Browsed by
Category: Conference

Changes in patients’ family communication after offer of skin cancer genetic test

Changes in patients’ family communication after offer of skin cancer genetic test

Melanoma is a serious preventable form of skin cancer. Genetic testing for skin cancer risk may help increase awareness. A team led by Dr. Jennifer Hay from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and including Dr David Buller from Klein Buendel, examined how an offer for testing for the melanocortin-1 receptor gene (MC1R) may have enhanced communication surrounding skin cancer within families. The research team presented a poster of their findings at the 44th Annual Sessions and Meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine in Phoenix, Arizona on April 26-29, 2023.

The study examined frequency targets (which family member) and topics of family communication around skin cancer at a 3-month follow-up within a New Mexico study that randomized primary care patients (N=600; 48% Hispanic) to MC1R test invitation or usual care (Aim 1). Frequency and targets were assessed on 4-point scales (“not at all” to “a lot”) asking participants how often they talked with family and with each target. Topics were assessed by asking participants whether they discussed a series of topics with family. The impact of usual care genetic test refusal and test results (average or higher risk feedback) on frequency targets and topics of family communication was assessed using ANOVAs and Chi-Square tests (Aim 2).

Aim 1 analysis showed that at the 3-month follow-up the average frequency of overall family communication was between “a little” and “some”. The most common communication targets were spouses and children; the most common topic was sun protection. Aim 2 analysis showed no significant differences in communication frequency. However, communication targets who received high-risk feedback reported greater communication with their spouse compared to those in usual care. Lastly, the study found that certain topics of communication such as “who had skin cancer in the family” and “your own risk of getting skin cancer” were discussed more by those who had testing (both receiving average and high-risk feedback) than by those in usual care or by test refusers.

The findings provide important insight into family communication about skin cancer. The results indicate greater discussion with certain people and about certain topics when individuals had undergone genetic testing highlighting the potential role that genetic testing can play in fostering family communication. Future research could provide deeper insight into why individuals talk to certain people and about certain topics more than others as well as examine how family communication affects decision-making regarding offers for cascade genetic testing or interpretation of results.

This research was supported by a grant from the National Cancer Institute (CA181241; Dr. Jennifer Hay and Dr. Marianne Berwick, Multiple Principal Investigators). Authors in addition to Dr. Jennifer Hay include Ms. Caroline Salafia (poster presenter), Dr. Smita Banerjee, and Ms. Elizabeth Schofield from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; Dr. Andrew Sussman, Dr. Dolores Guest, and Dr. Keith Hunley from the University of New Mexico; Dr. Kimberly Kaphingst from the University of Utah; and Dr. David Buller from Klein Buendel.

Physical Activity Research with Apps and Wearable Trackers

Physical Activity Research with Apps and Wearable Trackers

Klein Buendel Scientist, Dr. Kayla Nuss, was a presenter or co-author on four panels, posters, and presentations at the 44th Annual Sessions and Meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine in Phoenix, Arizona on April 26-29, 2023. The presentations highlighted research Dr. Nuss conducted as a Post-doctoral Fellow at the University of Victoria in Canada before joining Klein Buendel as a Scientist in 2022.

Dr. Kayla Nuss at SBM

Presentation 1: Poster Session

“Examining the Effect of Daily Social Media Use of Physical Activity Behaviors: A Daily Diary Study”

Presenters: Ms. Rebecca Coulter, Dr. Sam Liu, and Dr. Kayla Nuss

Previous studies have assessed the effects of health-related social media use on physical activity; however the evidence remains mixed. Currently, little is known about how daily social media use influences daily physical activity behavior. Understanding the influence of social media use on physical activity behavior may help design future interventions. The objective of this study was to examine whether the daily consumption of health-related social media content is associated with daily physical activity behaviors. Results provided evidence that viewing health-related social media content can influence daily physical activity behavior – specifically , exercise intensity. The authors suggested that future studies should focus on within-person variations in behavior based on social media use.

