Managers' Practices of Tobacco and Marijuana Smoking Policies in Hispanic-Occupied Multiunit Housing.

Purpose: This study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of managers of Hispanic-occupied multiunit housing (MUH) related to the prevalence and prevention of secondhand smoke (SHS), thirdhand tobacco smoke, and secondhand marijuana smoke (SHMS). Methods: A narrative analysis was conducted of 20 interviews with live-in apartment managers. Their opinions on policies and an educational fotonovela were also gathered. Results: The properties were located in 10 cities within the Los Angeles County, representing a wide array of local policies and practices. Only two managers were correctly informed of the existing MUH smoking policies in their cities. Participants reported ambiguity in city laws and company rules regarding smoking. Managers do not distinguish between smoking recreational marijuana and medicinal marijuana. Several respondents believed the landlords have more power to create rules. Most favored a total ban on smoking of all substances on the premises. Conclusions: Most managers report low agency in being able to pass no-smoking rules. Participants support smoking policies that include all smokable products. Managers would like new government policies, manager trainings, tenant education, and ways to enforce rules to protect apartment tenants from SHS and SHMS. Educational interventions should coincide with the timing of key manager/tenant activities. Results can be used in policy development and educational interventions

Reducing the Excess Burden of Cervical Cancer among Latinas: Translating Science into Health Promotion Initiatives

Purpose: Although deaths from cervical cancer are declining, Latinas are not benefiting equally in this decline. Incidence of invasive cervical cancer among Los Angeles’, California Latinas is much higher than among non-Latina Whites (14.7 versus 8.02 per 100,000). This paper examines cervical cancer screening among Latinas. Methods: Ninety-seven women of Mexican origin participated in 12 focus groups exploring barriers to screening. Saturation was reached. Results: All participants knew what a Pap test was and most knew its purpose. More acculturated participants understood the link between HPV and cervical cancer. More recent immigrants did not. There was confusion whether women who were not sexually active need to be screened. Most frequently mentioned barriers were lack of time and concern over missing work. Lower income and less acculturated women were less likely to be aware of free/lowcost clinics. Older and less acculturated participants held more fatalistic beliefs, were more embarrassed about getting a Pap test, were more fearful of being perceived as sexually promiscuous, and were more fearful of receiving disapproval from their husbands. Conclusions: Latinas are informed regarding cervical cancer screening; rather they encounter barriers such as a lack of time, money and support. Health promotion interventions can be enhanced via peer-to-peer education, by addressing barriers to cervical cancer screening with in-language, culturally tailored interventions, and working with clinics on systemic changes, such as extended clinic hours

The Ability of Narrative Communication to Address Health-Related Social Norms

Social norms are an important predictor of health behavior and have been targeted by a variety of health communication campaigns. However, these campaigns often encounter challenges related to the socially specific context in which norms exist: specifically, the extent to which the target population identifies with the specific reference group depicted and the extent to which the target population believes the campaign’s message. We argue that because of its capacity to effect identification among viewers, narrative communication is particularly appropriate for impacting social norms and, consequently, behavioral intention. This manuscript presents the results of a randomized trial testing the effectiveness of two films – one narrative, one non-narrative – in changing perceived social norms and behavioral intention regarding Pap testing to detect cervical cancer. Results of the study indicate that the narrative film was in fact more effective at producing positive changes in perceived norms and intention

Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Correlates of Condom Use among Young Adults from Continuation High Schools

Background and Purpose: Youth from continuation high schools (CHS) exhibit riskier sexual behaviors than other high school youth, yet the associations between intrapersonal and interpersonal constructs and condom-using behavior are not fully understood within this population. It is unknown which of these variables may be more strongly associated with condom use. This study explored the effects of parentadolescent communication, perceived HIV susceptibility, condom use peer norms, and condom use selfefficacy on lifetime and recent condom use and the potential moderating effects by gender and Latino ethnicity. Methods: A non-experimental study was conducted with 111 CHS young adults in Southern California who previously participated in a substance abuse prevention intervention. Ordinal logistic regression models assessed the associations between each construct and condom use and included interaction terms by gender and Latino ethnicity. Results: Parent-adolescent communication during adolescence and within the past 6 months as well as peer norms that support condom use were significantly associated with lifetime and recent condom use. Perceived HIV risk and condom use selfefficacy showed no effect. Relationships were not moderated by gender or Latino ethnicity. Conclusion: Findings highlight the salutary influence of parents and peers on personal condom use. Future research should explore intrapersonal factors that may motivate consistent condom use

Doing what we know, knowing what to do: Californians Linking Action with Science for Prevention of Breast Cancer (CLASP-BC)

