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American Indian Breast Cancer Prevention: Turning Knowledge into Action
This study proposes to provide to American Indian and Alaska Natives (AIAN) as well as the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHOPI) communities user-friendly breast cancer information and to support local level breast health infrastructure. The aims are to: a) examine breast cancer epidemiologic data, for urban and rural AIAN and NHOPI and b) implement and evaluate free three-day training workshops with ongoing technical assistance, tailored to the AIAN and NHOPI communities. The workshops will be held in partnership with local tribes and urban programs (see below) and cover five areas: b1) Introduction to Health Data, b2) Performing Community-based Needs Assessment, b3) On-line Internet based data query systems, b4) Communications, including Social Marketing and Media Advocacy. Funded by the national Susan G. Komen Foundation.
Our final training workshop will be held August 1 - 3, 2006
Contact Delight Satter at delight@ucla.edu or (310) 794-2691 for further information and to register for the workshops.
HIV Behavioral Surveillance in Native Americans in Los Angeles County
The purpose of this project is to improve upon the United States National HIV Behavioral Surveillance program by focusing a special effort to include urban American Indians and Alaska Natives in Los Angeles County. Los Angeles County has the largest population of American Indians and Alaska Natives in the United States (Census, 2000). The NHBS-AI/AN will collect, for the first time, detailed HIV behavioral risk data on an adequate sample of American Indians and Alaska Natives high-risk sub-populations. The study objectives are to estimate the prevalence of and trends in sexual and drug-use risk behaviors known to be associated with HIV infection for this baseline assessment with the expectation that additional surveillance cycles among Native populations will occur if warranted. The survey will also estimate demographic, social, and behavioral correlates of HIV infection; estimate the prevalence of and trends in HIV testing behaviors and utilization of other HIV prevention services; and characterize prevention service gaps and missed opportunities for HIV prevention. We will not conduct HIV testing during this special surveillance cycle. The Center will provide scientific consultation on this project. This study is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through a contract with the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services.
Veteran's Administration and Indian Health Service: Access for American Indian Veteran's
The ultimate purpose of this project is to improve access to equitable and efficient health care for AIAN veterans through coordination between VA and IHS. The extent of dual use and how these two federal agencies work together is largely unknown. Despite dual eligibility, AIAN veterans have significantly more unmet medical needs than other veterans. The immediate objectives are: a) Describe dual utilization of VA and IHS services among AIAN veterans, including fragmentation or potential overlap of services; b) Identify organizational and individual factors that impede or facilitate access to care; c) Generate explicit policy or practice recommendations to improve how VA and IHS work together, including care coordination. The long-range objectives of this study are to improve access to covered services for a population that is characterized by healthcare disparities and foster more efficient and coordinated publicly funded healthcare for veterans. The Center's AIAN Research Program staff serves as a collaborating partner, providing cultural liaison activities and scientific expertise. Funded by the Veteran's Administration through a grant from the VA Health Services Research & Development Service.
Youth Suicide Prevention and Early Intervention Project
This project is aimed at developing and implementing a youth suicide early intervention program to serve American Indian and Alaska Native children and youth in California. The Center's role will be in providing project evaluation. Funded by the Los Angeles United American Indian Involvement, Inc.(UAII) through a cooperative agreement with the US Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
The California Health Interview Survey (CHIS)
CHIS is an on-going collaborative public health initiative of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, the California Department of Health Services, and the Public Health Institute. The purpose of the survey is to collect information about the health status and access to health care of the state's diverse population for use by public health researchers, planners, and state and local health care officials. The Center's AIAN Research Program staff serves in many scientific capacities on CHIS, including collaboration on methodology, implementation, and data dissemination. CHIS provides the largest sample of AIANs in any United States health survey. Data is now available for CHIS 2001, the CHIS 2001 AIAN oversample allowing comparisons of urban and rural AIANs, CHIS 2003, and CHIS 2001+2003 combined. Data is available through several CHIS products and formats: AskCHIS - a free, interactive online data query system available for simple data estimates; Center publications; the Summary of CHIS findings; in addition to, the CHIS Public Use Files - downloadable data files; and onsite at the Data Access Center. CHIS 2005 entered the field on July 11, 2005 to survey tens of thousands of households during 2005. CHIS 2005 data will be available at the end of the 2006 calendar year.