Presentation 2: Symposium 1

“Contextual and Situational Motivation for Physical Activity in Wearable Activity Tracker Users: A Daily Diary Study”

Presenters: Ms. Rebecca Coulter, Dr. Sam Liu, and Dr. Kayla Nuss

Wearable activity trackers (WAT) were developed to support physical activity engagement but little is known about how WAT users are motivated for physical activity. The presenters have identified distinct motivational profiles among WAT users; but no study has assessed the relationship between contextual and situational motivation for physical activity. To evaluate this relationship, intensive daily survey methodology is needed. Understanding the relationship between contextual and situational motivation for physical activity is critical to improve the effectiveness of WAT. The objectives of the study were to: (1) evaluate the feasibility of collecting day-level situational motivation for physical activity using a customized mobile app made by a no-code app development platform; and 2) describe two levels of motivation (contextual and situational) in WAT users using the hierarchical model of motivation. The presenters hypothesized that they would identify distinct motivational profiles and that those profiles would predict differing levels of situational motivation. Collecting situational motivation for physical activity was feasible using a no-code mobile platform. WAT users vary in their contextual motivational profile for physical activity and these predict some types of situational motivation. They suggested that future research should further investigate physical activity motivation in WAT users to identify intervention opportunities. 

Presentation 3: Symposium 2

“Implementing Mobile Health Interventions and Observational Studies Using a No-code App Development Platform”

Presenters: Dr. Denver Brown, Dr. Sam Liu, Dr. Kayla Nuss, and Ms. Amanda Willms

Mobile health (mHealth) technology holds tremendous potential to deliver behavior health interventions and understand human behavior. However, a challenge facing researchers when conducting mHealth research is the resources required to develop and maintain mHealth apps. Specifically, a no-code mHealth research app development platform may enable researchers with no previous software programming skills to create apps through a graphical user interface. In this symposium, presenters discussed how a no-code app development platform, was created and used to co-design and implement physical activity mHealth interventions and conduct longitudinal observational studies to understand physical activity behavior. The first presenter provided an overview of the no-code mHealth research platform and discussed its development and usability testing. The second presenter discussed how the platform was used to co-design adaptive mHealth physical activity interventions. Dr. Nuss discussed how the platform was used to implement a daily diary study to examine changes in situational motivation for physical activity based on contextual motivational profile in current wearable activity tracker users over a 14-day period. The final presenter discussed how the platform was used conduct a longitudinal feasibility study examining the influence that first-year roommates have on one another’s device-measured physical activity behavior during the transition to university which included weekly surveys to capture dyadic relations.

Presentation 4: Paper Session

“Reflecting on Physical Activity across Two Years of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Predictors if Intention-Behavior Profiles”

Presenter: Dr. Ryan Rhodes

Co-authors: Dr. Sam Liu, Dr. Kayla Nuss, and Dr. Wuyou Sui

The COVD-19 Pandemic has affected how many people engage in regular moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA). Understanding the correlates of various motivational and behavioral profiles is important to producing effective interventions. The purpose of this study was to predict current and dynamic (across two years of the COVID-19 Pandemic) intention and MVPA profiles using the multi-process action control (M-PAC) framework. Few participants increased MVPA across the pandemic and dynamic patterns of intention-MVPA profiles by pre-pandemic MVPA showed the presence of two at risk groups (relapsed non-intenders relapsed unsuccessful intenders) who have relapsed in MVPA. Collectively, the findings support the joint promotion of reflective regulatory and reflexive processes in the choice of behavior change techniques to promote post-pandemic MVPA intention and behavior. 

Stringency of State Indoor Tanning Laws

Stringency of State Indoor Tanning Laws

Approximately five million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed among Americans at a cost nearing $9 billion annually. Indoor tanning (IT) is a risk factor for skin cancer. Restricting IT facilities, especially access by minors, has been the subject of state laws. More stringent restrictions on youth access (for example, bans by age vs. parental consent laws) appear to be associated with reduced IT by youth.

Julia Berteletti and David Buller at SBM

A team led by Dr. Carolyn Heckman from Rutgers University and Dr. David Buller from Klein presented a poster characterizing the IT policy landscape of U.S. states at the 44th Annual Sessions and Meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine in Phoenix, Arizona on April 26-29, 2023. The poster was entitled “Comparison of the stringency of indoor tanning bills regarding minors that passed and failed in state legislatures over the last 30 years.”

The research team coded 107 state IT law documents and compared passed laws to failed bills (proposed but not voted on or proposed but voted down), using a validated coding tool that assessed the presence of age bans, parental consent/accompaniment, warnings, operator requirements, and enforcement. Component codes were scaled on 10-point stringency measures (0=no regulation, 10=very strong regulation). Component and total summed scores were calculated, with higher scores indicating more stringent IT restrictions.

