Exploring dimensions of social capital in relation to healthy eating behaviours in the US rural south.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined relationships between dimensions of social capital (SC) (social trust, network diversity, social reciprocity and civic engagement) and fruit, vegetable, and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption among rural adults. Potential moderators (neighbourhood rurality, food security, gender and race/ethnicity) were explored to develop a more nuanced understanding of the SC-healthy eating relationship. DESIGN: Data were from a 2019 mailed population-based survey evaluating an eleven-county initiative to address health equity. Participants self-reported health behaviours, access to health-promoting resources and demographics. Logistic regression models were used to analyse relationships between predictors, outcomes and moderators. SETTING: Five rural counties, Georgia, USA. PARTICIPANTS: 1120 participants. RESULTS: Among participants who lived in the country (as opposed to in town), greater network diversity was associated with consuming ≥ 3 servings of fruit (OR = 1·08; 95 % CI 1·01, 1·17, P = 0·029), yet among participants who lived in town, greater civic engagement was associated with consuming ≥ three servings of fruit (OR = 1·36; 95 % CI 1·11, 1·65, P = 0·003). Both food-secure and food-insecure participants with greater social reciprocity had lower odds of consuming 0 SSB (OR = 0·92; 95 % CI 0·86, 0·98, P = 0·014, OR = 0·92; 95 % CI 0·86, 0·99, P = 0·037, respectively). Men with greater social trust were more likely to consume 0 SSB (OR = 1·09; 95 % CI 1·01, 1·18, P = 0·038), and Whites with greater network diversity were more likely to meet daily vegetable recommendations (OR = 1·10; 95 % CI 1·01, 1·19, P = 0·028). CONCLUSIONS: Findings provide a basis for future qualitative research on potential mechanisms through which SC and related social factors influence healthy eating in rural communities.

Using a group development framework to maximize leadership strategies in the inaugural session of the Society of Behavioral Medicine Leadership Institute.

The 2016-2017 Inaugural Class of the Society of Behavioral Medicine Leadership Institute (SBM LI) debuted to an eager team of 36 mid-career fellows led by energetic mentors, professional coaches, and career development experts. Fellows were divided into learning communities of eight participants for deeper engagement. Our "Green Team" learning community bonded quickly and actively committed to our collective progress and projects. Upon returning home from the in-person sessions, our activities included monthly team conference calls and consultation with our mentors and selected coaches. The Green Team regularly communicated throughout the year, giving feedback to each other about our projects to be presented at the 2017 SBM Annual Meeting. We also discussed our mentoring and coaching experiences, leadership skills put to use at our institutions, and personal development. Contact continued via social media, email, teleconferencing, and collaborations at other professional meetings. The Green Team utilized the Tuckman and Jensen model of small group development to describe how we developed into a high-functioning group that maximized the resources afforded by the SBM LI to yield successful leadership outcomes. This commentary will offer an example of how a productive SBM LI team works collaboratively to utilize its mentors and resources for professional development.

Designing integrated interventions to improve nutrition and WASH behaviors in Kenya.

BACKGROUND: Child stunting, an indicator of chronic malnutrition, is a global public health problem. Malnutrition during pregnancy and the first 2 years of life undermines the survival, growth, and development of children. Exposure to fecal pathogens vis-à-vis inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) has been implicated in the etiology of child stunting, highlighting the need to integrate WASH with nutrition-sensitive interventions to comprehensively address this complex problem. The aim of this study was to describe a systematic, theoretically informed approach (that drew from the Starr and Fornoff approach to the Theory of Change development and the Behavior Change Wheel approach) to design a multi-component and integrated social and behavior change intervention to improve WASH and nutrition-related behaviors in western Kenya. METHODS: This intervention was developed to be integrated into an existing project that utilized the care group model and aimed to create a culture of care and support for HIV/AIDS-affected children under two and their caregivers and was executed by local partners. We tested the newly created intervention packages in user-testing trials using an adapted Trials of Improved Practices approach to pilot acceptability and feasibility. RESULTS: Using authentic stakeholder engagement and relevant theories, we conducted an 8-step process: (1) conduct mixed methods formative research, (2) prioritize target behaviors, (3) use causal analysis to create problem trees, (4) develop solution trees and articulate assumptions and rationales for change, (5) link solution trees to intervention functions, (6) develop the intervention plan, (7) create the intervention packages, and (8) test and refine the intervention packages. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the need to take a multi-sectorial, integrated approach that integrates contextually relevant behavior change theories with the experiential knowledge gleaned from stakeholders into the design of interventions that seek to reduce child stunting. This process resulted in the creation of intervention packages that grouped behaviors thematically to be most relevant and responsive to the population context. This work has the potential to make important contributions towards achievement of the United Nations' sustainable development goals.

