Understanding safe sleep knowledge and practices among New Mexico clinical staff

The objective of this study was to gain a better understanding of current safe sleep practices implemented by nurses, and demonstrated to families, in the infant-oriented units [e.g., the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU), Mother-Baby Units, and Labor and Delivery] of Albuquerque hospitals. The University of New Mexico Prevention Research Center (UNM PRC) also used data from the survey to inform a training session for clinical staff. The training was based on the most recent guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) on safe sleep, applied in a culturally appropriate context for staff and for staff to use with families. The training and surrounding supports, such as safe sleep audits on units, are intended to help ensure that families are learning best practices in the hospital to help reduce the risk of Sudden Unexplained Infant Death (SUID)/ Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in New Mexico

The Potential Economic Impact of the Continental Divide Trail in Cuba, New Mexico

Poverty, a social determinant of health, is common in rural communities. Developing recreation and tourism infrastructure, such as trails, has the potential to reduce disparities and improve rural quality of life through effects on health and local economies. There is limited information that exists on the economic impact of outdoor recreation and tourism on small, rural communities, but there is a known relationship between economic well‐being and health. Cuba, New Mexico, a small rural community, experiences high rates of obesity and diabetes among its tri‐ethnic (Hispanic, American Indian, Anglo) population. The University of New Mexico Prevention Research Center (PRC) has partnered with Cuba to increase awareness of, develop, and study the effects of walking and hiking trails. The Santa Fe National Forest Service (SFNFS) and New Mexico Bureau of Land Management (NMBLM) recently proposed to construct a new segment of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT) near Cuba. The PRC is conducting a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) including the economic impact of the proposed trail segment. An HIA uses multiple data sources and stakeholder input to determine the effects of a proposed plan on the health of a population. We conducted mixed methods research focused on the economic component of the HIA by examining data from local and visitor populations to predict the likelihood of trail use, related expenditures, and the public’s perceptions of the CDT expansion on the community. Decision‐makers including the SFNFS, the NMBLM, NM Department of Transportation, Sandoval County, and the Village of Cuba will use the results to determine exact CDT placement, access, and design. Economic effects predicted from this HIA may help decision‐makers maximize desirable economic outcomes. Our findings indicate that CDT development has the potential to attract many users from central and northwest New Mexico and provide substantial local economic stimulation. This HIA will also serve as a model for others interested in studying and projecting both health and economic impacts of new trails.https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/prc-posters-presentations/1003/thumbnail.jp

The Connection, Volume 10, Issue 01, Spring 2016

The Connection is published by the Prevention Research Center (PRC), Prevention & Population Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. The purpose of The Connection is to provide reports and updates on programs of the PRC and those of its Community Advisory Council and other partners.https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/hsc_prc_newsletters/1000/thumbnail.jp

Does she think she’s supported? Maternal perceptions of their experiences in the neonatal intensive care unit

Parents’ involvement in the care of their infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is critically important, leading many NICUs to implement policies and practices of family-centered care (FCC). Analyzing narrative interviews, we examined whether mothers of premature infants who participated in an intervention to help reduce anxiety, stress, and depression felt that their NICU experience reflected four key nursing behaviors previously identified as being necessary to achieving FCC. Fifty-six narratives derived from semi-structured interviews with the mothers were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively to examine whether the women experienced emotional support, parent empowerment, welcoming environment, and parent education, as well as whether differences in reported experiences were related to sociodemographic factors or maternal coping styles. Overall, the mothers reported more negative than positive experiences with respect to the four behaviors, and those who had negative interactions with the hospital staff felt a sense of disenfranchisement and failure as mothers. Sociodemographic factors and coping styles were significantly associated with the mothers’ perceptions of their experiences, although these relationships were not consistent. Achieving actual FCC in the NICU may require parent-informed evidence-based changes in NICU personnel training and infrastructure

2010-2014 Pedestrian and Bicycle Traffic Count Preliminary Report

The Step Into Cuba Alliance (the Alliance) is a broad coalition of local, state and national organizations and individuals working to increase opportunities for physical activity in the Village of Cuba, NM (the Village). A primary goal of the Alliance is to increase the walkability of Cuba to encourage walking as a convenient and low-cost form of physical activity. One of the areas of focus for the Alliance is US Highway 550 (US 550), a four lane, federal highway that bisects the Village and serves as Cuba’s main street. The Alliance is also working to make NM 126, leading from US 550 to the Village of Cuba St. Francis of Assisi Park, more pedestrian friendly. US 550 is a primary route connecting Albuquerque to Northwestern New Mexico and Colorado. In Cuba, US 550 is estimated to have a traffic count of about 8,200 vehicles per day.1 Cuba’s health clinic, post office and other essential services are located on US 550, and the Village of Cuba serves as the commercial center for the area. Residents from within the municipality and the outlying areas visit Cuba regularly to retrieve their mail from the post office (there is no mail delivery service in the Cuba area), shop for food and other necessities, receive medical care, and obtain social services. Many residents of Cuba live within walking distance of the commercial center. Most roadways used by residents to reach services and businesses on US 550 do not have safe sidewalks or walkways. Additionally, on US 550 there are no traffic lights or stop signs, only two crosswalks, and the sidewalks are not continuous. In winter, snow removal from the highway leads to piles of snow on sidewalks and highway shoulders, obstructing pedestrian access. The Village and the Alliance have been working with the NM Department of Transportation (NMDOT) to explore ways to make US 550 and NM 126 more pedestrian friendly. In 2011, federal funding was obtained and utilized to complete a new section of pedestrian-friendly sidewalks along US 550 on the south end of Cuba. Applications have been approved and funding has been earmarked for additional improvement projects along US 550 and adjoining roadways. Pedestrian and bicycle traffic counts represent another way in which the Alliance and the Village have focused needed attention on US 550 and its intersecting streets. Faculty and staff from the University of New Mexico Prevention Research Center (UNM PRC), working with an independent transportation planning consultant and pedestrian and bicycle safety expert, organized the counting effort, trained counters and participated in the counting. Community members from the Cuba area contributed to the effort by conducting the counts as volunteers and paid workers. This report provides data on the use of US 550 and intersecting roads, including NM 126, and the Village of Cuba’s St. Francis of Assisi Park by pedestrians, bicyclists and other non-motorized transportation (e.g., skateboarders). Baseline data were collected in 2010, and follow-up data collected in 2011-2014. The repeated counts document changes in non-motorized use following improvements to make the area safer and more attractive for pedestrians. Data from the counts have also been submitted to the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project, a nationwide effort to create a consistent, uniform collection and analysis system for non-motorized transportation

