Despite increasing mental health concerns, individuals from the Pacific Islands largely do not utilize the resources available to them (National Survey of Drug Use and Health, 2020). This is of particular concern among male adolescents within the population who are more at risk of mental health concerns. An interpretative phenomenological analysis focus group study was conducted in person with male adolescent Pacific Islanders (PI; ages 14–16) residing in one Western state (n = 3). Male adolescents reported that admitting to mental health concerns would greatly limit their academic, career, and personal ambitions due to the stigma attached. They also discussed religiosity as a protective factor and gave a number of individuals within their lives that could potentially be helpful to them in this area. In terms of stigma and perception, some participants described situations in which they discussed their mental health concerns to others within their community and their feelings were dismissed as being invalid or unimportant. In addition, several participants discussed the familial shame they would experience if they were to utilize mental health services. With regard to the cultural fit between practitioners and students, many students explained they felt uncomfortable being vulnerable with therapists outside their ethnic community. They felt that being open with their mental health concerns would give a poor impression of their PI community to therapists outside of their community. More research is needed to discover which groups to target within the community to impact the largest change in perception of mental health services across the community.

Background: In the last two decades Bogota, Colombia has seen a massive influx of internally displaced people (IDP) settling in its periphery where residents face the worst living, social, and economic conditions despite the 2011 passing of The Victims Law entitling IDP victims access to free shelter, food, education, and healthcare. Objective: To understand the circumstances and health care needs of Colombian IDPs, determine trends of health perceptions among IDPs and assess and quality of health services among IDPs in Bogota. Methods: Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 12 professionals who work with IDPs and 36 IDPs. Interviews explored opinions of common health conditions and barriers to access health services in IDP communities. The EQ-5D survey about perceptions of health was administered measuring mobility, self-care, daily activities, pain, and depression/anxiety. All interviews were recorded, transcribed, coded for analysis. Results: Most IDPs did not indicate suffering with mobility, self-care, and ability to conduct daily activities. Seventy-five percent of participants indicated moderate to severe pain and 86.85% expressed feeling some form of depression or anxiety. Environmental factors are common contributors to poor health conditions. Individual and societal factors surfaced as detriments to accessing health services. The process to be included in The Victims Law registry is arduous. Although the Victims Law allows IDPs to access health services, many missing links in the system thwart quality health care delivery and discourage IDPs to utilize the health care system. Conclusion: Despite efforts to mitigate the struggles IPDs suffer there remain much needed health services and organizational improvements for the IDP community in Bogota.

This paper analyzes heath risk and how it is communicated to, and understood within, a predominantly African American neighborhood in central Florida. Residents accuse the county department of public works of purposeful contamination and discrimination over a period of 30 years. I raise the questions of how risk is perceived and what roles race or class may play. I also developed a model for risk communication that includes all stakeholders. Finally, I expand the conversation of health disparities to include issues of widening gaps in perceptions of health. This was examined by looking at the following: 1. The lack of documentation into the subjectivity of the health risk assessment process - i.e. the critique of science 2. The differing modes for creating, communicating, and receiving risk in which the resident's perspective is not valued - i.e. the critique of power 3. The impact of race and class on furthering inequities and disparities in the environmental health risks message - i.e. the critique of policy. Underlining Key Factors: 1. The residents of Mitchell Heights (emic) perceive the contamination at the former Hernando County Department of Public Works site differently than the experts/officials (etic). 2. Race and class are factors in both the perception of risk and the communication of risk for the residents and the experts. 3. Policy concerning the determination and subsequent communication of risk is primarily concerning with the perspective of scientific data. Recommendations: 1. As it relates to assessing environmental risks, there needs to be a development of a more holistic set of methodologies that incorporate diverse perspectives in a bi-directional knowledge exchange. This should allow for acceptable risk to be understood as co-created through negotiation and compromise between the measured and lived experiences. Ethnographic methods should partner with epidemiology and environmental sciences. 2. Once these mixed-method, holistic methodologies are field-tested, they need to be adopted as formal procedure by agencies responsible for the analysis and communication of risks. Risk should include the technical and the relational. 3. Policymakers must widen their understanding of what constitutes "policy relevant knowledge." In addition, policies targeted at eliminating health disparities and inequalities need to value the broad differences the often exist in perceiving "health."