Between 1991 and 2022, 46 states and the District of Columbia passed a law on IT, with 23 banning access to IT facilities by minors under age 18. By contrast, 60 bills on IT failed to pass in 31 states since 2008. However, stringency of laws is weak, overall, which may explain why recent research found low compliance of IT facilities with regulations and continued IT among minors. Failed bills without minor bans were less stringent than similar passed laws, on nearly all components. Failure may have presented advocates opportunities to improve stringency of subsequent bills and time to garner more support for IT restrictions. In fact, less stringent bills may have failed because they had less support from outside constituencies (for example, medical societies and public health advocates) and among legislators. To gain insight into this public health legislation process, we are interviewing key informants from states with recent policy activity.

This research was supported by a grant to Rutgers University from the National Cancer Institute (CA244370; Dr. Carolyn Heckman and Dr. David Buller, Multiple Principal Investigators). Co-authors included Ms. Julia Berteletti from Klein Buendel and Ms. Anna Mitarotondo from Rutgers University.

Usability Testing of Just Care Modules in Prisons

Usability Testing of Just Care Modules in Prisons

Prison population demographics are shifting such that many people will grow old and spend their final days in prison. Research evidence supports using peer caregivers to assist prison staff with providing supportive care. However, the training received by peer caregivers varies widely. Evidenced-based, accessible, and contextually relevant learning materials are needed to effectively prepare peer caregivers for their role.

A research team from The Penn State University Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing and Klein Buendel have developed Just Care, a six-module e-learning program designed to augment the face-to-face training that is typically provided to peer caregivers. Small-scale usability testing of the Just Care program was conducted with twenty men and women, who are incarcerated, and ten staff members at one men’s and one women’s state prison in a southeastern state. Two rounds of usability tests were conducted via a video-conferencing platform. The results of the usability tests were recently presented at the annual conference of Academic Consortium on Criminal Justice Health (ACCJH) in Raleigh, North Carolina on April 13-14, 2023.

Most users, who were incarcerated, did activities without aid and no tasks or programming issues were identified that made it impossible to use the application as intended. However, a few usability and content issues were noted including: (a) some users did find the x-ray scanner activity challenging when trying to drag the scanner across the body image to reveal symptoms as death approaches; and (b) a few staff users noted that the returning citizens’ video testimonials in the Staff Module lacked racial diversity.​

The System Usability (SUS) scores for each round respectively were 87.5 (incarcerated), 74.5 (staff); and 85.28 (incarcerated), 83.75 (staff). A SUS score of 68 is considered above average. Overall, both participant groups found Just Care easy to navigate with content that is interactive, useful, engaging, and relevant. Prison staff noted that Just Care raised awareness about peer caregivers’ need for training to help care for older people in prisons.

Next steps for the research team is to address the issues raised in the usability tests and prepare for large-scale usability testing to be conducted in state prisons in the summer and fall of 2023. This research was funded by an STTR grant to Klein Buendel from the National Institute on Aging [AG057239; Dr. Susan Loeb (Penn State) and Dr. Barbara Walkosz (Klein Buendel), Multiple Principal Investigators]. Collaborators on the ACCJH poster presentation also included Dr. Erin Kitt-Lewis, Sherif Olanrewaju, and Katherine Aiken from The Penn State University; and Brandon Herbeck and Steve Fullmer from Klein Buendel. 

Scaling Media Literacy in a School District Environment

Scaling Media Literacy in a School District Environment

Implementation science, the study of methods and strategies that facilitate the uptake of evidence-based practices, is emerging as a framework to study the application of media literacy. Implementation science emerged in the public health field, and is just becoming known and applied in media literacy programs.

A research team led by Dr. Tessa Jolls from the Center for Media Literacy in California, and including Dr. Barbara Walkosz from Klein Buendel, conducted a panel discussion at the Global Media Education Summit held March 2-4, 2023 at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada. The panel was entitled, “Implementation Science: The Road to Scaling in a District Environment.” Two additional panelists included Dr. Marilyn Cohen from the University of Washington and Ms. Heather Van Benthuysen from the Chicago Public Schools.