A Community-Based Study of Giving ACTS: Organ Donation Education for African American Adults.

BACKGROUND: Transplantation continues to be the therapy of choice for people experiencing end-stage organ failure. African Americans (AAs) are overrepresented among those awaiting an available organ for the purpose of a transplant, yet donate at rates lower than other races due to a list of well-studied barriers. The Giving ACTS (About Choices in Transplantation and Sharing) Intervention was developed to provide culturally appropriate messaging to AAs about organ and tissue donation and transplantation (OTDT). The purpose of this community-based study was to test the extent to which the intervention was effective in (1) improving donation-related knowledge and attitudes among AA participants, and (2) increasing registration on the state donor registry. METHODS: Using a single-group, pre-post design, 1,585 participants received the intervention in small groups hosted in community settings. RESULTS: From baseline to immediate follow-up, participants significantly increased in OTDT-related knowledge, beliefs and attitudes, endorsement of the positive consequences of donation, and willingness to donate (all ps < .001). Participants' beliefs about the negative consequences of organ and tissue donation, however, did not significantly change, and registration on the state donor registry was negligible (1.3%). CONCLUSION: Results suggest that Giving ACTS was generally successful in improving attitudes and beliefs; the intervention, however, was not effective in changing participants' beliefs about the negative consequences of OTDT, or increasing actual registration behaviors. Future studies in this area should be conducted to empirically evaluate the role of distrust in healthcare systems among AAs and its possible mediating effect on the relationship between donation-related education and the desired health behaviors.

Promoting Policy and Environmental Change in Faith-Based Organizations: Outcome Evaluation of a Mini-Grants Program.

High rates of heart disease, cancer, and stroke exist in rural South Georgia where the Emory Prevention Research Center's Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network provided mini-grant funding to six churches to implement policy and environmental change to promote healthy eating and physical activity. This study sought to determine whether perceptions of the health promotion environment changed over time and whether perceived environmental change was associated with healthy behavior at church and in general. This study used a single-group pre-post design with 1-year follow-up. Parishioners (N = 258) completed self-administered questionnaires assessing perceptions of the church health promotion environment relative to healthy eating and physical activity, eating behavior and intention to use physical activity facilities at church, and eating and physical activity behaviors generally. Results indicate that perceived improvements in church nutrition environments were most strongly associated with decreases in unhealthy food consumed and stronger intentions to use physical activity resources at church (ps ≤ .05). Perceived changes in the physical activity environment were unrelated to church or general behavior. Findings suggest that church environments may play an important role in supporting healthy eating and physical activity at church; however, whether the influence of the church environment extends to other settings is unknown.

Exploring Donotion-related Knowledge Attitudes, Beliefs and Distrust Among African Americans.

Within the field of organ donation, multiple studies have shown differences in patterns of trust, however, it is unclear which elements are significantly related to donation decision making among African Americans. This study sought to disentangle the construct of trust by parceling out measures related to the healthcare system, the donation/allocation system, and the physician; and determine the relationship of these dimensions to attitudes toward organ and tissue donation. Cross-sectional survey data were gathered from 585 African American adults residing in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Results indicate that varying dimensions of trust function differently in their influence on attitudes toward donation. Our findings suggest that trust is critical to donation decision-making and should be measured with a multidimensional approach, particularly among racial/ethnic groups with complex histories with the healthcare system. This study underlines the need for a more tailored, individualized approach to promoting organ and tissue donation among African Americans. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: We also thank Rianot Amzat, Mohua Basu and Rhonda DeLaremore for their assistance with data collection, cleaning, entry, and analysis.

