Validation of the translated Negative Physical Self Scale in a sample of Asian women living in Canada.

OBJECTIVES: Body dissatisfaction is often linked to the internalization of Western beauty standards. Existing measures of body dissatisfaction, developed in Western societies, may fail to capture complex variations across ethnicities and cultures. The Negative Physical Self Scale (NPSS) assesses cognitive, affective, perceptual, and behavioural facets of body dissatisfaction. While unique in its consideration of Chinese ideals of body image, the NPSS has recently been translated and validated in a North American sample. The English-translated version of the NPSS has the potential to be an appropriate body dissatisfaction assessment tool for Asian women living in North America. The current study aims to validate the NPSS in an Asian female population living in Canada. METHODS: A sample of 899 undergraduate women residing in Canada with self-identified Asian ethnicity completed an online survey consisting of the NPSS and other measures of body dissatisfaction. RESULTS: An initial confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the four-factor structure of the NPSS, previously suggested in a primarily non-Asian North American sample, was a poor fit for the data. A second-order multidimensional model, based on a model proposed during the original development of the NPSS in a Chinese sample, indicated good fit once items were removed due to loadings < .60. High internal consistency between subscales and strong convergent validity with other measures were demonstrated. Notably, the NPSS Body Concern subscale demonstrated high convergence with other popular measures of body dissatisfaction and has the potential for use as a brief measure of body dissatisfaction among North American Asian females in clinical and research settings. CONCLUSIONS: The NPSS provides a valid assessment of body dissatisfaction among a sample of Asian women living in Canada, a specific subpopulation that has not been previously investigated. The findings highlight the importance of developing culturally sensitive measures of body dissatisfaction for differing ethnic and cultural groups.

Factorial validity, reliability, and measurement invariance of the Negative Physical Self Scale in a sample of men residing in North America.

The Negative Physical Self Scale (NPSS) is a measure of body dissatisfaction that was developed for administration within an Asian sample and has recently been translated to English and validated for use in North American female samples. The aim of the present study was to examine the factor structure and measurement invariance of the English-translated version of the NPSS across three ethnic groups (i.e., Caucasian, Asian, and other) using a sample of men residing in North America. Additionally, the internal consistency, convergent validity, and incremental validity of the NPSS were examined. A sample of 534 young (aged between 18 and 25) North American men completed self-report measures of the NPSS, the Body Shape Questionnaire, the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, and the Male Body Attitudes Scale. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on two hypothesized models. The results supported the second-order factor structure (four factors with three subdimensions). Overall, we found that the factor structure and factor loadings of the NPSS were equal in participants across three broad ethnic categories (i.e., Caucasian, Asian, and other). Likewise, the NPSS displayed first-order scalar invariance. Further, the NPSS test scores demonstrated high internal consistency, strong convergent validity, and incremental validity over and above the existing measures of body dissatisfaction, body attitudes, and disordered eating. In sum, the English version of the NPSS is a valid and appropriate measure to assess body dissatisfaction in men residing in North America. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Assessing the performance of the Asian/Pacific islander identification algorithm to infer Hmong ethnicity from electronic health records in California.

OBJECTIVE: This study assesses the performance of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries Asian/Pacific Islander Identification Algorithm (NAPIIA) to infer Hmong ethnicity. DESIGN AND SETTING: Analyses of electronic health records (EHRs) from 1 January 2011 to 1 October 2015. The NAPIIA was applied to the EHR data, and self-reported Hmong ethnicity from a questionnaire was used as the gold standard. Sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPVs) were calculated comparing the source data ethnicity inferred by the algorithm with the self-reported ethnicity from the questionnaire. PARTICIPANTS: EHRs indicating Hmong, Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean ethnicity who met the original study inclusion criteria were analysed. RESULTS: The NAPIIA had a sensitivity of 78%, a specificity of 99.9%, a PPV of 96% and an NPV of 99%. The prevalence of Hmong population in the sample was 3.9%. CONCLUSION: The high sensitivity of the NAPIIA indicates its effectiveness in detecting Hmong ethnicity. The applicability of the NAPIIA to a multitude of Asian subgroups can advance Asian health disparity research by enabling researchers to disaggregate Asian data and unmask health challenges of different Asian subgroups.

Validation of the translated Negative Physical Self Scale in a female North American sample: Preliminary examination.

In an increasingly multicultural society, there is a need for cross-cultural research on measures of body dissatisfaction, a construct often influenced by sociocultural differences. The current study assessed the psychometric properties of an English translation of the Negative Physical Self Scale (NPSS; Chen, Jackson, & Huang, 2006). A sample of 646 young adult North American women completed an online survey including the NPSS and two widely used measures of body image and eating concerns. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a four-factor structure of the NPSS, three of which (Thinness, Shortness, and Facial Appearance) mirrored those found in Chinese samples. The remaining factor, labeled the Body Concern subscale, was an amalgamation of two factors found in Chinese samples, Fatness and General Appearance, and one item from the Facial Appearance subscale. Extracted factors had high internal consistencies (Cronbach's alpha values above 0.89). The NPSS, particularly the Body Concern Subscale, demonstrated strong convergent validity with other measures of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. The current study provided evidence for the use of a four-factor model of the NPSS among a North American population.

