Biospecimen Education Among Pacific Islanders in Southern California.

Despite increasing rates of cancer, biospecimen donations for cancer research remains low among Pacific Islanders (PIs). To address this disparity, researchers partnered with PI community organizations to develop and test a theory-based culturally tailored educational intervention designed to raise awareness about the issues surrounding biospecimen research. A total of 219 self-identified PI adults in Southern California were recruited to participate in a one-group pre-post design study. Participants completed questionnaires that assessed their knowledge and attitude regarding biospecimen research before and after viewing an educational video and receiving print materials. Results showed that participants' overall knowledge and attitude increased significantly from pre-test to post-test (p < .0001). Over 98% of participants also reported that they would be willing to donate at least one type of biospecimen sample. Efforts such as these that utilize culturally tailored education interventions may be instrumental in improving biospecimen donation rates in the PI community as well as other minority populations.

Let's Move for Pacific Islander Communities: an Evidence-Based Intervention to Increase Physical Activity.

Pacific Islander (PI) populations of Southern California experience high obesity and low physical activity levels. Given PI's rich cultural ties, efforts to increase physical activity using a community-tailored strategy may motivate members in a more sustainable manner. In this paper, we (1) detail the program adaptation methodology that was utilized to develop the Weaving an Islander Network for Cancer Awareness, Research and Training (WINCART) Center's PI Let's Move Program, a culturally tailored program aimed to increase physical activity levels among members of PI organizations in Southern California, and (2) share the program's pilot evaluation results on individual and organizational changes. The WINCART Center applied the National Cancer Institute's program adaptation guidelines to tailor the evidence-based Instant Recess program to fit the needs of PIs. The end product, the PI Let's Move Program, was piloted in 2012 with eight PI organizations, reaching 106 PI adults. At baseline, 52 % of participants reported that they were not physically active, with the average number of days engaged in medium-intensity physical activity at 2.09 days/week. After the 2-month program, participants increased the number of days that they engaged in medium-intensity physical activity from 2.09 to 2.90 days/week. Post-pilot results found that 82 % of participants reported intentions to engage in physical activity for at least the next 6 months. At baseline, only one organization was currently implementing a physical activity program, and none had implemented an evidence-based physical activity program tailored for PIs. After the 2-month timeframe, despite varying levels of capacity, all eight organizations were able to successfully implement the program. In conclusion, results from our program provide evidence that disparity populations, such as PIs, can be successfully reached through programs that are culturally tailored to both individuals and their community organizations.

Eliminating tobacco disparities among native Hawaiian Pacific Islanders through policy change: the role of community-based organizations.

Although cigarette smoking in the general U.S. population has decreased considerably over the past several decades, prevalence rates among Native Hawaiian Pacific Islanders (NHPI) have remained elevated by comparison with other groups. The aggregation of NHPI smoking data with that of Asians has drawn attention away from the serious smoking problems that NHPIs experience, thus, limiting funding, programs, and policies to reduce tobacco-related health disparities in their communities. In California, community-based organizations (CBOs) have played a major role in supporting the state's comprehensive tobacco control program, which is arguably one of the most successful in the nation. In this commentary, we describe the tobacco control activities of five NHPI-serving CBOs in Southern California and how they have provided anti-tobacco education for thousands of Native Hawaiians, Chamorros, Marshallese, Samoans, Tongans, and other Pacific Islander subgroups, and used advocacy and coalition building to promote smoke-free environment policies in their communities. The concerted efforts of the CBOs and their community members have made vital contributions to the reduction of tobacco-related disparities for NHPI populations in California.

Sleep Duration and Chronic Disease Among Older Native Hawaiians or Other Pacific Islanders and Asians: Analysis of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