The research team discussed the rising field of implementation science and presented an example underway in a U.S. school district. Relying on theories of change and rigorous evaluations of programming that exemplify these theories of change, the panelists described how implementation science provides a solid foundation for dissemination, scaling, and helping media literacy take its rightful place as a central educational offering. The panelists illustrated how implementation science works to strengthen and sustain media literacy in schools.

The Global Media Education Summit is convened by the UK’s Centre for Excellence in Media Practice, in collaboration with a leading media education space, in a different country each year. In 2023, the School of Communication and the Community Engaged Research Initiative at Simon Fraser University hosted the event, in partnership with the McLuhan Foundation. The Global Media Education Summit brings together an international network of researchers, educators, and practitioners across all aspects of media education, media and digital literacies, youth media production and media and technology in education. As the leading global showcase for research, pedagogy, and innovation, the Summit explores the changing currents across media education and media literacy communities around the world.

EUROGIN HPV Panel Presentation

EUROGIN HPV Panel Presentation

Klein Buendel Senior Scientists, Dr. W. Gill Woodall and Dr. David Buller, presented two research projects in a panel discussion at the EUROGIN International Multidisciplinary HPV Congress on Feb 8-11, 2023 in Bilbao, Spain. The “Digital Interventions to Increase HPV Vaccination” panel featured four presentations and was moderated by Dr. Greg Zimet from the University of Indiana. Other Klein Buendel scientists and staff (at the time of abstract submission) contributing as co-authors included Dr. Barbara Walkosz, Ms. Marita Brooks, Ms. Lila Martinez, and Ms. Jeanny Reither. Klein Buendel employees’ names are bolded.

Presentation 1

Title: “Randomized Trials of HPV Vaccine Uptake Improvement: Web Apps for Parents and Young Adolescent Girls and Boys”

Presenter: W. Gill Woodall, PhD, Senior Scientist, Klein Buendel, Inc. Albuquerque, NM, USA

Co-authors: A. Kong, G. Zimet, D. Buller, L. Chilton, J. Reither, L. Martinez, M. Brooks

This presentation discussed the results of two randomized trials of parent-focused web apps to improve HPV vaccine uptake for young adolescents (ages 11-14).  For the first trial, the web app was tailored to parents and young adolescent girls, and in the second trial, the web app was tailored to parents and young adolescent boys. Results of both trials indicated significant web app impact on HPV vaccine uptake for adolescent girls and boys, as well as other vaccine uptake related variables.  The discussion included a consideration of web app content and tailoring to determine HPV vaccine uptake improvement.

Presentation 2

Title: “Successful technology-based rural patient HPV vaccination reminder intervention and social media assessment of strategies to reduce HPV vaccine misinformation”

Presenter: Deanna Kepka, PhD, MPH, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

Co-authors: K. Christini, E. McGough, B. Gibson, E. Warner, H. Brandt

This presentation described a multi-level and multi-component intervention that included healthcare team training activities and technology-based HPV vaccination reminders. Missed opportunities for HPV vaccination declined significantly from the pre-intervention to the post-intervention period. Participants who recalled receipt of an electronically delivered vaccination reminder had higher unadjusted odds of scheduling a visit compared with those who did not recall receiving a reminder. Social media-delivered misinformation related to HPV vaccination is pervasive. The presenters also discussed new strategies to evaluate and reduce the impact of HPV vaccine misinformation in rural settings.

Presentation 3

Title: “Promoting HPV vaccination to emerging adults in rural communities in a multi-risk factor cancer prevention social media intervention”

Presenter: David Buller, PhD, Senior Scientist, Klein Buendel, Inc., Denver, CO, USA

Co-authors: A. Sussman, D. Kepka, W. G. Woodall, E. Warner, B. Walkosz

This presentation described an innovative social media campaign targeting six cancer risk factors, including HPV vaccination. It is being developed for the diverse population of adults aged 18-26 in rural counties in the Mountain West region of the U.S. Emerging adults obtain health information online far more than information from health care providers and other media. A framework for social media message development was presented based on social cognitive, self-determination, and diffusion of innovation theory. Misinformation, especially on vaccination, will be combatted by instructing emerging adults in digital and media and by using an epidemiological model of monitoring and quickly responding to correct misinformation. The campaign will be tested with a sample of 1000 emerging adults in a stepped-wedge quasi-experimental design.

