Britt Rios-Ellis

Addressing the Need for Access to Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate HIV/AIDS Prevention for Latinos

This article reports a comprehensive national needs assessment of Latinos’ access to HIV/AIDS prevention and education services in 14 cities throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with Latinos who were HIV-positive and at risk for HIV infection. The study explored risk behaviors, access to health care services, and exposure to HIV prevention messages. Differences in predictors of risk behaviors were noted by sex. For women, increased age, being married, foreign-born, and a U.S. resident, and having tested for HIV previously, were associated with reduced HIV/AIDS risk. Thematic analysis of qualitative findings revealed limited awareness of risk factors, and a need for culturally and linguistically appropriate, family-centered HIV/AIDS education incorporating Latino values. Findings were incorporated into culturally relevant brochures featuring vignettes and quotes. Brochures were distributed and evaluated by 71 community-based organizations (CBOs) in the U.S. and Latin America. Evaluators responded positively to the brochures, and Latino-serving organizations in 48 states now use them for HIV/AIDS prevention outreach and education.

An Examination of Specific Types of Ijime within Japanese Schools.

Multiple suicides among Japanese students due to bullying have resulted in the initiation of various mechanisms to prevent, manage and measure the prevalence of bullying (ijime). Ijime is now a problem of epidemic proportions in Japan. Due to the historical roots of collectivism, combined with the rapid industrialization of Japan, the manifestation of bullying is very different from that seen in Western cultures. The Japanese government, through Mombusho (Japanese Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture), and the Japan Center for Family and Child Research, has attempted to respond to the ever increasing incidence of ijime among Japanese students. In an effort to both augment the level of response, as well as increase the scope of understanding, a fellowship was established to facilitate the ability of a foreign professor to research the issue of ijime. This manuscript informs the prevalence and types of ijime-related behaviours, and presents the findings of related interviews and focus groups conducted in Japan. Differences in behaviours at the elementary, junior high and high school educational levels are discussed.

Educating Underserved Latino Communities about Family Health History Using Lay Health Advisors

Background: Family health history (FHH) is a tool used to inform individuals about inherited disease risk. Due to their disproportionate morbidity and mortality from some common chronic diseases, U.S. Latinos are an important audience for FHH information. This study examined the effects of a culturally-tailored intervention led by lay health advisors (LHAs) in delivering information about FHH on participants’ intentions, self-efficacy, and conceptual knowledge. Methods: 474 Spanish-speaking Latino participants were enrolled in the study. Individuals in the intervention group participated in a single group educational session using discussion and interactive activities to build skills for discussing FHH with one’s family members and doctor, while individuals in the comparison group had a brochure read aloud to them. Pre- and post-test questionnaires were verbally administered. Results: Primary dependent variables were intentions and self-efficacy to discuss FHH with family members and doctors; these increased in both groups. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that the intervention led to a significantly greater increase in self-efficacy to discuss FHH with family members (p = 0.03). LHA participants were also more than twice as likely (OR = 2.6, 95% CI = 1.3–5.0) to correctly understand the purpose of a FHH and found FHH information more useful (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: A communication intervention delivered by LHAs shows promise as an effective means of educating underserved Spanish-speaking Latinos about the importance of FHH for disease prevention. Such community-based approaches can help to close knowledge and skills gaps about FHH and increase confidence in using this information to improve the health of those most at risk.

Issues in the Assessment of “Race” Among Latinos: Implications for Research and Policy

Measurement of race and ethnicity is integral to assessing and addressing health disparities experienced by minorities. However, the unique experiences of Latinos related to race and the discordance between understandings of race among Latinos and the predominant U.S. conceptualizations of this construct impact how Latinos respond to measurement approaches. As a result, data collection methodologies often yield ambiguous responses that reveal little about this population. This article examines Latinos’ racial responding, and how this relates to their experiences and understanding of their racial identity. We recommend the use of a combined race and ethnicity question and open-ended race and ethnicity questions, when feasible, which will likely yield more meaningful data that can be used to address this populations’ health needs.