Microscale acoustic disruption of mammalian cells for intracellular product release.

High-throughput microscale models for cell culture are critical for biopharmaceutical process development and drug discovery compound screening. While analytical methods are readily available for quantifying cell number and secreted product concentration, the recovery and measurement of intracellular products are significantly affected by the method of cell disruption. For example, the detergents often used in product extraction are incompatible with lipid-enveloped viruses. To provide an alternative to detergent-mediated disruption of mammalian cells, we have developed an effective yet gentle mechanical method compatible with 96-well plates using adaptive focused acoustics technology. This method was adapted for the release of Varicella-Zoster virus from MRC-5 cells and then applied to investigate infectious virus yield as a function of the cell density at infection. This microscale, high-throughput mechanical cell disruption method may be applicable to a variety of mammalian cell culture systems and intracellular products, thus expanding the scope of high-throughput screening.

Increasing hepatitis B screening for hmong adults: results from a randomized controlled community-based study.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B-linked liver cancer disproportionately affects Hmong Americans. With an incidence rate of 18.9 per 100,000, Hmong Americans experience liver cancer at a rate that is 6 to 7 times more than that of non-Hispanic Whites. Serologic testing for the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a principal means to prevent liver cancer-related deaths through earlier identification of those at risk. METHODS: Academic researchers and Hmong leaders collaborated in the design, conduct, and evaluation of a 5-year randomized controlled trial testing a lay health worker (LHW) intervention to promote HBV testing among 260 Hmong adults through in-home education and patient navigation. RESULTS: Intervention group participants were more likely to report receiving serologic testing for HBV (24% vs. 10%, P = 0.0056) and showed a greater mean increase in knowledge score (1.3 vs. 0.3 points, P = 0.0003) than control group participants. Multivariable modeling indicated that self-reported test receipt was associated with intervention group assignment [OR 3.5; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3-9.2], improvement in knowledge score (OR 1.3 per point; 95% CI 1.02-1.7), female gender (OR 5.3; 95% CI 1.7-16.6), and having seen a doctor in the past year at baseline (OR 4.8; 95% CI 1.3-17.6). The most often cited reason for testing was a doctor's recommendation. CONCLUSIONS: LHWs were effective in bringing about HBV screening. Doctor visits and adherence to doctors' recommendations were pivotal. Participation of health care providers is essential to increase HBV testing. IMPACT: LHWs can significantly increase HBV screening rates for Hmong but their doctors' recommendation is highly influential and should be pursued.

Translation of health surveys using mixed methods.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a process-based translation method for a health survey instrument, Searching for Hardships and Obstacles to Shots (SHOTS), using a community-based participatory approach with the Hmong community. DESIGN: The study was based on a cross-sectional survey to assess the reliability and validity of the SHOTS immunization survey, an instrument used in the Hmong community, who are refugees originally from Laos living in the United States. METHOD: Process-based universalistic health survey translation methods were used in a six-step procedure to translate the instrument. Mixed methods were used to analyze results, including cognitive interviewing, content validity indexing, Cronbach's α, t tests, and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. FINDINGS: Participants were able to accurately complete the SHOTS survey in either Hmong or English, depending on participant preference. CONCLUSIONS: Universalistic, process-based, mixed methods used to analyze language translation, in combination with the principles of community-based participatory research, provide effective methods to translate health surveys. Involvement of the community strengthens the quality of translation and improves reliability and validity of survey results. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Healthcare providers require accurate and reliable information from evidence-based health surveys to plan for culturally responsive care. Cross-cultural research often relies on language translation. Translation of a health survey instrument may be improved with universalistic, process-based methodology.

Factors associated with pap testing among Hmong women.

This paper reports the baseline data on the proportion of Hmong women (n=402), ages 18-65, in Sacramento, California who reported that they had a Pap test for the early detection of cervical cancer. We assessed the association between sociodemographic characteristics and Pap test receipt using chi-squared and multiple logistic regression analyses. Only 74% had ever had a Pap test, with 61% tested in the previous three years, compared with 91% and 86%, respectively, of California women overall. Women were more likely to have had a recent Pap test if they were age 21-30 (OR=3.0 vs. age 51-65, 95% CI 1.4-6.7) or 31-40 (OR=3.0, 95% CI 1.4-6.4), and less likely if they were single (OR=0.4 vs. married/partnered, 95% CI 0.2-1.0) or born in the U.S. (OR=0.3 vs. <10 years in U.S., 95% CI 0.1-0.8).

