Journal of community health
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Korean Americans experience many challenges to obtaining adequate health care coverage and access to needed services. Because a large proportion of Korean Americans attend churches on a regular basis, churches may be a promising venue where health programs can be delivered. In order to gain an in-depth understanding of Korean American churches with respect to conducting future health intervention research, we conducted exploratory interviews and focus groups with 58 leaders from 23 Korean American churches and three community organizations. ⋯ Additionally, they described various resources churches can provide to researchers such as: their personal assistance, church volunteer base, church facility, and church network and contacts. Our findings suggest that Korean churches have a high potential to serve an important role in the health of Korean Americans. On the basis of the promising results of the present study, we are planning to conduct a cross sectional survey of Korean church leaders and members in Los Angeles County to substantiate our findings in a larger representative sample.
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The purpose of this study was to investigate the current perceptions and practices of discussing firearm risk management with patients diagnosed with selected mental health problems. A three-wave survey was mailed to a national random sample of clinical psychologists and 339 responded (62%). The majority (78.5%) believed firearm safety issues were greater among those with mental health problems. ⋯ About one-half (51.6%) of the clinical psychologists reported they would initiate firearm safety counseling if the patients were assessed as at risk for self-harm or harm to others. Almost half (46%) of clinical psychologists reported not receiving any information on firearm safety issues. Thus, the findings of this study suggest that a more formal role regarding anticipatory guidance on firearms is needed in the professional training of clinical psychologists.
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Preventive medicine plays a central role in the reducing the number of deaths due to preventable causes of premature deaths. General Preventive Medicine Residency programs have not been studied in relation to training in this area. A three-wave mail survey was conducted with email and telephone follow-ups. ⋯ Program directors who provided formal training perceived significantly higher number of benefits to offering such training than did directors who did not provide such training but no significant difference was found between the two for number of perceived barriers. If preventive medicine residency graduates are to play a role in reducing premature morbidity and mortality from firearms it will require more residencies to offer formal training in this area. The Association for Prevention Teaching and Research needs to develop guidelines on specific curriculum topics regarding firearm injury prevention.
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This study examines state- and regional disparities in obesity prevalence among 46,707 US children and adolescents aged 10-17 years before and after adjusting for individual socioeconomic and behavioral characteristics and area deprivation measures. The 2003 National Survey of Children's Health was used to calculate obesity prevalence in nine geographic regions and in the 50 states and the District of Columbia (DC). Logistic regression was used to estimate odds of obesity and adjusted prevalence. ⋯ Area poverty rates accounted for an additional 18% of the state variance in adjusted obesity prevalence. Although individual and area level socioeconomic factors are important predictors, substantial geographic disparities in childhood and adolescent obesity remain. Prevention efforts targeting individual risk factors as well as contextual social and environmental factors may reduce geographic disparities in childhood and adolescent obesity.
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Biography Historical Article
The differing views on insanity of two nineteenth century forensic psychiatrists.
Dr. Charles H. Nichols and Dr. ⋯ S. courtroom; and the fourth was the trial of the assassin of President James A. Garfield. Pointedly, their differing viewpoints still remain controversial today.