Increasing HIV-related Knowledge, Communication, and Testing Intentions among Latinos: Protege tu Familia: Hazte la Prueba

Latinos are less likely to be aware of their HIV seropositivity than African Americans and Whites. Protege tu Familia: Hazte la Prueba is a culturally and linguistically-sensitive HIV/AIDS prevention and testing program targeting Latino families. Using community-based participatory research techniques, Spanish-speaking bicultural community health workers helped develop and then used an educational flip chart and materials to conduct outreach and HIV prevention education in diverse settings. The intervention was created to increase HIV/AIDS-related knowledge, to improve communication regarding sexual risk, and to augment intentions to use condoms and test for HIV. A secondary purpose was to decrease HIV-related stigma by improving knowledge about transmission and reducing homophobia. Participants demonstrated significant increases in HIV knowledge, intention to practice safer sex and communicate sexual risk to partner(s), and intention to test for HIV. Improvements were also found in self-reported comfort levels when interacting with and caring for the HIV positive, thus decreasing HIV/AIDS-related stigma.

Community-academic partnerships in HIV-related research: a systematic literature review of theory and practice

Community involvement in HIV research has increased over recent years, enhancing community‐academic partnerships. Several terms have been used to describe community participation in research. Clarification is needed to determine whether these terms are synonymous or actually describe different research processes. In addition, it remains unclear if the role that communities play in the actual research process follows the recommendations given in theoretical frameworks of community‐academia research.

Creating a Model of Latino Peer Education: Weaving Cultural Capital into the Fabric of Academic Services in an Urban University Setting.

Over the last few decades, college admission rates for Latinos have increased. However, the achievement gap between Latino students and other ethnic groups remains wide. Peer mentorship programs have shared in some degree of success in promoting the academic success of diverse and underrepresented student populations. Despite the growing population of Latino students, little has been done to recognize the potential cultural assets and resilience that they can bring to the educational environment. Utilizing concepts from cultural capital and community cultural wealth, a peer-mentoring program for Latino students was developed. The Promotores de Educación program was designed to provide students with peer support, tutoring, and linkage to academic and student services to improve the educational experience of Latino students, leading to improved academic performance and timely graduation. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the development and implementation of the program.

Rompe el Silencio (Break the Silence)—Increasing Sexual Communication in Latina Intergenerational Family Dyads

HIV interventions have fallen short in significantly decreasing risk for Latino populations. The Rompe el Silencio (Break the Silence) cultural assets-based HIV/AIDS prevention program was developed using community-based participatory research methods. Qualitative analyses of focus group data identified salient factors related to sexual behavior and communication. Integration of focus group results with theoretical constructs guided the development of an intervention to reduce risk behaviors by increasing communication within Latino families. Fifty Latina family dyads from Los Angeles County participated in pilot testing of the intervention. Findings indicated significant increases in sexual risk knowledge, frequency of sexual risk communication, and number of sexual risk-related topics discussed. Rompe el Silencio represents a female-focused, family-based, and culturally relevant intervention to combat HIV risk within Latino communities.

Engaging Community With Promotores de Salud to Support Infant Nutrition and Breastfeeding Among Latinas Residing in Los Angeles County: Salud con Hyland's

The Salud con Hylands Project: Comienzo Saludable, Familia Sana [Health With Hylands Project: Healthy Start, Healthy Family],was developed to provide education and support to Latina mothers regarding healthy infant feeding practices and maternal health. The promotora-delivered intervention was comprised of two charlas (educational sessions) and a supplemental, culturally and linguistically relevant infant feeding and care rolling calendar. Results indicate that the intervention increased intention to breastfeed exclusively, as well as to delay infant initiation of solids by 5 to 6 months. Qualitative feedback identified barriers to maternal and child health education as well as highlighted several benefits of the intervention.

Initiation to methamphetamine use in a binational sample of women at the US-Mexico border.

This article examines comparative risk behaviors associated with methamphetamine use in a binational sample of women in the border cities of Tijuana, Mexico, and San Diego, California. Specifically, the study examined the differences and similarities in drug use and sexual risk behavior and the patterns of initiation to methamphetamine use. The binational pilot sample consisted of 70 adult women in Tijuana and 55 women in San Diego. Although there were important differences in the presentation of risk behavior and patterns of initiation between the two binational samples, women on both sides of the US–Mexico border also showed remarkable similarities in their risk profile. Results from this study suggest that despite significant cultural and socioeconomic differences between the study cities, certain specific substance abuse patterns (e.g., methamphetamine use) in border regions with an increasing demographic exchange and integration are emerging as an “equalizer” of risk, capable of dissolving context-based differentiating factors, and creating a more homogenous subpopulation of substance users.