Evaluators utilize a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods to assess outcomes and make recommendations; however, we were unable to find any reference in the literature regarding the incorporation of oral histories for evaluation purposes. Based on our use of oral histories to evaluate a Critical Race Theory (CRT)-based undergraduate research and mentoring program, we learned how oral histories can be used effectively—and meaningfully—for evaluations seeking a deeper understanding of the program participants' lived experiences. By sharing our (and our narrators') experiences as we delved into this new methodology, as well as lessons learned about the benefits, limitations, and considerations when incorporating oral histories into evaluations, we show how both can be adapted to honor oral history while also meeting our evaluation needs.

Hate crimes and racist incidents are occurring with alarming and increasing frequency on college and university campuses. As colleges work to reduce racist incidents on campus, there is still a need to prepare students to respond to racism when it occurs. When students are prepared to respond to racist incidents, they tend to have better mental health. We draw on prior literature to examine whether learning about critical race theory (CRT) and receiving CRT-informed mentoring—as embedded in an undergraduate research experience program—related to four-year college students’ self-assessed ability to respond to racism. Specifically, we propose and test a conceptual model to examine the benefits of participating in an undergraduate research experience program that required students to learn about CRT and receiving CRT-informed mentorship. Consistent with prior literature on undergraduate research experience programs, we found that the intervention positively related to students’ sense of self-efficacy and science identity, but it did not have an independent, direct relationship with self-assessed ability to respond to racism. However, the intervention indirectly supports students’ preparedness to respond to racism through its positive relationship with self-efficacy. As state legislatures around the country work to ban CRT, this paper offers empirical evidence that embedding CRT in university programs can support student development in multiple related ways.

Numerous studies document the benefits of participating in undergraduate research experiences (UREs), including greater odds of enrolling in graduate school. However, there is a lack of understanding about how UREs support student success. This study examines survey and interview data from a multi-year program evaluation of a National Institutes of Health-funded biomedical training program to consider whether and how participating in a URE fosters students’ sense of belonging, which is an important predictor of retention and graduation. Analyzing the quantitative survey data revealed that participating in the URE was positively associated with a sense of belonging even after controlling for students’ background characteristics, including gender, race or ethnicity, first-generation status, commuting burden, and age. Additionally, there was a positive relationship between a sense of belonging and odds of applying to graduate school. Path analysis suggests that the URE has an indirect relationship with applying to a graduate program that operates through the URE’s direct relationship with sense of belonging. Interview data offered insights into how the URE supported an increased sense of belonging. Specifically, we found that the URE fostered a sense of belonging when (1) faculty research mentors develop authentic, personal, and caring relationships with mentees, (2) the URE program welcomes, cultivates, and supports women and racially diverse students, and (3) the URE is embedded within a university environment that allows for faculty and peer engagement.

The current study examined how participation in an undergraduate research experience (URE) that provides a counterspace affects sociocognitive factors (science self-efficacy, science identity, and academic self-concept) and how they, in turn, may shape science career intention in a sample of STEM undergraduate students. STEM majors from a public university in California completed surveys from 2017 to 2020 and rated their science identity, science self-efficacy, academic self-concept, and their intention to pursue a science-related research career. Structural equation modeling shows that URE participants reported higher (a) science self-efficacy, (b) science identity, and (c) academic self-concept relative to students who did not participate in the URE. While there was an indirect effect of science self-efficacy on science career intention mediated by science identity, higher science self-efficacy and academic self-concept were negatively associated with the intention to pursue a science career. MANOVA results suggest that URE participants fared better than non-URE students in all outcomes across all sub-groups. These results highlight the importance of an identity-focused UREs and the counterspace it fosters among STEM majors from diverse backgrounds.

Protection of Participants in Community-Engaged Research by Institutional Review Boards: A Call for Action Liliane Windsor PhD, MSW, Ellen Benoit PhD, Patchareeya Kwan PhD, MPH, CHES, Kevin Tan PhD, MSW, and Al Richmond MSW Affiliation Liliane Windsor and Kevin Tan are with the School of Social Work, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL. Ellen Benoit is with the North Jersey Community Research Initiative, Newark, NJ. Patchareeya Kwan is with the Department of Health Sciences, California State University, Northridge. Al Richmond is with Community-Campus Partnerships for Health, Raleigh, NC. CopyRightCorrespondence should be sent to Liliane Windsor, PhD, MSW, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1010 W Nevada St, Urbana, IL 61801 (e-mail: lwindsor@illinois.edu). Reprints can be ordered at http://www.ajph.org by clicking the "Reprints" link. CONTRIBUTORS L. Windsor conceptualized the article, led the information collection, conducted the literature review, wrote the initial draft, and coordinated all aspects of the article. E. Benoit helped conceptualize the article, conducted the analysis of the discussion session, and helped edit the article. P. Kwan supported the conceptualization of the article, contributed to data collection, and developed the article's second draft. K. Tan co-led the data collection and developed the article's third draft. A. Richmond participated in the data collection and reviewed the final draft. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307592 Accepted: January 14, 2024 Published Online: March 28, 2024