Studying Trail Enhancement Plans - Health Impact Assessment

This report reflects work on the Studying Trail Enhancement Plans - Health Impact Assessment (STEP-HIA) for the proposed new Cuba Continental Divide National Scenic Trail segment as of April 30, 2015. It is provided to the Santa Fe National Forest and Bureau of Land Management New Mexico for use in preparing an Environmental Impact Assessment and subsequent planning for the proposed project. It was prepared by the University of New Mexico Prevention Research Center and Step Into Cuba Alliance, a partnership of individuals and organizations dedicated to the promotion of walking and hiking for better health in Cuba, NM. In this report, we present information by way of a sequential series of questions that support and lead to predictions and recommendations for the new trail segment

The Choose H2O Challenge #icH2Oose: Piloting a health communication campaign to encourage teens in rural New Mexico to drink more water

This dissertation explains the process of designing, implementing, and evaluating a two-tiered health campaign on social media and in a rural New Mexico high school. The Choose H2O Challenge was an 8-week contest to engage youth in examining their beverage consumption habits, to increase awareness about the health risks of sugary beverages, the benefits of water, and the influence of beverage marketing on their choices. The goals were to change the culture of beverage consumption at the school by making it fun to drink more water, and to encourage teens to become health messengers to their families and friends. This project is innovative because it is one of the first to study using social media as the primary venue to connect with youth for health messaging. It is also one of the only projects to study teens as family health messengers. This dissertation sought to answer questions surrounding how a novel campaign such as this can be effective at achieving these dual goals. It asked what elements were critical, what barriers and facilitators influenced success, and what students need to be able to promote change for others in their lives. The data were collected from student Facebook posts, student projects, school water fountain observations, and follow-up interviews with participating and non-participating students and staff to attempt to answer these questions. The main barriers identified were limited internet and Facebook access, limited teacher engagement, and competing student priorities. The campaign facilitators were using Facebook to implement a contest-oriented challenge complete with points and prizes, the in-person activities that engaged students to get online, and the opportunities for students to be content creators themselves. The campaign reach and engagement were promising, reaching 42.4% of students at the school, and increasing water bottle usage at school by 42.8%. The interviews with participating and non-participating students, and staff indicated that all students had made some kind of change in their beverage consumption habits, and almost all of them described sharing education and information, or advocating for change with the people in their lives, as well as reporting seeing changes at school

Perceptions of Healthy Eating Among Hispanic Parent-Child Dyads.

Limited research exists exploring the perceptions of healthy and unhealthy eating among Hispanic families, yet understanding their perceptions could inform public health practice with regard to nutrition and obesity prevention. This study conducted an exploratory analysis of interview data collected from 25 parent-child dyads as part of a program evaluation to learn more about both parent and child beliefs and practices regarding healthy eating, and in particular fruit and vegetable consumption. Families described an incomplete knowledge regarding healthy eating, specifically how to increase fruit and vegetable consumption, and the benefits of healthy eating as well as risks of unhealthy eating. Parents in particular seemed to identify many of the foods to avoid but were unclear about healthier alternatives. Children focused more on the benefits of healthy eating, while parents spoke more about the risks of unhealthy eating and the challenges of eating vegetables, particularly among families where child weight was also raised as a concern

Does she think she’s supported? Maternal perceptions of their experiences in the neonatal intensive care unit

Parents’ involvement in the care of their infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is critically important, leading many NICUs to implement policies and practices of family-centered care (FCC). Analyzing narrative interviews, we examined whether mothers of premature infants who participated in an intervention to help reduce anxiety, stress, and depression felt that their NICU experience reflected four key nursing behaviors previously identified as being necessary to achieving FCC. Fifty-six narratives derived from semi-structured interviews with the mothers were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively to examine whether the women experienced emotional support, parent empowerment, welcoming environment, and parent education, as well as whether differences in reported experiences were related to sociodemographic factors or maternal coping styles. Overall, the mothers reported more negative than positive experiences with respect to the four behaviors, and those who had negative interactions with the hospital staff felt a sense of disenfranchisement and failure as mothers. Sociodemographic factors and coping styles were significantly associated with the mothers’ perceptions of their experiences, although these relationships were not consistent. Achieving actual FCC in the NICU may require parent-informed evidence-based changes in NICU personnel training and infrastructure