Examining implementation determinants of a culturally grounded, school-based prevention curriculum in rural Hawai'i: A test development and validation study.

Background: This study examined the implementation determinants of a culturally grounded, school-based drug prevention curriculum in rural Hawai'i. Test development and validation procedures were used to examine the impact of implementation barriers and facilitators of the curriculum in public or charter middle/intermediate schools on Hawai'i Island. Method: A five-phase, mixed-methods approach toward test development and validation was used. These phases included item generation (Phase 1), item refinement and selection (Phase 2), item reduction (Phase 3), reliability testing (Phase 4), and validity testing (Phase 5). Educational administrators, teachers, and staff employed by the Hawai'i State Department of Education (HIDOE) participated in the study. Results: Phases 1 and 2 yielded 50 implementation barriers and 27 implementation facilitators that were evaluated by 204 HIDOE administrators, teachers, and staff. Factor analysis of the barrier items indicated a four-factor solution: (1) Innovation Barriers, (2) HIDOE State-Level Barriers, (3) Teacher-Level Barriers, and (4) Administrator-Level Barriers. Mean comparisons indicated that several barrier and facilitator items differentiated teachers from administrators in the sample. Conclusions: This study contributes to the implementation measurement literature, specifically in the areas of mental health and substance use. It also highlights the importance of addressing multiple contextual levels in the implementation of culturally focused prevention interventions. Plain Language Summary Title: Examining Implementation Barriers and Facilitators for School-Based Prevention in Hawai'i. Plain Language Summary Compared with other major ethnic groups, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) youth have substantially higher rates of substance use and higher adverse mental and physical health effects related to their use. Despite these disparities, educational and community-based practitioners have long struggled with implementing and sustaining promising substance use interventions for NHPI youth. This study contributes to our understanding of measuring implementation barriers and facilitators for substance use prevention for NHPI youth in rural school settings. It contributes to the field of health disparities and health equity promotion, by addressing calls for research to understand factors affecting successful implementation of prevention programs. This is critical toward achieving health equity for underrepresented and vulnerable populations, such as NHPI and rural youth.

Exploring Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Youths' E-Cigarette Resistance Strategies: Implications for Tobacco Product Use Prevention.

This study examined the e-cigarette and vaping resistance strategies used by Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) youths in rural Hawai'i. Focus groups (N = 17) were conducted in eight geographically dispersed elementary, middle/intermediate, and multilevel schools in low-income communities on Hawai'i Island. Sixty-nine youths (67% NHPI, Mage = 12.5 years) participated in this study. The resistance strategies discussed across the greatest number of groups were "refuse" (saying no), "explain" (providing reasons for vaping refusal), "avoid" (avoiding people or places where e-cigarettes were used), and "leave" (walking away from a situation where e-cigarettes were being used). Participants described the challenges in using these strategies within contexts characterized by widespread peer and family vaping and strong social demands to use e-cigarettes. The findings suggest the need for multi-level interventions based on youths' resistance strategies to meaningfully reduce youth vaping use in rural and/or NHPI communities.