Sangmi Kim

Issues in Developing and Evaluating a Culturally Tailored Internet Cancer Support Group.

The purpose of this article is to explore practical issues in developing and implementing a culturally tailored Internet Cancer Support Group for a group of ethnic minority patients with cancer—Asian Americans. Throughout the research process of the original study testing the Internet cancer support group, the research team made written records of practical issues and plausible rationales for the issues. Weekly group discussion among research team members was conducted, and the discussion records were evaluated and analyzed using a content analysis (with individual words as the unit of analysis). The codes from the analysis process were categorized into idea themes, through which the issues were extracted. The issues included those in (1) difficulties in using multiple languages, (2) collaboration with the information technology department and technical challenges, (3) difficulties in recruitment, (4) difficulties in retention, (5) optimal timing, and (6) characteristics of the users. Based on the findings, we suggest that researchers plan a workable translation process, check technical needs in advance, use multiple strategies to recruit and retain research participants, plan the right time for data collection, and consider characteristics of the users in the study design.

Improving menopausal symptoms through promoting physical activity: a pilot Web-based intervention study among Asian Americans.

Objective: Based on previous studies, a Web-based physical activity promotion program with educational modules on menopausal symptoms and physical activity has been developed for Asian American midlife women to reduce their menopausal symptoms through increasing their physical activity. The purpose of this pilot randomized intervention study was to determine the efficacy of the Web-based program in improving menopausal symptom experience of Asian American midlife women. Methods: This was a randomized repeated measures pretest/posttest (pretest, post 1 month, and post 3 months) control group study among 29 Asian American midlife women. Multiple instruments were used, including the Midlife Womens Symptom Index and the Kaiser Physical Activity Survey. The data were analyzed using a mixed-model growth curve analysis. Results: Over time, total severity scores decreased for the control group (−0.53, P < 0.10), whereas they did not exhibit a meaningful change for the intervention group. Both study groups experienced improvement in active living habits over time, but such an improvement was greater for the intervention group (&bgr; = 0.29, P < 0.001) than for the control group (&bgr; = 0.08, P < 0.10). The time × group interactions for total severity scores were not statistically significant anymore after controlling for physical activity (−0.34 for the control group, P = 0.10). Conclusions: The findings supported the feasibility of a 3-month Web-based intervention for menopausal symptom management among Asian American midlife women and the preliminary efficacy of the program in increasing their physical activity.

The effect of a culturally tailored web-based physical activity promotion program on Asian American midlife women’s depressive symptoms

The benefits of physical activities on depressive symptoms have increasingly been reported in the literature, but the effect through which a Web-based physical activity promotion program alleviates depressive symptoms is not clearly known, especially among ethnic minority midlife women. The purpose of this pilot randomized control study is to examine the preliminary efficacy of the Web-based physical activity promotion program in enhancing the depressive symptoms of Asian American midlife women through increasing physical activity. This study adopted a randomized repeated measures pretest/posttest control group design. This study consisted of two groups of research participants: 18 in an intervention group and 15 in a control group. By using multiple instruments, the participants’ background and health status, depressive symptom experience, and physical activity experience were measured at three time points (pre-, post 1-month, and post 3-months). The data were analyzed using a modified intent-to-treat linear mixed-model growth curve analysis. After controlling for covariates, random intercept, and random slope, only discrimination stress showed statistical significances in the group effect (0.18, p = .08 for control) and time effect (-0.04, p = .04), but not in the group × time effect (p = .51). The active living habits scores showed statistical significances in the group effect (0.82, p < 0.01 for control), time effect (0.29, p < 0.01), and group × time effect (-0.31, p = 0.03 for control). Findings support the significant effect of the Web-based physical activity promotion program on the women’s discrimination stress and active living habits.

Internet Recruitment of Asian American Breast Cancer Survivors.

The purpose of this article is to identify practical issues in Internet recruitment of racial/ethnic minorities by analyzing an Internet intervention study conducted with Asian American breast cancer survivors, and to propose directions for recruitment of racial/ethnic minorities for future Internet research. Six practical issues were identified: (a) a relatively fewer number of Internet communities/groups; (b) hindrances in establishing authenticity; (c) difficulties in gaining entrée from the webmasters or Web site owners of Internet communities/groups; (d) the necessity of racially/ethnically matched research team members; (e) flexibility required in recruitment strategies; and (f) strategies to overcome the low response rate.