Purpose: Alternative high schools (AHS) are designed to provide individualized education, more flexible scheduling, and smaller class sizes for students referred out of traditional high school. AHS students report higher levels of substance use (SU) and face disproportionately higher levels of trauma and toxic stress than their traditional high school peers. We sought to examine whether generational immigration (GenIm) status modifies the association of mental health and SU among AHS students using a longitudinal study of 1,060 Southern California AHS students. Methods: Subscales from the 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scale were administered. Effect modification was examined by GenIm status defined as first generation (born outside of the United States), second generation (born in the United States with a parent born outside the United States), or third generation (born in the United States with US-born parent(s)). Main outcomes included the number of times different substances were used in the past year over a 3-year period. Results: Multilevel, negative binomial, covariate-adjusted latent growth curve models generated incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the time-varying association between depression, anxiety, or stress and the use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, alcohol, or marijuana. Multiple-group models examined effect modification by GenIm status. Discussion: The link between mental health and SU was stronger among first- and second- generation students than third-generation students. For example, a one-unit increase in stress relative to the average stress of students from the same school was associated with an increase in the rate of e-cigarette use among first-generation (IRR = 2.03, 95% CI = 1.07-3.85), second-generation (IRR = 2.25, 95% CI = 1.86-2.72), and third-generation (IRR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.31-2.16) students. Effective strategies tailored to subgroups of AHS students are needed to counter disparities between traditional and alternative school systems that may contribute to long-term trajectories of SU. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine.

Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Visibility and Data Equity: Insights From NIH RADx-UP Melanie D. Sabado-Liwag PhD, MPH, Patchareeya P. Kwan PhD, MPH, May Okihiro MD, MS, Angela Sy DrPH, Janice Y. Tsoh PhD, Ruben Juarez PhD, JiWon Choi PhD, RN, Chanchanit Martorell MA, and Pearl A. McElfish PhD, MBA Affiliation Melanie D. Sabado-Liwag is with the Department of Public Health, California State University, Los Angeles. Patchareeya P. Kwan is with the Department of Health Sciences, California State University, Northridge. May Okihiro is with the Department of Pediatrics, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai'i, Honolulu. Angela Sy is with Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology, and Pharmacology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai'i. Janice Y. Tsoh is the with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco. Ruben Juarez is with the Department of Economics and University of Hawai'i Economic Research Organization, University of Hawai'i. JiWon Choi is with the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences/Institute for Health and Aging, School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco. Chanchanit Martorell is with the Thai Community Development Center, Los Angeles. Pearl A. McElfish is with the College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Springdale. CopyRightCorrespondence should be sent to Melanie Sabado-Liwag, PhD, MPH, Department of Public Health, California State University, Los Angeles, 5151 State University Dr ST 307, Los Angeles, CA 90032 (e-mail: msabado@calstatela.edu). Reprints can be ordered at https://ajph.org by clicking the "Reprints" link. CONTRIBUTORS M. Sabado-Liwag and P. P. Kwan conceptualized, designed, and finalized the editorial. M. Sabado-Liwag, P. P. Kwan, M. Okihiro, A. Sy, J. Y. Tsoh, R. Juarez, P. A. McElfish, and J. W. Choi contributed to designing the content, writing, and revising the article. C. Martorell reviewed and revised the final submission. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307590 Accepted: January 14, 2024 Published Online: March 28, 2024

In 2014, the NIH Diversity Program Consortium (DPC) launched an initiative to implement and evaluate novel interventions at a variety of academic institutions across the country to engage undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds in biomedically-related research. The local intervention examined in the current study provides Critical Race Theory (CRT)-informed mentoring, more broadly called critical mentoring, for its participants. We examined the relationship between critical mentoring and student outcomes. In this study, student outcomes consisted of three components: (a) mentor satisfaction, (b) science identity, and (c) science self-efficacy. To determine student outcomes, we used the 2020 Student Annual Follow-up Survey (SAFS). We found that participants in the intervention program reported higher levels of critical mentoring than non-intervention participants and critical mentoring was, in turn, predictive of higher. mentorship satisfaction, science identity, and science self-efficacy. This finding implies that the CRT-informed intervention was more effective by developing an environment in which high-quality, critical mentors influenced students’ sense of science identity and self-efficacy. Additionally, we also found that intervention participants reported higher science identity and science self-efficacy than non-intervention participants, which suggests that the intervention cultivated science identity and self-efficacy in other ways outside of critical mentorship as well. The current study highlights how participation in an intervention program can increase science identity and self-efficacy, two factors predictive of science career intentions. The connection between critical mentoring practices and increased science identity and self-efficacy underscores the significance of culturally and racially relevant social support in science education.