OBJECTIVES: Older adults are particularly vulnerable to unhealthy sleep. This study examines the relationship between sleep duration and chronic diseases among older Native Hawaiians or Other Pacific Islanders (NHOPIs) and identifies variations with older Asians. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, data were analyzed using the 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The total sample of adults 50 years and older included 1277 NHOPIs and 4655 Asians. Weighted, survey logistic regressions were employed to analyze the relationship between sleep duration (i.e., short, healthy, and long) and seven chronic diseases: coronary heart disease, stroke, heart attack/myocardial infarction, pre-diabetes, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and depressive disorder. Sleep duration was categorized into short sleep (SS; ≤ 6 h), healthy sleep (7-8 h), and long sleep (LS; ≥ 9 h), with healthy sleep as the reference group. RESULTS: Among NHOPIs, SS and LS were significantly related to stroke (OR 3.19, 95% CI: 1.35-7.53 for SS and OR 9.52, 95% CI: 2.99-30.34 for LS) and SS was associated with pre-diabetes (OR 2.22 CI: 1.07-4.59), after adjusting for all covariates. In contrast, Asians with SS and LS reported higher odds of depression (OR 2.40, 95% CI: 1.20-4.79 and OR 5.03, 95% CI: 1.57-16.13, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest older NHOPIs with SS or LS experience worse health. NHOPIs and Asians varied on the relationship between sleep and chronic disease, underscoring the need to disaggregate Asian/NHOPI data to understand health disparities.

Community-Based Recruitment Strategies for Young Adult Pacific Islanders into a Randomized Community Smoking Cessation Trial.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer represents the leading cause of cancer death for Pacific Islanders in the United States, but they remain underrepresented in studies leading to the lack of evidence-based cessation programs tailored to their culture and lifestyle. OBJECTIVES: This paper aims to describe the development of culturally tailored and community informed recruitment materials, and provide lessons learned regarding implementation and adaptation of strategies to recruit Pacific Islander young adult smokers into a randomized cessation study. METHODS: Development of recruitment materials involved a series of focus groups to determine the cessation program logo and recruitment video. The initial recruitment strategy relied on community-based participatory research partnerships with Pacific Islander community-based organizations, leaders and health coaches with strong ties to the community.Results/Lessons Learned: While the recruitment materials were well received, initial strategies tapered off after the first 3 months of recruitment resulting in the need to revise outreach plans. Revised plans included the creation of a list with more than 200 community locations frequented by Pacific Islander young adult smokers, along with the hiring of part-time recruitment assistants who reflected the age and ethnicities of the desired cessation study participants. These materials and strategies ultimately yielded 316 participants, 66% of whom were recruited by the revised strategies. CONCLUSIONS: Community-based participatory research approaches not only inform the design of culturally tailored intervention recruitment material and strategies, but also result in innovative solutions to recruitment challenges to address the National Cancer Institute's gaps in science regarding small populations.

Psychosocial characteristics of smoking patterns among young adult Samoans and Tongans in California.

INTRODUCTION: Despite the high burden of tobacco-related diseases experienced by Samoans and Tongans, there is relatively little understanding of the factors that influence their smoking behaviors which could inform effective smoking cessation strategies. This study examined several psychosocial characteristics that intertwine to predict smoking patterns in these Pacific Islander subgroups. METHODS: Samoans and Tongans between the ages of 18 and 33, who consumed at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and were current smokers, were categorized as light, moderate, or heavy smokers. Baseline data from a randomized controlled smoking cessation trial were analyzed. Participants (n = 278) were measured on self-efficacy, perceived stress, sensation seeking, hostility, depression, and impulsivity. Least square means estimated from General Linear Models were used to compare psychosocial characteristics across smoking groups, as well as by gender and ethnicity. RESULTS: Samoan male heavy smokers reported higher levels of self-efficacy compared to light smokers, and greater stress, hostility, depression, and urgency over moderate smokers. Samoan female heavy smokers demonstrated greater stress and hostility than moderate and light smokers. Tongan female heavy and light smokers had significantly elevated levels of sensation seeking compared to moderate smokers. Tongan male smokers did not display any meaningful associations with these psychosocial constructs. CONCLUSIONS: This study underscores the important distinctions between smoking patterns, gender, and ethnic subgroups. Interventions that rely on aggregated smoking profiles or general Pacific Islander data may not adequately address the complex array of mental health factors that contribute to tobacco use.

Network analysis of an organizational collaboration for Pacific Islander cancer control.