This purpose of this quantitative study was to examine health beliefs among Caribbean-born university students regarding acceptance or rejection of influenza vaccination among populations at institutions of higher education. In addition, acculturation was addressed as a factor affecting cultural health beliefs. A survey was completed by 98 students enrolled at Florida International University during the spring 2018 semester. Linear regression was used to analyze whether cultural health beliefs and acculturation were predictive of beliefs about influenza vaccination and beliefs about perceived barriers to influenza vaccination. The study findings showed cultural health beliefs of the students were statistically significant predictors of their beliefs about influenza vaccination and perceived barriers to influenza vaccination. Also, the levels of acculturation were a statistically significant predictor of students' cultural health beliefs and beliefs about perceived barriers to influenza vaccination. After 5+ years of acculturation in the United States, the students surveyed still held cultural beliefs and perceived barriers to influenza vaccination that contributed to their lack of acceptance of the vaccination. The information gained from this study gives credence to the need for designing health interventions and health messages on influenza vaccination that are culture specific for a college-age population if influenza vaccination acceptance is to be promoted.

African American women have the highest prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States, thus increasing their risks for chronic diseases. Their understanding of their health status and response to it could be triggered by messages in the media, yet few researchers have examined this topic with African American women. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how advertisement and editorial content in media contributed to perceptions African American women have about overweight and obesity. Following the theoretical foundation of the social cognitive theory, the research questions explored what messages study participants encountered and which messages prompted behavior changes. Ten African American females age 25 and older were recruited and interviewed about their understanding of overweight and obesity, chronic disease risks, and self-efficacy. Codes and themes about obesity, health risks, physical activity, eating, and body image were extracted line by line from interview transcripts. Six themes emerged: obesity as viewed by participants, perceptions of health risks, impact of media messages, perceptions of body image, encouragement from media, and steps to improve personal health. These results indicated that media messages are factors in the development of the views African American women have about being overweight or obese and motivated them to adopt health improving behaviors. Messages in the media can contribute to shifting the imbalance of overweight and obesity among African American women. Additionally, the results can inspire public health officials, health communication researchers and media professionals to develop and disseminate informative health related messages.

<p>The aim was to describe and explore the food-related work and eating habits of older community-dwelling women, with Parkinson’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis or stroke or without these diseases. The major focus is on health perceptions, eating habits and meal support. A theoretical framework based on cultural and health theories was adopted. A total of 91 women between 64 and 88 years were visited in their homes, a food survey was performed consisting of a 24h recall and an estimated three-day food diary was introduced. Seventy-two of the women also took part in qualitative interviews with an ethnographic approach. Approximately one week later, another 24h recall was carried out at a second visit, or for the non-disabled women by telephone. The analyses revealed that many women were influenced by the prevailing health message and tried to eat a healthy diet. It was also important to them to enjoy their preferred foods, but this gave some women a bad conscience, while others perceived their usual foods as wholesome to eat. Health promotion for older women needs to incorporate the women’s own cultural context, their perceptions of food-related health, and their wish to adhere to their usual habits. Women with disease, frailty and who had become alone reported simplified food-related work and poor eating habits. However, management of these duties was highly valued, and women strove to cook by themselves as long as possible when disability became a threat. This resulted in a trend towards less nourishing cooked meals for women with disabilities. Thus, many women with these diseases living at home need support with their meals. This has to be planned in collaboration with the woman and build on her cultural values. The help must be performed with respect for the woman’s sense of order, be given sufficient time, and acknowledge her self-determination.</p>

The aim was to describe and explore the food-related work and eating habits of older community-dwelling women, with Parkinson’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis or stroke or without these diseases. The major focus is on health perceptions, eating habits and meal support. A theoretical framework based on cultural and health theories was adopted. A total of 91 women between 64 and 88 years were visited in their homes, a food survey was performed consisting of a 24h recall and an estimated three-day food diary was introduced. Seventy-two of the women also took part in qualitative interviews with an ethnographic approach. Approximately one week later, another 24h recall was carried out at a second visit, or for the non-disabled women by telephone. The analyses revealed that many women were influenced by the prevailing health message and tried to eat a healthy diet. It was also important to them to enjoy their preferred foods, but this gave some women a bad conscience, while others perceived their usual foods as wholesome to eat. Health promotion for older women needs to incorporate the women’s own cultural context, their perceptions of food-related health, and their wish to adhere to their usual habits. Women with disease, frailty and who had become alone reported simplified food-related work and poor eating habits. However, management of these duties was highly valued, and women strove to cook by themselves as long as possible when disability became a threat. This resulted in a trend towards less nourishing cooked meals for women with disabilities. Thus, many women with these diseases living at home need support with their meals. This has to be planned in collaboration with the woman and build on her cultural values. The help must be performed with respect for the woman’s sense of order, be given sufficient time, and acknowledge her self-determination.