Presentation 4

Title: “U.S. National Digital Point of Care Communication to Improve Uptake of HPV and Other Adolescent Vaccines in Clinic Settings”

Presenter: Judy Klein, BA, BS, President, UNITY Consortium, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Co-authors: G. Zimet, V. Agadi, C. Hu, A. Jaramillo

This presentation reported on a study that involved digital targeted adolescent vaccination infographics and videos widely disseminated to clinical practices throughout the U.S. Over 11,000 clinicians whose practices received these digital interventions (exposed condition) were matched to an equal number of non-exposed comparison practices matched on multiple practice characteristics. The outcomes of interest were the number of vaccine doses (Tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis booster or Tdap, HPV, MenACWY, and MenB) administered to patients 11-18 years of age. The exposed clinics showed significant increases in administration of adolescent vaccines, including HPV vaccine, compared to the non-exposed clinics.

STAC Parent Module Pilot Study

STAC Parent Module Pilot Study

Klein Buendel collaborator, Dr. Aida Midgett from Boise State University, presented formative research findings from her CTR-IN Pilot Grant at the Mountain West CTR-IN Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, November 17-18, 2022. Mountain West CTR-IN connects research investigators to mentors, collaborators, and funding opportunities to improve the health and lives of people in mountain west communities, including through research projects funded by the National Institutes of Health. Ms. Mary Buller, President of Klein Buendel, is Dr. Aida’s mentor for the CTR-IN Pilot Grant.

Dr. Midgett presented on the “Development, Acceptability, and Short-Term Outcomes of a Parent Module for Brief, Bullying Bystander Intervention for Middle School Students in Rural, Low-Income Communities.” Her co-author was Dr. Diana Doumas from Boise State University. The project statistician was Ms. Laura Bond from Boise State University. The pilot study used a mixed-methods design to develop a 30-minute pre-recorded Parent Module as a companion training to a brief bullying prevention program for middle schools, called STAC. The study assessed the need, feasibility, acceptability, delivery format preference and immediate outcomes (e.g., knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, and behavioral intentions) of the Parent Module.

As background, the STAC bystander intervention is a 75-minute training that includes didactic and experiential components. It teaches middle school students to act as “defenders” on behalf of targets of bullying through utilizing four intervention strategies: (1) “Stealing the Show” – using humor or distraction to interrupt a bullying situation and remove the attention away from the target; (2) “Turning it Over” – identifying a trusted adult at school, reporting, and asking for help during a bullying incident; (3) “Accompanying Others” – befriending and/or providing support to a peer who was a target of bullying; and (4) “Coaching Compassion” – gently confronting the perpetrator and increasing empathy for the target.

Dr. Midgett reported that preliminary data with 23 parents in the pilot study demonstrated acceptability, relevance, and need and increases in immediate post-training outcomes including knowledge, confidence, self-efficacy, responsibility, and anti-bullying attitudes, as well as parents’ behavioral intentions to support their adolescents to utilize the STAC strategies.

Another aim of Dr. Midgett’s CTR-IN pilot grant is to provide data to support a STTR Fast Track proposal to develop and evaluate a web-based version of the Parent Module as a STAC companion training. The proposal will be submitted through Klein Buendel and the research plan will include a multi-site randomized trial in rural schools. Klein Buendel’s Creative Team will program the web-based Parent Module.

Media Literacy Case Study

Media Literacy Case Study

Dr. Barbara Walkosz from Klein Buendel, Ms. Tessa Jolls from the Center for Media Literacy, Dr. Marilyn Cohen from the University of Washington, and Mr. Michael Danielson from Action 4 Media Literacy presented timely media literacy research at the National Association of Media Literacy Education Conference (July 15-17, 2022). Their virtual presentation was entitled, “Media Literacy Policy Enactment and Implementation: A Case Study of Washington State.”

As the need for media literacy across societal sectors is well established, citizens, educators, and policymakers increasingly recognize the necessity for a citizenry to have the skills to be able critically analyze and create media content. Primarily since the U.S. elections of 2016 and 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic, media literacy is taking its place center-stage as an essential element for sustaining a democratic and a healthy society. Although efforts for media literacy education policy adoption are encouraging at the national and state levels, once adopted, policies and programs are sparsely funded and often not institutionally supported for a sustained period.

The case study of the adoption and implementation of media literacy in the state of Washington offers insights into successful strategies for long-term enactment of media literacy education. Diffusion of Innovations Theory provides a theoretical framework to explain and understand the adoption and implementation processes and offers a promising framework for media literacy policy implementation in other contexts.