Community-based participatory research (CPBR) represents a growing research approach for addressing health disparities disfavoring members of racial/ethnic minorities and other underserved populations in the U.S. While such endeavors are often guided by explicit principles regarding the relationships between communities and universities, few studies have reported on the development or strength of such relationships. This paper describes the methods and preliminary results of a cross-sectional analysis of the ties between community and university organizations in a CBPR network to address cancer disparities between Pacific Islanders in Southern California and the general population. These analyses afford a means of representing the collaborative relationships and may enhance tracking improvements in CBPR links for cancer education, research, and training. Such tracking will help concerned parties understand how academic and community groups collaborate and coordinate their efforts to reach shared and overlapping goals.

Developing an Internet- and Mobile-Based System to Measure Cigarette Use Among Pacific Islanders: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study.

BACKGROUND: Recent prevalence data indicates that Pacific Islanders living in the United States have disproportionately high smoking rates when compared to the general populace. However, little is known about the factors contributing to tobacco use in this at-risk population. Moreover, few studies have attempted to determine these factors utilizing technology-based assessment techniques. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to develop a customized Internet-based Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) system capable of measuring cigarette use among Pacific Islanders in Southern California. This system integrated the ubiquity of text messaging, the ease of use associated with mobile phone apps, the enhanced functionality offered by Internet-based Cell phone-optimized Assessment Techniques (ICAT), and the high survey completion rates exhibited by EMA studies that used electronic diaries. These features were tested in a feasibility study designed to assess whether Pacific Islanders would respond to this method of measurement and whether the data gathered would lead to novel insights regarding the intrapersonal, social, and ecological factors associated with cigarette use. METHODS: 20 young adult smokers in Southern California who self-identified as Pacific Islanders were recruited by 5 community-based organizations to take part in a 7-day EMA study. Participants selected six consecutive two-hour time blocks per day during which they would be willing to receive a text message linking them to an online survey formatted for Web-enabled mobile phones. Both automated reminders and community coaches were used to facilitate survey completion. RESULTS: 720 surveys were completed from 840 survey time blocks, representing a completion rate of 86%. After adjusting for gender, age, and nicotine dependence, feeling happy (P=<.001) or wanting a cigarette while drinking alcohol (P=<.001) were positively associated with cigarette use. Being at home (P=.02) or being around people who are not smoking (P=.01) were negatively associated with cigarette use. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the feasibility study indicate that customized systems can be used to conduct technology-based assessments of tobacco use among Pacific Islanders. Such systems can foster high levels of survey completion and may lead to novel insights for future research and interventions.

A Pacific Islander Organization's Approach Towards Increasing Community Colorectal Cancer Knowledge and Beliefs.

PURPOSE: Evaluate the educational intervention and determine if changes in knowledge and beliefs are associated with positive intentions to screen among Pacific Islanders (PIs). DESIGN: Pre- and post-test surveys were utilized to evaluate the intervention. Educational materials included an in-language presentation, educational videos, and bookmarks with screening re-enforcement messages for community-based PI groups. METHODS: One hundred and ninety-six PIs aged 50 years and older residing in Orange County completed the educational workshop. The dependent variable is intention and the independent variables are demographic, enabling, and predisposing characteristics. Statistical analyses included paired samples t-tests, chi-square tests, and two logistic regression models. RESULTS: Knowledge and belief scores increased pre- to post-test. A majority intended to (1) talk to a doctor about colorectal cancer (CRC) screening (74.5%), and (2) participate in CRC screening (73.5%). Positive change in knowledge score was a significant predictor for intending to talk to a doctor about CRC screening; female gender and positive change in knowledge score were significant predictors for intending to participate in screening. CONCLUSION: The study highlighted the effectiveness of tailored education in addressing cultural and linguistic needs of the community. Moreover, it demonstrated the education's potential for moving participants with limited CRC screening knowledge to intend to screen.

Developing a community-based collaboration to reduce cancer health disparities among Pacific Islanders in California.

Cancer is a leading cause of death for Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States, but education and research efforts addressing the needs ofPacific Islanders in the continental U.S. is sparse. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of a community-based participatory research network dedicated to addressing cancer health disparities among Chamorros, Marshallese, Native Hawaiians, Samoans and Tongans in Southern California. Community-based organizations (CBO) comprise the focus of the network, and their efforts have included increasing cancer-related awareness in their communities, developing capacities regarding cancer control, and initiating collaborative research efforts with academic partners. First year processes and outcomes are described, and specific examples are given from two CBO partners.