Health Promotion Across the Lifespan: Prenatal/Perinatal Healthcare and Early Learning
Executive Summary
Dr. Connie Nguyen-Truong is a Director of the Health and Education Program for Micronesian Islanders with Dr. Jacqueline Leung who is the Executive Director of the Micronesian Islander Community (MIC) organization. Dr. Nguyen-Truong established a memorandum of understanding between WSU, the College of Nursing (CON), and MIC as a collaboration in the Pacific Northwest. The following major contributions was an impetus for the current funded expanded community-based participatory research by the Health & Education Fund Impact Partners that consists of multiple external funders and recently funded joint Northwest Health Foundation and Collins Foundation – Advancing Disability Justice Grant and the Oregon Department of Education – Early Childhood Equity Fund Grant. Dr. Nguyen-Truong is one of the first people to modify the group level assessment as a new qualitative participatory driven methodology to include illustrative storytelling that involves participants writing and drawing pictures while telling stories. This facilitated data collection and analysis concurrently in real time with involvement of Micronesian Islander participants to be able to discuss about difficult topics. This is important because Micronesian Islanders are historically known to be an oral culture and is an often invisible/underserved population. Important evidence was provided on cultural narratives of Chuukese and Marshallese Micronesian Islander parent leaders (MIPL) that helps to explain why Micronesian Islander communities are experiencing miscarriages, stillbirths, maternal mortality, and mental and physical development disabilities, and concerns regarding early childhood learning. MIPL was found to be a shy and humble culture who are not accustomed to speaking about issues and not thinking about one’s self but rather looking out for others. Important evidence was provided on cultural beliefs in home remedies and religious faith that are passed down through generations from their island homeland influencing whether or not to engage in prenatal healthcare. MIPL also described how their language barrier made them appear as though they did not care or follow directions by healthcare providers and children’s teachers. In regards to early learning, important evidence points to having uncertainty regarding preparedness of Micronesian Islander children who have disabilities or developmentally delayed and what preparedness in early learning by parents and teachers mean related to promotion to subsequent grades.
The academic-community partnership led the first study and found important evidence on the Building Safe Didactic Dialogues for Action Model when working with Micronesian Islanders on prenatal/perinatal care and access to early learning systems while being cognizant of Micronesian Islanders having experienced historical trauma such as forced permanent relocation due to U.S. hydrogen bomb testing of the islands. This model is a significant contribution because it provides a cultural lens for foundation mobilizing effort to build community, trust and rapport building, and engagement in a safe and courageous space for dialogues for action planning as community and academic partners. Important evidence was provided on the need for stress reduction for parents and making cultural changes to decrease potential childhood stress. In another study, a research-based culturally specific leadership curriculum with MIPL over a period of 1 year was described. Important evidence was provided that using combined community-based participatory research and empowerment education approaches achieved both leadership and research skill capacity for long-term sustainability of the research, partnership, and confidence within MIPL to use their voices for action.
Publications
Note: *graduate students, +community leaders, MI = Micronesian Islander(s)
1Nguyen-Truong, C. K. Y., 1,+Leung, J., & +Micky, K. (2020). Cultural narratives of Micronesian Islander parent leaders: Maternal and children’s health, the school system, and the role of culture. Asian/Pacific Island Nursing Journal, 4(4), 173-182. doi: 10.31372/20190404.1078. https://kahualike.manoa.hawaii.edu/apin/vol4/iss4/6/ PMID: 32055685 [1Co-first authors]
This is the first study to describe culturally specific narratives of Chuukese and Marshallese Micronesian Islander parent leaders (MIPL) who are not accustomed to speaking about issues that helps to explain why MI communities are experiencing stillbirths, miscarriages, maternal mortality, and mental and physical development disabilities. Dr. Connie Nguyen-Truong is one of the first people to modify the group level assessment as a new qualitative participatory driven methodology to include illustrative storytelling that involves participants writing and drawing pictures while telling stories. This facilitated data collection and analysis concurrently in real time with involvement of MI participants to be able to discuss about difficult topics. This is important because MI are historically known to be an oral culture and is an often invisible/underserved population.
1Nguyen-Truong, C. K. Y., 1,+Leung, J., +Micky, K., & *,**Nevers, J. I. (2020). Building safe didactic dialogues for action model: Mobilizing community with Micronesian Islanders. Asian/Pacific Island Nursing Journal, 5(1), 1-11. doi: 10.31372/20200501.1066. https://kahualike.manoa.hawaii.edu/apin/vol5/iss1/1/ PMID: 32704525 [1Co-first authors] [Special Recognition Educational Innovations]
This is the first study to describe a research evidence Building Safe Didactic Dialogues for Action Model that consists of 4 key pillars. The pillars include mobilizing community, trust and rapport, safety and courage, and didactic dialogues for action planning. When working with Micronesian Islanders on prenatal/perinatal care and access to early learning system, need to be cognizant of MI experienced historical trauma such as forced permanent relocation due to U.S. hydrogen bomb testing of the islands. This model is a significant contribution because it provides a cultural lens for foundation mobilizing effort to build community with MI, trust and rapport building, and engagement in a safe and courageous space for dialogues for action planning as community and academic partners. Important evidence was provided on the need for stress reduction for parents and making cultural changes to decrease potential childhood stress.
Nguyen-Truong, C. K. Y., +Leung, J., & +Micky, K. (2020). Development of a culturally specific leadership curriculum through community-based participatory research and popular education. Asian/Pacific Island Nursing Journal, 5(2), 73-88. doi: 10.31372/20200502.1086. https://kahualike.manoa.hawaii.edu/apin/vol5/iss2/4/ PMID: 33043136
This is the first study to describe the research-based culturally specific leadership curriculum with Micronesian Islander parent leaders (MIPL) over a period of 1 year. Provided important evidence that using combined community-based participatory research and empowerment education approaches achieved both leadership and research skill capacity for long-term sustainability of the research, partnership, and confidence within MIPL to use their voices for action who come from a shy and humble culture.
*Spence, S. R., +Leung, J., †Geil, S., & Nguyen-Truong, C. K. Y. (last Senior author and mentored Doctor of Nursing Practice Family Nurse Practitioner Student, Community Partner, & Adjunct Faculty). (2020). Gaining entrée into a Micronesian Islander-based community organization through culturally responsive team building and reflection. Asian/Pacific Island Nursing Journal, 5(3), 177-180. doi: 10.31372/20200503.1099. https://kahualike.manoa.hawaii.edu/apin/vol5/iss3/10 [Special Issue New Knowledge and Practices]
S. Robert Spence was awarded the 1st student scholarship for publication in APINJ. The Scholarship Committee, Asian American Pacific Islander Nurses Association Executive Committee, and Editors recognized the “overall quality” of the “writing”…”significance, originality, methodical rigor, and timeliness in the context of current health care issues.” Described a critical foundational engagement project framed by tenets of Popular Education and led by a DNP FNP student with Dr. Connie Nguyen-Truong’s mentorship when gaining entrée into my existing alliance between a community partner, the Micronesian Islander (MI)-based organization, and WSU College of Nursing, to co-develop a culturally relevant main project to improve rates of MI enrollment in early childhood learning (ECL) programs. ECL is an important factor in preventing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and developing resilience from ACEs. Built a sustainable community-academic partnership that consisted of multicultural and interdisciplinary backgrounds through culturally responsive team building, team reflection, and leveraged the collective strengths to address a community identified need. The engagement took half a year for relationship building and shared decision-making.