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.

Recent studies have found high levels of stress among Americans, particularly amongst young adults and ethnic minority groups. The purpose of this secondary data analysis was to explore the association between stress and social support among a sample of 276 young adult smokers of Pacific Islander ancestry, specifically Samoans and Tongans with an average age of 25.3 years. Previous research had documented the protective role of social support on stress, and thus it is hypothesized that young adult Pacific Islander smokers who perceived higher levels of social support will have less perceived stress. Social support was assessed using a 12-item scale which measured participant's perceived social support from family, friends, and significant others. Perceived stress was measured using a 10-item scale with 2 subscales - self efficacy and helplessness. Standardized parameter estimates from structural equation modeling indicated a statistically significant inverse relationship between perceived social support from family and perceived stress related to helplessness. More specifically, young adult Samoans and Tongans who report higher levels of social support from family do not feel as much stress stemming from being helpless. The results highlight the importance of family social support on stress management among this population. Most importantly, these findings add to the limited research around mental health within Pacific Islander (Samoan and Tongan) communities in the US.

To understand how COVID-19 impacted undergraduate research experiences (URE), the current study examined how student outcomes changed over time among biomedical science majors. In addition, this study describes how a Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) Promoting Opportunities for Diversity in Education and Research (PODER) URE program shifted entirely online in response to COVID-19. Biomedical science majors at a university in Southern California completed surveys in 2019 and 2020 and rated their science identity, science self-efficacy, and academic self-concept. We examined how scores changed over time by comparing: (1) BUILD and non-BUILD students and (2) students from underrepresented groups (URG) and non-URG students. Sense of belonging scores from 2020 were also compared among BUILD and non-BUILD students. BUILD students reported a significant increase in science self-efficacy scores, unlike non-BUILD participants. BUILD students also increased their science identity scores, unlike non-BUILD participants. Differences in sense of belonging were not significant, and differences between URG and non-URG students were not significant. Given the importance of science self-efficacy and science identity in a student's academic trajectory, our results indicate that UREs such as BUILD PODER were able to improve or maintain critical student outcomes during a pandemic. These results highlight the importance of URE participation among biomedical science majors.

Aims To explore the association between known risk factors for diabetes and diabetes prevalence among disaggregated Asian American sub-ethnic groups and to highlight the importance of looking at data in disaggregated form. Methods Ten years of data collected by the California Health Interview Survey were pooled and analyzed. Logistic regression models, controlling for age, gender, and marital status, were used for the analysis. Comparisons were made among an aggregated sample of Asian Americans (N = 21,267) and a disaggregated sample of Asian Americans (i.e., Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Filipinos, South Asians, and Vietnamese). Results Disaggregated data showed that Korean Americans who smoked had three times the odds of having diabetes compared to non-smoking Korean Americans [OR = 3.02 (95% CI 1.43, 6.39)]. High blood pressure puts both Japanese and Filipino Americans at twice the odds of having diabetes as those who do not have high blood pressure ([OR = 2.23 (95% CI 1.09, 4.54) and [OR = 2.82 (95% CI 1.82, 4.36)], respectively). Although close to 10% of Vietnamese Americans in the sample were current smokers, smoking status was not associated with diabetes. Conclusions The association between diabetes and known risk factors differ across Asian American sub-ethnic groups. Findings highlight the importance of disaggregated data and discourage a one-size-fits-all approach to diabetes care strategies.

