Lessons Learned from Rapid Community Needs Assessment in the African American Community During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: With the accelerated spread of COVID-19 and current shelter-in-place orders from many local governments, African American (AA) communities see to be more vulnerable as emerging data show disproportionate rates of infection and mortality among AAs across the nation. OBJECTIVES: In a sample of AA church members, to conduct a rapid community assessment during the early phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. METHODS: Our community-based participatory research team, partnering with the local AA church community and including trained lay health workers, conducted the assessment via telephone and online. RESULTS: Although most participants reported high confidence regarding recommendations for physical distancing, more than 60% reported elevated anxiety and stress, and 10% indicated that they needed more information about staying healthy and safe during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Community-based participatory research with lay health workers is an effective method to implement a community needs assessment, problem-solve with community members, and build community health infrastructure during a public health crisis.

Redesigning culturally tailored intervention in the precision health era: Self-management science context.

BACKGROUND: Nurse scientists have significantly contributed to health equity and ensuring cultural tailoring of interventions to meet unique needs of individuals. Methodologies for cultural tailoring of self-mangament interventions among marginalized populations have limitedly accommodated intersectionality and group heterogeneity when addressing health needs. PURPOSE: Identify methodological limitations in cultural tailoring of interventions among priority populations and issue recommendations on cultural elements that researchers can target to ensure valid cultural tailoring approaches. METHODS: Synthesis of literature on health equity, self-management, and implementation and dissemination research. FINDINGS: Among priority populations, intersectionality and group heterogeneity has made group-based cultural tailoring approaches less effective in eliciting desirable health outcomes. Precision health methodology could be useful for cultural tailoring of interventions due to the methodology's focus on individual-level tailoring approaches. DISCUSSION: We offer ways to advance health equity research using precision health approaches in cultural tailoring through targeting unique elements of culture and relevant psychosocial phenotypes.

African American men who become mental health advocates.

Using a narrative approach, this study explored how African American men became mental health advocates. This ancillary study is part of a formative within an ongoing community based intervention program that was designed to promote mental health of African Americans (AMEN) project within an ongoing community based intervention program that was designed to promote mental health of African Americans (AMEN) project. Narrative research techniques were used to analyze and synthesize the data. Analysis generated one major theme (interdependence) with four supporting sub-themes (credibility, social depression, stigma, and calling). These findings and insights through this qualitative study guided the AMEN project team to formulate effective communication strategies in establishing working relationships with community partners and wider stakeholders as well as crafting culturally tailored messages for African American participants.

Patterns and Correlates of Physical Symptoms among People with Peripheral Neuropathy.

Background: As the population ages and more people are affected by multiple chronic conditions, the prevalence of Peripheral Neuropathy (PN) has also rapidly increased. This swift rise in PN leaves clinicians and patients challenged by a lack of consistent diagnosis and treatment guidelines. Purpose: To assist those affected by PN, it is imperative to understand the breadth of symptoms, experiences, and factors related to the quality of life. The primary aims of this study are to (1) characterize the symptoms of PN in a nationwide sample; (2) discern differences in symptom clusters, given perceived causes of PN; and (3) identify significant physiological symptoms related to the quality of life for people with PN. Methods: An online survey of people in online PN support groups. Participants were recruited primarily via an open request sent to recipients of web-based communications from nationally recognized online PN support groups. Inclusion criteria were as follows: Self-reported diagnosis of PN, ability to read English or Spanish, residence in the U.S., and age ≥ 18 years. Results: A total of 608 individuals with PN were included in the analysis. This sample represents 49 U.S. states and the District of Colombia; 221 were male and 387 female. Their disease severity and etiology were similar to previously reported information on this population, with 53.3% of respondents suffering from PN without a known cause. Among known causes, diabetes was the most common (19.6%), followed by chemotherapy (6.9%) and autoimmune diseases (3.6%). Factors affecting the quality of life among people with PN included lower extremity mobility, upper extremity mobility, sleep disturbance, depressive symptoms, and patient activation.

Physician recruitment for a community-based smoking cessation intervention.

OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to describe a strategy to recruit a population-based sample of physicians into a trial to test an approach to disseminate physician-delivered smoking cessation interventions. STUDY DESIGN: The 3-phase population-based recruitment trial included: (1) a print-based promotional appeal, (2) in-person presentations with by the principal investigator (PI), and (3) follow-up calls by the PI and paid physician recruiters. Participation requirements were kept minimal to facilitate recruitment. POPULATION: All primary care physicians statewide were targeted; 3 counties were chosen as intervention areas and 2 counties as control areas. A subsample of physicians was targeted in the larger control areas through a matching process. OUTCOME MEASURED: We measured physician recruitment rate. RESULTS: Eighty-one percent (n=259) of all eligible physicians were successfully recruited into our study. CONCLUSIONS: The full multistep process was important in getting participation agreement. By using an intensive recruitment strategy and minimizing research demands, it is possible to recruit community-based primary care physicians for research projects that will help them enhance the preventive services they provide to their patients.