Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
July 2025
There is a critical need to strengthen science-society relationships-especially with historically marginalized communities-if we are to better and more equitably manage complicated, intertwined, global challenges at the intersection of environment, health, equity, and well-being. Community-engaged science, which focuses on shared leadership and mutual benefit in scientific partnership with communities, has the potential to transform science, communities, and even society. Despite this promise, however, community-engaged science is not always transformative.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Circumpolar Health
December 2025
This study examines the portrayal of contaminants in pilot whale in Faroese media from 1977 to 2022. Pilot whale is integral to Faroese culture but has come under scrutiny due to health concerns linked to contaminants. Given the role of media in shaping public understanding of health risks, our research assesses how four main Faroese media outlets have presented the issue to the public.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Developing optimal health communication strategies about COVID-19 and vaccines requires an understanding of the health literacy level of populations, trusted sources of information, and perceptions of COVID-19 messaging. We examined how health literacy is related to knowledge about COVID-19 among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) peoples.
Methods: We surveyed 788 AI/AN peoples at five Tribal health organizations between January and May 2021.
Annu Rev Public Health
April 2025
Development and amplification of effective, culturally resonant, trustworthy, and evidence-based public health communication are urgently needed. Research evidence, theory, and practical experience from within and beyond the interdisciplinary field of health communication are well-positioned to help public health authorities, researchers, and advocates navigate the complex societal challenges that influence health and well-being in global contexts. This review offers a broad overview of the field, considers what constitutes "effectiveness" versus "effects" in public health communication, and describes core concepts of public health communication as a process rather than a product.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Circumpolar Health
December 2024
Arctic populations are amongst the highest exposed populations to long-range transported contaminants globally, with the main exposure pathway being through the diet. Dietary advice is an important immediate means to address potential exposure and help minimize adverse health effects. The objective of this work is to enable easier access to dietary advice and communication guidance on contaminants with a focus on the Arctic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected Native American people and communities across the United States. Despite unequal losses during the pandemic, Native Americans have high vaccination rates. We provide insight into perspectives of COVID-19 and vaccinations through in-depth interviews with Native Americans.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPatients, health professionals, and communities use social media to communicate information about health determinants and associated risk factors. Studies have highlighted the potential for social media to reach underserved populations, suggesting these platforms can be used to disseminate health information tailored for diverse and hard-to-reach populations. Little is known, however, about the use of social media among American Indian and Alaska Native populations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Circumpolar Health
December 2023
Lead ammunition is commonly used to hunt waterfowl and other wildlife in the Arctic. Hunting with lead is problematic because the toxicant can be transferred to the consumer. Therefore, it is critical to evaluate perceptions and awareness of the risks associated with using lead ammunition among Arctic populations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCOVID-19 vaccinations are the primary tool to end the pandemic. However, vaccine hesitancy continues to be a barrier to herd-immunity in the United States. American Indians (AI) often have higher levels of distrust in western medicine and lower levels of satisfaction with health care when compared to non-Hispanic Whites.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlzheimers Dement (N Y)
May 2022
Introduction: American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people infrequently participate in Alzheimer's disease (AD) research, despite the rapidly increasing population of AI/AN people aged 65 and older.
Methods: We surveyed 320 adults who identified as AI/AN at two Native-focused events and used ordinary least squares regression and logistic regression models to test associations between demographic factors and perceived risk of AD, knowledge about AD, and willingness to participate in research, along with preferred source of AD information.
Results: Willingness to participate in research was highest among those living in a city versus reservation and associated with perceived personal risk for AD.
Alzheimers Dement (N Y)
December 2020
Introduction: The population of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) aged 65 and older is growing rapidly, raising concerns about Alzheimer's disease (AD) in their communities.
Methods: We distributed a survey incorporating the Alzheimer's Disease Knowledge Scale to 341 AI/AN community members attending cultural events. We computed average adjusted predictions and 95% confidence intervals from a linear regression model, used joint F tests to examine differences in scores according to demographic variables, calculated the percentage of correct items for each participant, and computed domain-specific averages across the sample.
Prev Chronic Dis
December 2020
Introduction: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among American Indians and Alaska Natives. Reducing CVD risk requires effective communication about risk factors and preventive behaviors. Messages should be designed with an understanding of where people seek health information, their perceptions of a hazard, and their perception of information sufficiency.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAmong populations living in close connection with the sea, rivers and lakes for subsistence, diet varies according to local monthly wildlife species availability and food preferences. This may lead to variations in methylmercury (MeHg) exposure over a year, although no biomonitoring studies have documented this issue in Circumpolar populations, the most exposed to international Hg emissions. Our aim was to characterize seasonal variations in MeHg exposure among pregnant Inuit women from Nunavik and to identify country foods responsible for these variations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCancer is one of the leading causes of death among Indigenous populations. Communication campaigns are an important component of cancer prevention and treatment. However, communication about cancer with Indigenous populations has yet to be fully explored and understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIndigenous populations are recognized as a group who are potentially vulnerable to environmental health hazards due to their intimate relationship with and reliance on local environments for aspects of culture, health, and well-being. In many circumstances barriers to effective communication and health risk management are linked to cultural, economic, and geographic factors. A systematic literature review was conducted to consolidate peer-reviewed research on the communication of environmental health risks with Indigenous populations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRecent infectious disease outbreaks have resulted in renewed recognition of the importance of risk communication planning and execution to public health control strategies. Key to these efforts is public access to information that is understandable, reliable and meets their needs for informed decision-making on protective health behaviours. Learning from the trends in sources used in previous outbreaks will enable improvements in information access in future outbreaks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPublic Underst Sci
May 2014
Media can affect public views and opinions on science, policy and risk issues. This is especially true of a controversial emerging technology that is relatively unknown. The study presented here employs a media content analysis of carbon capture and storage (CCS), one potential strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA Canadian case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or "mad cow disease" was confirmed in May, 2003. An in-depth content analysis of newspaper articles was conducted to understand the portrayal of BSE and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) in the Canadian media. Articles in the "first 10 days" following the initial discovery of a cow with BSE in Canada on May 20, 2003, were examined based on the premise that these initial stories provide the major frames that dominate news media reporting of the same issue over time and multiple occurrences.
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