Perception of barriers to immunization among parents of Hmong origin in California.

OBJECTIVES: We explored factors associated with perception of barriers to immunization among parents of Hmong origin in California, whose children experience persistent immunization inequities even with health insurance. METHODS: A partnership of academic researchers and members of the Hmong community conducted a community-based participatory research project. We collected data in naturalistic settings with a standardized instrument. We analyzed responses from 417 parents and caregivers and created a structural equation model to determine factors that contributed to perceived barriers. RESULTS: Of 3 potential contributing factors to perceived barriers-nativity, socioeconomic position, and use of traditional Hmong health care (i.e., consulting shamans and herbalists)-the latter 2 significantly predicted higher perceived barriers to immunization. Nativity, indicated by years in the United States, age of arrival in the United States, and English language fluency, did not predict perceived barriers. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions aimed at reducing immunization inequities should consider distinct sociocultural factors that affect immunization rates among different refugee and immigrant groups.

Access to Adequate Healthcare for Hmong Women: A Patient Navigation Program to Increase Pap Test Screening.

This paper describes the development and implementation of a Hmong Cervical Cancer Intervention Program utilizing a patient navigation model to raise cervical cancer awareness for Hmong women through educational workshops and to assist Hmong women in obtaining a Pap test. Out of 402 women who participated in a baseline survey, the Patient Navigation Program was able to enroll 109 participants who had not had a Pap test in the past 3 years and had never had a Pap test. Through utilization of outreach, an awareness campaign and patient navigation support, at least 38 percent of 109 participants obtained a Pap test. Overall, 21 workshops and 43 outreach activities were conducted by the Hmong Women's Heritage Association, leading to 63 percent of those enrolled in the Patient Navigation Program who could be contacted to obtain a Pap test.

Effect of solvent concentration on the extraction kinetics and diffusivity of Cyclosporin A in the fungus Tolypocladium inflatum.

The kinetics of solid-liquid extraction and extraction yields of the immunosuppressant drug Cyclosporin A (CyA) from the mycelia of Tolypocladium inflatum were examined in this study. A 2 L stirred, baffled vessel was used to extract CyA from wet mycelia mass. Three different organic solvents were used, namely, methanol, acetone, and isopropanol at different concentrations in aqueous mixtures at room temperature. It was found that the best solvent was acetone at 50% v/v concentration achieving 100% extraction of CyA from the mycelia of T. inflatum. Although acetone proved to be the better solvent for CyA extraction, further studies were performed using methanol. A linear relationship was found between extraction yield of CyA and methanol concentration with 100% CyA extraction at 90% v/v methanol. The partition coefficients of CyA between the solid mycelia phase and the aqueous solvent phase were found to decrease exponentially with increasing methanol concentration. A liquid extraction model was developed based on the diffusion equation to correlate the kinetic data of CyA extraction from the solid mycelia of T. inflatum. Non-linear regression analysis of experimental data was used with the diffusion equation in order to calculate the effective diffusivities of CyA in the mycelia of T. inflatum. For all three organic solvents used, the effective diffusivities of CyA were found to be between 4.41 x 10(-15) and 6.18 x 10(-14) m(2)/s. This is the first time CyA effective diffusivities in T. inflatum are reported in the literature.

Effect of temperature on the extraction kinetics and diffusivity of Cyclosporin A in the fungus Tolypocladium inflatum.

The influence of temperature on the extraction kinetics of Cyclosporin A (CyA) from the mycelia of Tolypocladium inflatum was examined in this study. The extraction of CyA from mycelia was performed in a 2-L stirred, baffled vessel using 30% v/v aqueous methanol. The temperature range used was from 5 to 45 degrees C. A linear relationship was found between the extraction yield of CyA and temperature. As the temperature increased, the yield of CyA increased with a maximum CyA yield of 18.3% obtained at 45 degrees C, which is 21.3% higher than the yield at 25 degrees C. The activation energy for the extraction of CyA from T. inflatum was found to be 36.7 kJ/mol, which indicates that the extraction of CyA from T. inflatum is controlled by both solubilization of CyA and diffusion of CyA through the solid phase of mycelia. The overall mass transfer coefficient, k(L)a(S), was found to increase from 1.02 x 10(-3) to 1.34 x 10(-2) s(-1) as the temperature increased from 5 to 45 degrees C. The effective diffusivity of CyA in the solid matrix of mycelia was found to increase from 1.05 x 10(-15) to 1.43 x 10(-14) m(2)/s as the temperature increased from 5 to 45 degrees C. A mathematical diffusion model was developed and was used to fit the experimental kinetic data of CyA extraction and determination of CyA effective diffusivities at different temperatures. This is the first time CyA diffusivities as a function of extraction temperature are reported in the literature.