Modifiable risk factors for adherence to adjuvant endocrine therapy among breast cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: Breast cancer incidence and mortality are declining due to improvements in early detection and treatment. One advance in treatment is the development of adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) for women with hormone receptor positive breast cancer. Despite strong evidence linking AET to better health outcomes, AET adherence continues to be suboptimal. This study tests the hypothesis that patient beliefs about medication mediate the relationship between frequency of physician communication and AET adherence. METHODS: This cross-sectional study utilizes data from patient self-report and medical chart abstraction (N=200). Survey measures included frequency of physician communication, patient beliefs about medicine, AET adherence, and demographic characteristics. RESULTS: Necessity beliefs mediated the relationship between frequency of physician communication and medication adherence (necessity beliefs ß=.18, p<.05; physician communication ß=.13, p>.05). There was no evidence of medication concerns mediating the relationship between frequency of physician communication and medication adherence. CONCLUSION: More frequent physician communication that shapes what patients believe about AET importance may be associated with greater AET adherence; however, frequent physician communication that shapes patient concerns about side effects may not be associated with greater AET adherence. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Research is needed to enhance understanding of the type of physician communication that is most consistently associated with patient beliefs about medication and AET adherence.

Metropolitan area racial residential segregation, neighborhood racial composition, and breast cancer mortality.

PURPOSE: There are significant relationships between racial residential segregation (RRS) and a range of health outcomes, including cancer-related outcomes. This study explores the contribution of metropolitan area RRS, census tract racial composition and breast cancer and all-cause mortality among black and white breast cancer patients. METHODS: This study has three units of analysis: women diagnosed with breast cancer (n = 22,088), census tracts where they lived at diagnosis (n = 1,373), and the metropolitan statistical area (MSA)/micropolitan statistical area (MiSA) where they lived at diagnosis (n = 37). Neighborhood racial composition was measured as the percent of black residents in the census tract. Metropolitan area RRS was measured using the Information Theory Index. Multilevel Cox proportional hazards models examined the association of metropolitan area RRS and census tract racial composition with breast cancer and all-cause mortality. Survival analysis explored and compared the risk of death in women exposed to environments where a higher and lower proportion of residents were black. RESULTS: Breast cancer mortality disparities were largest in racially mixed tracts located in high MSA/MiSA segregation areas (RR = 2.06, 95 % CI 1.70, 2.50). For black but not white women, as MSA/MiSA RRS increased, there was an increased risk for breast cancer mortality (HR = 2.20, 95 % CI 1.09, 4.45). For all-cause mortality, MSA/MiSA segregation was not a significant predictor, but increasing tract percent black was associated with increased risk for white but not black women (HR 1.29, 95 % CI 1.05, 1.58). CONCLUSIONS: Racial residential segregation may influence health for blacks and whites differently. Pathways through which RRS patterns impact health should be further explored.

Racial discrimination, mood disorders, and cardiovascular disease among black americans.

PURPOSE: To examine associations between racial discrimination, mood disorders, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) among Black Americans. METHODS: Weighted logistic regression analyses were performed on a nationally representative sample of Black Americans (n = 5022) in the National Survey of American Life (NSAL; 2001-2003). Racial discrimination and CVD were assessed via self-report. Mood disorder was measured with the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview. RESULTS: Model-adjusted risk ratios (RRs) revealed that participants with a history of mood disorder had greater risk of CVD (RR, 1.28; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.12-1.45). This relationship was found specifically among those younger than 50 years of age (RR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.27-1.91). There was a significant interaction between racial discrimination and mood disorder in predicting CVD in the total (F = 2.86, 3 df, p = .047) and younger sample (F = 2.98, 3 df, p = .047). Participants with a history of mood disorder who reported high levels of racial discrimination had the greatest risk of CVD. CONCLUSIONS: The association between racial discrimination and CVD is moderated by history of mood disorder. Future studies may examine pathways through which racial discrimination and mood disorders impact CVD risk among Black Americans.

