In their recent article, N. Spillane and G. Smith (2007) suggested that reservation-dwelling American Indians have higher rates of problem drinking than do either non–American Indians or those American Indians living in nonreservation settings. These authors further argued that problematic alcohol use patterns in reservation communities are due to the lack of contingencies between drinking and “standard life reinforcers” (SLRs), such as employment, housing, education, and health care. This comment presents evidence that these arguments were based on a partial review of the literature. Weaknesses in the application of SLR constructs to American Indian reservation communities are identified as is the need for culturally contextualized empirical evidence supporting this theory and its application. Cautionary notes are offered about the development of literature reviews, theoretical frameworks, and policy recommendations for American Indian communities.

Background-Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is common among American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/ANs). Given limited access to health care, urban AI/ANs may be at particular risk. Lack of available data, however, limits our understanding of cardiovascular health in this population.

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American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) youth are characterized by high rates of pregnancy and risky sexual behavior. Reaching these youth with culturally appropriate interventions is difficult due to geographic dispersion and cultural isolation. Online interventions can provide opportunities for reaching and engaging AIAN youth. However, electronic interventions are also impersonal and this can be culturally incongruous for AIANs and other populations for whom traditional ceremonies, practices and patterns of interpersonal communication are central. This paper describes the application of community based participatory research methods to: (1) identify concerns about the exclusive use of an online sexual health program; (2) address community concerns by developing supplemental class lessons, and (3) evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the new hybrid intervention. Data derives from qualitative and quantitative sources. During the formative phase of the project, qualitative data from partner interactions was analyzed with participatory inquiry to inform intervention development. To evaluate the intervention, qualitative data (e.g., interviews, surveys) were used to understand and explain quantitative measures such as implementation fidelity and attendance. Implementers were enthusiastic about the hybrid intervention. The lessons were easy to teach and provided opportunities for meaningful discussions, adaptations, and community involvement. The use of online videos was an effective method for providing training. Working with community partners, we resolved cultural concerns arising from the exclusive use of the Internet by creating a hybrid intervention. The additional burden for staff to deliver the class lessons was considered minimal in comparison to the educational and programmatic benefits of the hybrid intervention. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01698073.

The goal of this study was to determine the extent to which a brief parenting intervention provided the context for helping families to support positive motherchild interactions as well as more optimal mother and child outcomes. Participants in this study were middle income mothers and their children were between 0-3 years of age (N = 25 dyads). Participants were filmed via Skype during a 20-minute mother-child free play and completed questionnaires (Time 1) before attending the brief intervention (involving: a single session of one-on-one parent feedback and coaching, and information via group meeting, texts, and reading) followed by a repeat of the 20-minute Skype interaction and the completion of the same questionnaires (Time 2). Paired samples t-tests were performed, revealing that mothers reported improvements in their personal well-being (using the Flourishing Scale), reports about the mother-child relationship (using the Emo