Health outcomes for Asian American subgroups are often aggregated, masking unique experiences and disparities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically among Filipino Americans (FilAms). The FILLED (Filipino Lived Experiences during COVID-19) Project launched a cross-sectional online survey between April-August 2021 among FilAm adults in Southern California to document community issues and outcomes during the pandemic. Among 223 participants, 47.5% were immigrants, 50.9% identified as essential workers, and 40.6% had a pre-existing health condition before the pandemic. Despite high rates of health insurance (93.3%), 24.4% of the sample did not have a regular health care provider. During the pandemic, 32.7% needed mental health help but did not get it and 44.2% did not know where to get such services. Most respondents felt that the COVID-19 vaccination was a personal responsibility to others (76.9%) and the majority had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine (82.4%). Regarding COVID-19 impact, participants reported moderate-severe changes in their daily routines (73.5%), access to extended social support (38.9%), housing issues (15.4%), and access to medical care (11.6%). To our knowledge, this study is the first community-driven effort highlighting FilAm community experiences in Southern California, where the highest proportion of FilAms in the United States reside, specifically after the COVID-19 vaccine was made widely available. The observational findings may help community leaders, policy makers, and public health researchers in the design, development, and implementation of post-pandemic intervention strategies used by community-partnered projects that address FilAm and sub-Asian group health disparities at grassroots to societal levels.

Objective: To explore and document the experiences and impacts of COVID-19 among Pacific Islander (PI) adults living in Los Angeles County. Methods: Study participants completed a brief online demographic questionnaire followed by a 45- to 60-min semi-structured one-on-one interview conducted via Zoom. Participants were asked about two main areas: (1) reasons for high rates of COVID-19 cases among the PI community and its impacts on their community and (2) the impacts of COVID-19 on them as individuals. Results: A total of 14 PI adults, a majority of whom were females (76%) with an average age of 39.2 years took part in the study. Participants cited underlying medical conditions, overrepresentation in the essential workforce, multigeneration households, and the collectivistic culture of PIs as possible reasons for high rates of COVID-19 cases in their communities. Impacts of the pandemic included loss of jobs, loss of family and friends, and poor mental health which have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Conclusion: This study documents the perspectives of PIs on why rates of COVID-19 are high in their community, their experiences with COVID-19 testing, and the impacts that the pandemic has had on themselves and their community. Findings from this study will assist public health professionals and health care providers in refining services and programs for the PI community.

Faculty at teaching institutions carry high teaching loads, leaving little time to write manuscripts or grant applications, let alone getting them published or awarded. This manuscript describes the impact of protected writing time for faculty at a higher education, teaching institution who committed to focused, uninterrupted writing time on a weekly basis and exchanged writing challenges and tips with colleagues. A mixed methods approach was used to assess the impacts of the writing group which found increased productivity (manuscripts and publications, proposals and grants) and sense of a research community with enhanced structural knowledge, camaraderie, and morale.

Partly due to their small population size. Pacific Islanders (PIs) are often understudied in mental health research and interventions. Although scant, existing research has documented high rates of mental health issues but low access and use of services among PIs. The purpose of this research was to explore the barriers and facilitators to access and use of mental health care services among PI adults. Face-to-face, one-on-one semistructured interviews were conducted among 12 PI adults living in Southern California who were recruited to the study by trained community leaders. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed to identify emergent themes. A total of 5 themes emerged from the interviews: (a) mental health stigma, (b) culture and language barriers, and (c) concerns regarding cost of care and health insurance were themes that emerged around barriers to access and use of mental health services. Themes related to facilitators included (d) family and friend support and (e) the need for outreach and education to increase awareness about mental health. Findings from this research underscore the importance of facilitators to help seeking among PI adults: family, friends, and outreach and education.

IntroductionDespite 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.MethodsSamoans 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.ResultsSamoan 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.ConclusionsThis 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.

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.

This study tested the feasibility of collecting saliva samples from Pacific Islanders (PIs) via a community-based participatory research approach. Collection of saliva samples were conducted by trained and trusted PI community leaders at various partner sites. A total of 214 saliva samples were donated by PIs living in Southern California, more than half of whom were females between the ages of 18 and 35 years. Donors indicated that they donated because they wanted to help science and their community. A majority of donors reported a very positive experience with the donation process and were willing to donate saliva and hair samples in the future. The positive findings of this article highlight the importance of community input and participation.

BACKGROUND:Pacific Islanders (PIs) have one of the highest rates of cigarette use, but evidence-based smoking cessation programs designed specifically for PIs are practically nonexistent.OBJECTIVES:This paper reports on the development of a culturally tailored smoking cessation curriculum designed specifically for young adult PIs using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach. This paper demonstrates the shared leadership and equal contribution of community and academic partnerships.METHODS:Together community and academic partners conceptualized and developed a smoking cessation curriculum. Data from formative studies shaped the various components of the educational modules.RESULTS:Eight educational modules were developed through CBPR. Information on the dangers of cigarettes, benefits to cessation, and ways to cope with cravings and stress through cognitive behavioral therapy were offered in both narrative and non-narrative formats.CONCLUSIONS:Use of CBPR is critical in the development of the curriculum because it allowed for the sharing of ideas and knowledge between academics and community members.