The AIAN Research Program collaborates with many tribal and urban programs providing evaluation and research methods expertise. Projects range from the highly technical to the very flexible and applied:
Garden of Health Project
The Center's AIAN team is evaluating the 3-year Garden of Health project. The GOH Project will work as an active partner with community members to facilitate the development of community garden(s) that will improve nutrition through experiential gardening and cooking education and increase physical activity through gardening. The short-term impact (year 1) of the project will focus on the nutritional value of the menus offered by UAII American Indian Clubhouse After-School Program and the Ah No Ven Home - Youth Regional Treatment Center. The long-term impact (years 2 and 3) will focus on improvement in nutrition, increase in access to fresh produce, and increase community knowledge through education about gardening and nutrition. The Center will provide ongoing evaluation and support for this project. Funded by Los Angeles United American Indian Involvement, Inc. through a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Health Promotion and Diabetes Prevention Projects for American Indian/Alaska Native Communities.
System of Care Model (SCM) for American Indian and Alaska Native children
This project will implement a System of Care Model (SCM) for delivering mental health services to urban American Indian and Alaska Native children (ages 0-21) who have a serious emotional disturbance and their families in Los Angeles County. The overall goal of the project is to strengthen culturally and linguistically appropriate mental health services for the American Indian community and be informed directly by consumers, parents, youth and providers within the Los Angeles American Indian community. This project is the implementation of the Circles of Care project (see Recent Evaluation section). The center's role in this project will involve leading the evaluation and research components of this project. Funded by The United American Indian Involvement, Inc. (UAII) through a grant from the Child Mental Health Initiative from The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
American Indian and Alaska Native Train the Trainers Program
The goal of the program was to build capacity of CA tribal and urban communities in utilizing AskCHIS, an online data query system of The California Health Interview Survey, for local public health purposes. Funded by The California Endowment.
Diabetes Among American Indians and Alaska Natives in California: Prevention is Key
This study examined diabetes prevalence, co-morbidities of diabetes, health insurance status, and access to care for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIANs) in California and offers policy recommendations in response to these findings. Funded by The California Endowment.
American Indian and Alaska Native Health Status and Access to Care
This project examined health status and access to care in California, concentrating on cancer and comparing two subgroups: AIANs who reside in California but who are members of tribes with reservations located both within and outside the state of California. It also tested innovative ideas for an effective and scientifically rigorous virtual research group composed of Native scientists. For further information please read our research article titled, "American Indians and Alaska Natives in California: Women's Cancer Screening and Results," in The Journal of Cancer Education (Vol. 20, No. N). Funding for this project is provided by the US DHHS National Cancer Institute and Office of Women's Health.
Home and Community-based Care Resources for Tribal Organizations
This project developed, published, and disseminated a series of guides to Medicaid funding for home- and community-based, long-term care services for the elderly that are state-specific in content. Funded by IHS.
Culturally Competent Prevention and Control of Asthma for AIANs
A literature review was conducted to identify culturally competent asthma prevention literature. Funded by the UCLA Institute of American Cultures.
Improving Health Insurance Coverage for American Indian Children and Families
This study examined the policy and implementation barriers to obtaining Healthy Families (California's SCHIP) coverage for AIAN children, with a focus on the federal no-cost sharing waiver for native children. Funded by the University of California Policy Research Center.
Los Angeles Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey - Special Study of AIANs
The AIAN Research Program participated in a community-driven research study, with specific responsibilities for the research methods, health insurance access, utilization data, and injury data sections of the study. Funded by the United American Indian Involvement, Inc., through a grant from IHS. To obtain a copy of the report please contact Dr. Rose Clark at: RoseLClark@aol.com.
Evaluation of Circles of Care: Planning, Designing, and Assessing Mental Health Service System Models for AIAN Children and Their Families
The Center's AIAN Research Program led the evaluation and research methods components for the Los Angeles United American Indian Involvement, Inc., the urban Indian organization that designed a coordinated system of mental health care for AIAN children and adolescents in Los Angeles County. Community participation was a major focus of this project. This evaluation project is now being implemented (See "System of Care Model" under Current Evaluation Projects). Funded by the United American Indian Involvement, Inc., through a grant from The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
HIV Prevention Education Program Targeting American Indians in Los Angeles County
The AIAN Research Program designed the evaluation and provided technical assistance for this multipronged intervention project. Funded by the United American Indian Involvement, Inc., through a grant from the Los Angeles County Department of Health.
National Native American AIDS Prevention Center (NNAAPC)
The AIAN Research program was responsible for conducting a series of focus groups as part of a national needs assessment on what young adults (18-24) think is important to provide adolescents in sex education, sexuality education, and reproductive health. The results of the project will be used for curriculum planning.
Evaluation of the National Tribal Tobacco Prevention Network (Network)
This study evaluated the goals and objectives of the Network, emphasizing the technical assistance needs and interests of the Network members. To obtain a copy of the report contact the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB) at: 503-228-4185. Funded by NPAIHB through a grant from the CDC.
Evaluation of Western Regional Tobacco Prevention Project
The evaluation emphasis was on measuring the strengths and weaknesses of the training workshops. Funded by the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB) through a grant from the CDC.
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