueprint for a low-tech intervention to improve the health and wellness of this population.

Community member perspectives on adapting the cascade of care for opioid use disorder for a tribal nation in the United States.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) Cascade of Care is a public health model that has been used to measure population-level OUD risk, treatment engagement, retention, service and outcome indicators. However, no studies have examined its relevance for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. Thus, we aimed to understand (1) the utility of existing stages and (2) the relative 'fit' of the OUD Cascade of Care from a tribal perspective. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND MEASUREMENTS: Qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with 20 individuals who were knowledgeable regarding the treatment of OUD in an Anishinaabe tribal setting in Minnesota, USA. Community member roles included clinicians, peer support specialists and cultural practitioners, among others. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. FINDINGS: Participants identified the key transition points of prevention, assessment, inpatient/outpatient pathways and recovery as relevant to their community. They re-imagined an Aanji'bide (Changing our Paths) model of opioid recovery and change that was non-linear; included developmental stage and individual pathways; and demonstrated resilience through connection to culture/spirituality, community and others. CONCLUSIONS: Community members living/working in a rural tribal nation in Minnesota, USA identified non-linearity and cultural connection as key elements to include in an Anishinaabe-centered model of opioid recovery and change.