Understanding the relationship between knowledge and African Americans' donation decision-making.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the association between different types of knowledge related to donation and transplantation and the expression of donation intentions via one's driver's license, a donor card, or sharing one's wishes with family. METHODS: Cross-sectional data were gathered via self-administered questionnaire from 425 Black adults, age 18 years and older who were recruited from nine churches in a large metropolitan area in the southeast United States. RESULTS: Results indicate that knowledge of the allocation system and experiential knowledge of a transplant recipient are associated with donation intentions after controlling for age, gender, and highest level of education. However, the following types of knowledge were unrelated to donation intentions: donation-related statistics (including an understanding of African Americans' overrepresentation among those in need), the donation process, the process for determining medical suitability, and religious institutions' support for donation. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that the relationship between donation-related knowledge and donation intentions is complex and may depend on the specific type of knowledge being measured. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Knowledge of the allocation system and experiential knowledge of a recipient may be critical aspects of the donation decision-making process. Research findings suggest the need for an educational approach that seeks to improve the specific types of knowledge that are most strongly associated with donation intentions.

Post-release case management services and health-seeking behavior among HIV-infected ex-offenders.

This study explores whether being met at the gate by a case manager is associated with more health-seeking behavior during the six months post-release among HIV-infected inmates transitioning from the facility to the community. Case managers documented whether clients were met at the gate upon release. Clients (N=226) underwent a structured interview at approximately six months post-release. One hundred and four clients were met at the gate upon release (46%). Results indicate that clients who were met at the gate were more likely to participate in drug or alcohol treatment (p< or =.01) and not engage in sex exchange during the subsequent six months (p< or =.05). Health-seeking behavior prior to incarceration, facility type, and state were controlled for. Being met at the gate was not significantly associated with reduced emergency room use or using street drugs. Findings offer support for the importance of establishing early post-release contact with a case manager among HIV-infected ex-offenders.

Reducing minors' access to tobacco: eight years' experience in Hawaii.

OBJECTIVE: This paper reports the findings of annual Synar inspections to assess compliance with federal and state legislation to limit minors' access to tobacco products in Hawaii. We also report on factors associated with selling tobacco to minors for the most recent year of inspections (2003). METHODS: Annual, random, unannounced inspections were conducted by minors (ages 14-17 years) over an 8-year period (1996-2003). Stores were randomly selected from a list of stores that sell tobacco products in Hawaii. RESULTS: There was a significant decrease in the percent of successful purchases made over the period from 1996 (44.5%) to 2003 (6.2%). Based on multivariate analyses, only two variables were associated with whether a successful purchase was made in 2003: whether the minor's identification or age was requested. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that surveillance, education, and enforcement efforts in Hawaii have been successful at making substantial reductions in noncompliance rates. Even with the current low rate of sales to minors, failing to request the minor's identification or age was associated with making a successful purchase, while characteristics of the minor and retail environment were not.

Operation storefront Hawaii: tobacco advertising and promotion in Hawaii stores.

Our objective was to explore the nature and location of tobacco product advertising and promotion in retail stores in Hawaii. We performed a cross-sectional study of tobacco product store-based advertisements, including the number, location (indoor/outdoor; proximity to candy, toys, school), size, and brand of the ads. Trained youth (ages 12-19 years) collected data on 3,151 advertisements and promotions among 184 stores. We found that most ads appeared indoors, and the most heavily advertised brand was Kool. Kool is also the most heavily smoked brand among youth in Hawaii. This study underscores the high visibility of retail store advertising and promotions (both indoor and outdoor) in places that attract the attention of youth.

Moving beyond attitudinal barriers: understanding African Americans' support for organ and tissue donation.

PURPOSE: African Americans are disproportionately represented among individuals in need of an organ transplant, due in part to low donation rates in this population. The research literature has focused on attitudinal barriers to donation; however, the current study explores individual experiences and values that contribute to supportive attitudes toward organ and tissue donation. PROCEDURES: Focus group participants were 26 African-American clergymen and 42 African-American parishioners recruited from seven Christian churches in the metro Atlanta area. FINDINGS: Although a large number of participants had previous exposure to organ and tissue donation and transplantation, the majority of these experiences were negative, and participants felt a general fear and lack of knowledge about the process of donation and transplantation. Despite these negative experiences, respondents reported personal values (e.g., the desire to help others and acceptance of group responsibility) and religious values (e.g., the desire to carry out God's will and to have faith in God) that contribute to supportive attitudes toward organ and tissue donation. CONCLUSION: An understanding of supportive attitudes toward donation may help improve the development of effective culturally sensitive intervention messages targeting the African-American religious community with the ultimate goal of increasing the pool of organs available for transplantation.