Given the lack of progress in breast cancer prevention, the California Breast Cancer Research Program (CBCRP) plans to apply current scientific knowledge about breast cancer to primary prevention at the population level. This paper describes the first phase of Californians Linking Action with Science for Prevention of Breast Cancer (CLASP-BC). The foci of Phase 1 are building coalitions and coalition capacity building through community engagement in community-based participatory research (CBPR) and dissemination and implementation (D&I) research training. Based on the successful implementation and evaluation of Phase 1, the foci of Phase 2 (presented separately in this special issue) will be to translate the California Breast Cancer Prevention Plan overarching goal and specific intervention goals for 23 breast cancer risk and protective factors strategies into evidence-informed interventions (EIIs) that are disseminated and implemented across California. CLASP-BC is designed to identify, disseminate and implement high-impact, population-based prevention approaches by funding large scale EIIs, through multi-jurisdictional actions, with the intent to decrease the risk of breast cancer and other chronic diseases (sharing common risk factors), particularly among racial/ethnic minorities and medically underserved populations in California

Californians Linking Action with Science for Prevention of Breast Cancer (CLASP-BC)-Phase 2

Californians Linking Action with Science for Prevention of Breast Cancer (CLASP-BC) is part of California Breast Cancer Research Program\u27s (CBCRP) Initiative strategic priority to disseminate and implement high-impact, population-based primary prevention interventions. CLASP-BC is informed by six years of funded program dissemination and implementation (D&I) research and evaluation conducted by the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (CPAC) through its Coalitions Linking Action and Science for Prevention (CLASP). In its second phase, CLASP-BC will fund multi-sector, multi-jurisdictional initiatives that integrate the lessons learned from science with the lessons learned from practice and policy to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer and develop viable and sustainable infrastructure models for primary prevention breast cancer programs and research evidence implementation. Applications will be solicited from research, practice, policy, and community teams to address one or more of the intervention goals for the 23 risk factors identified in Paths to Prevention: The California Breast Cancer Primary Prevention Plan (P2P), expanding upon existing primary prevention efforts into two or more California jurisdictions, focused on disadvantaged, high risk communities with unmet social needs. The lessons learned from CLASP-BC will be widely disseminated within the participating jurisdictions, across California and, where applicable, to jurisdictions outside the state

Internet Accessibility and Usage among Urban Adolescents in Southern California: Implications for Web-Based Health Research

The World Wide Web (WWW) poses a distinct capability to offer interventions tailored to the individual’s characteristics. To fine tune the tailoring process, studies are needed to explore how Internet accessibility and usage are related to demographic, psychosocial, behavioral, and other health related characteristics. This study was based on a cross-sectional survey conducted on 2373 7th grade students of various ethnic groups in Southern California. Measures of Internet use included Internet use at school or at home, Email use, chat-room use, and Internet favoring. Logistic regressions were conducted to assess the associations between Internet uses with selected demographic, psychosocial, behavioral variables and self-reported health statuses. The proportion of students who could access the Internet at school or home was 90% and 40%, separately. Nearly all (99%) of the respondents could access the Internet either at school or at home. Higher SES and Asian ethnicity were associated with higher internet use. Among those who could access the Internet and after adjusting for the selected demographic and psychosocial variables, depression was positively related with chat-room use and using the Internet longer than 1 hour per day at home, and hostility was positively related with Internet favoring (All ORs = 1.2 for +1 STD, p \u3c 0.05). Less parental monitoring and more unsupervised time were positively related to email use, chat-room use, and at home Internet use (ORs for +1 STD ranged from 1.2 to 2.0, all p \u3c 0.05), but not related to at school Internet use. Substance use was positively related to email use, chat-room use, and at home Internet use (OR for “used” vs. “not used” ranged from 1.2 to 4.0, p \u3c 0.05). Self-reported health problems were associated with higher levels of Internet use at home but lower levels of Internet use at school. More physical activity was related to more email use (OR = 1.3 for +1 STD), chat room use (OR = 1.2 for +1 STD), and at school ever Internet use (OR = 1.2 for +1 STD, all p \u3c 0.05). Body mass index was not related to any of the Internet use-related measures. In this ethnically diverse sample of Southern California 7th grade students, 99% could access the Internet at school and/or at home. This suggests that the Internet is already a potential venue for large scale health communication studies. Adolescents with more psychosocial risk factors or detrimental health behaviors were more likely to use the Internet. Therefore, if used properly, Internet interventions could effectively address the high risk populations. Additional research is needed to gain a more complete understanding of the positive and negative consequences of Internet use among adolescents