The types of resources made available to families with Deaf and/or Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) children may vary greatly by nation, especially in those that are categorized as “developing countries.” Research has shown that a lack of resources may be attributed to the various cultural beliefs people hold toward individuals with disabilities (e.g., shame, abuse, neglect, a test from a higher power, caused by sin, witchcraft, curses). However, geographical changes may change a parent’s mindset once more resources have been made available to them and their child with a disability. This change may be a very difficult journey, especially if families face significant cultural and language barriers when attempting to gain access to these resources. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of Latinx immigrant and refugee parents of children with disabilities by using a transcendental phenomenology approach. Specifically, the focus was to investigate what current cultural beliefs exist on disability and if their beliefs changed after immigrating to the United States. When the study was finalized, both the primary and secondary researchers concluded that participants seemed to be on a journey of acceptance of their child’s disability. Where these participants fall on the timeline of acceptance varied based on various factors such as culture, religion, awareness, early experiences, and quality/quantity of resources. Although there is no predetermined timeline, a noticeable trend of one’s change in beliefs can be most noted when they meet these prominent markers, with time in the U.S. being a key driving force.

Genetic counseling (GC) is a preventative healthcare service centered around a person’s genetic makeup. Disparities in the accessibility of genetic counseling services have not allowed GC to be practiced at its highest potential. Digital tools can advance equity among GC testing and referral rates. For instance, a research team at UCLA is in the process of developing a virtual genetic counseling assistant (vGCA), which is an interactive educational toolkit for patients who are looking to receive genetic counseling. Studies on the benefits of the integration of these resources are limited for Black adults because of a large underrepresentation of Black genetic counselors and Black people in GC research. Therefore, the focus of this research study is to understand the features of a vGCA that can make GC more accessible for Black adults. My hypothesis is that the features within the vGCA can be significant resources for increasing GC accessibility. I plan on recruiting eligible Black adults within the Inland Empire, conducting focus groups that will walk through the vGCA and lastly, facilitating a discussion in order to receive feedback. I will collect audio recordings of the interactions that will be transcribed, coded, and analyzed through qualitative software. Additionally, a survey after the discussion will be filled out by each participant, this data will be analyzed through a statistical program. The research is done with the hope of better understanding which tools can create more accessible GC services, especially for Black adults.

Since the early 90s, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has disproportionately affected those who are in the LGBTQIA+ community, more specifically gay and bisexual men who have sex with other men (MSM). Furthermore, men of color who have sex with other men are even more at risk for HIV transmission than their white counterparts. The current study investigates the cultural stigma and homophobia surrounding communities of color and how this relates to factors for increased risk of HIV transmission including toxic masculinity, lack of preventative education, and risky sexual behavior. Using a descriptive, cross-sectional survey design, we will examine the perceptions of men of color, in comparison to white men, regarding factors of HIV risk and transmission. The survey will use the theoretical framework of the Health Belief Model, measuring perceptions of behaviors that contribute to HIV risk. Participants will be recruited through local LGBTQIA+ organizations in addition to using snowball sampling. Data collection will be completed in the Spring of 2023. I hypothesize that cultural stigma and homophobia will correlate to higher HIV risk among men of color. The findings of this research may have implications for increasing outreach and preventative measures to these communities in order to reduce the risk and transmission of HIV.

This scoping review focuses on diabetes mellitus 2 (DM2) in the Asian American community–a population often overlooked in health research. There will be a special focus on Hmong population–a refugee population from Southeast Asia who are disproportionately affected by diabetes.Two major factors that add to the disproportion are the language barrier and the distrust of western medicine. The language barrier stems from the limited English proficiency (LEP) of the Hmong people, and in the translation since there’s no Hmong equivalent to many English medical terminology and vice versa. Older Hmong patients also feel a lack of respect for their customs and religious beliefs. This study aims to synthesize the research available on Asian Americans and the Hmong in particular, with the objective of finding the gaps in data regarding diabetes in these communities. This research will be used in conjunction with data from a pilot study to apply for a grant to develop an mHealth app that will help caregivers (versus the patient) raise their health literacy on diabetes from etiology and complications of diabetes, as well as providing culturally sensitive strategies for diabetes management. The aforementioned pilot study focused on challenges caregivers, case managers, and healthcare providers experienced with older Hmong patients with diabetes.