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The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a culturally based intervention, the Intertribal Talking Circle program, compared to a standard alcohol and drug abuse education, the Be A Winner program. Community‐based participatory research was used to implement a two‐condition, quasi‐experimental study. The sample included 540 Native American youth ages 10−12 years old from three tribal areas in the United States. Data were collected at baseline, 6 and 12‐months post‐intervention for both the intervention and control groups using demographic, cultural identity, alcohol use, and drug use questionnaires. Regression models evaluated participants' improvement in decreasing alcohol and drug use and increasing cultural identity. Findings revealed that alcohol and drug use decreased more significantly among youth who participated in the Intertribal Talking Circle (ITC) intervention program than youth who participated in a standard alcohol and drug abuse education Be A Winner (BAW) program. Cultural identity also increased more significantly among participants who completed the Talking Circle intervention program. Native American youth ages 10−12 years old respond positively to a culturally based intervention for the reduction of alcohol and drug use. The findings highlight the importance of cultural values and identity and their significance in preventing and reducing alcohol and drug use among Native American youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Substance use among American Indians (AIs) is a critical health issue and accounts for many health problems such as chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, behavioral health conditions, homicide, suicide, and motor vehicle accidents. In 2013, the highest rates of substance use and dependence were seen among AIs when compared to all other population groups, although these rates vary across different tribes. Among AI adolescents, high rates of substance use have been associated with environmental and historical factors, including poverty, historical trauma, bicultural stress, and changing tribal/familial roles. Our project, the Intertribal Talking Circle intervention, involved adapting, tailoring, implementing, and evaluating an existing intervention for AI youth of three tribal communities in the United States. Formative Results. Community partnership committees (CPCs) identified alcohol, marijuana, and prescription medications as high priority substances. CPC concerns focused on the increasing substance use in their communities and the corresponding negative impacts on families, stating a lack of coping skills, positive role models, and hope for the future as concerns for youth. Cultural Tailoring Process Results. Each site formed a CPC that culturally tailored the intervention for their tribal community. This included translating Keetoowah-Cherokee language, cultural practices, and symbolism into the local tribal customs for relevance. The CPCs were essential for incorporating local context and perceived concerns around AI adolescent substance use. These results may be helpful to other tribal communities developing/implementing substance use prevention interventions for AI youth. It is critical that Indigenous cultures and local context be factored into such programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this exploratory study is to illustrate the importance and usefulness o f delivering a standard health education program for Native American youth at risk for obesity. Three measurements of outcome were assessed at baseline (pre-intervention) to immediate post-intervention, and included Cherokee self-reliance (cultural identity), perceived stress levels, and obesity knowledge and behavior. The findings from this study validated the importance o f basic health education among Native American youth at risk for obesity, as evidenced by the results from participants receiving a standard health education program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this exploratory study urns to test the feasibility of providing a cultural-based talking circle intervention for Native American youth at risk for obesity. Cherokee self-reliance, perceived stress, and obesity knowledge and behavior were the outcome measures assessed at baseline (pre-intervention) and immediate post-intervention. After completion of a cultural-based intervention, findings revealed that participants demonstrated improvements in all three outcome measures. This study validates the need for additional obesity research programs from a cultural perspective among Native American youth. This study illustrates that culture, family, and community matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Native American culturally-originated theories, particularly those that are available to guide research conducted within Native American populations, are limited. Native-Reliance has emerged as a culturally derived theoretical framework, model, and questionnaire, and has been found to be useful in several studies that guide and measure how culture influences the health equity and well-being of Native Americans. This article reports on the development of the Native-Reliance theory along with results from a recent study that examined the impact of Native-Reliance in relation to substance use among Native American adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This qualitative study was conducted as part of a larger nationwide study, the Aegis Project that investigated the impact of the COVID19 pandemic, infection and reinfection, and the potential long-term immunity to SARS-CoV-2 and will be reported in a future paper. The study is a collaborative effort among The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing, Indiana University at Bloomington School of Public Health, and a rural-based Tribe located in the Midwest. The qualitative component of the study explored the experiences that impacted the emotional and mental health well-being during the COVID19 pandemic., Methods: Data were collected using open-ended interview questions regarding participants' experiences during the pandemic. Results were analyzed using the Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) method which includes the process of categorizing data into specific themes by means of the research team's discourse, external auditing, and agreement., Results: Four themes emerged related to emotional and mental health well-being experiences that include: 1) loss of connectedness, 2) increase in stress, 3) increase in anxiety, and 4) learning to cope., Conclusions: Understanding the lived experiences of Native Americans during the COVID19 pandemic is needed to help guide the development and testing of culturally based interventions to improve the emotional and mental health well-being of Native American communities during pandemics or other distressful incidences such as natural disasters.