Training Cannabis Store Personnel in Responsible Vendor Practices

Training Cannabis Store Personnel in Responsible Vendor Practices

Dr. W. Gill Woodall, Klein Buendel Senior Scientist, participated in a panel discussion at the 45th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism, June 25-29, in Orlando, Florida. He presented data and results from a recent study assessing and training cannabis store personnel in responsible vendor practices. In the wake of a great expansion of recreational cannabis, the prevention of harms related to polysubstance use has gathered attention as well. Specific and effective prevention strategies are needed. One potential approach borrows from alcohol prevention – responsible sales and service.

Regulations in all state recreational cannabis markets prohibit sales of marijuana products to customers under age 21 and in a few markets, sales to intoxicated customers. Using pseudo-patron methods, our team assessed sales to underage-appearing customers in recreational cannabis stores in Colorado and Washington State (175 stores) in 2016-17 and sales to apparently alcohol-intoxicated customers in stores in Colorado, Oregon, and Washington State (150 stores) in 2018.

Refusal of underage-appearing pseudo-patrons were very frequent (92.6%). By comparison, refusal of apparently alcohol-intoxicated pseudo-patrons was infrequent in all three states (11.0%), even though Oregon state law explicitly prohibited it. An online survey of personnel from 59 stores in 2020 explored frequency of sales to these customers. Respondents indicated that underage customers attempted to enter stores frequently (66.1% several/many times) and customers entered stores who were intoxicated by alcohol (40.7%) or marijuana (44.1%). They often refused sales to customers (57.6% several/many times for any reason; 42.4% for being intoxicated). Management support was high for checking IDs (91.5% supported it a lot) but moderate for refusing to sell to customers appearing intoxicated (74.6%).

An online responsible marijuana vendor training created by Dr. Woodall and his collaborators from Klein Buendel and the Prevention Research Center at the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE) called “Train To Tend,” may have improved refusal to under-age customers at the entrances in stores that used it (trained stores: 65.9%, baseline, 82.5%, 3-month posttest, and 79.9%, 9-month posttest; untrained stores: 82.6%, 83.1%, 84.5% respectively), but did not seem to impact sales to intoxicated customers (intervention: 11.6%, control: 7.6%).

Deterrence due to state regulations or store policy for sales of cannabis products appears to be lower for sales to customers who appear intoxicated than underage customers in these cannabis markets. Training in responsible sales practices alone may not be successful when deterrence is low. Increasing deterrence may depend on regulators actively prioritizing the law to store licensees and monitoring compliance. Improve understanding of how regulatory policy and retail availability affect potential co-use of alcohol and cannabis in the legalized adult-use markets.

This research was funded by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National Institutes of Health (DA038933; Dr. David Buller, Principal Investigator). Dr. Woodall’s Co-Investigators include Dr. Robert Saltz from the Prevention Research Center at PIRE and Dr. David Buller from Klein Buendel.

Responsible Beverage Service Training for Spanish-Speaking Alcohol Servers

Responsible Beverage Service Training for Spanish-Speaking Alcohol Servers

Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) training has shown promise to reduce alcohol-related injury and mortality. The diffusion of RBS training is limited. Only 25 U.S. states require RBS training, while other states incentivize or have no RBS regulations. One diffusion limitation is that RBS training in the United Stated is typically offered in English from a mainstream culture point of view. 

Klein Buendel Senior Scientist, Dr. W. Gill Woodall, presented data on the systematic testing of a new Spanish language version of an evidence-based online RBS training program at the 47th Annual Meeting of the Kettil Bruun Society for Social and Epidemiological Research on Alcohol, May 30 to June 3, 2022 in Warsaw, Poland. WayToServe Español (WTS-E) is specifically tailored to Hispanic cultural beliefs, tastes, and experiences.

Spanish-speaking alcohol servers in Texas and New Mexico were involved in WTS-E development and evaluation. Focus groups and usability interviews were employed in systematic development. A randomized efficacy trial employed Spanish-speaking intoxicated pseudo-patron assessments of premises at baseline, 3 months, and 1 year post-training, with premises randomized to WTS-E or the usual RBS training. 

A randomized trial was conducted with 80 alcohol premises (40 onsite liquor by the drink premises, and 40 offsite package sales premises), with pseudo-intoxicated patron assessments at baseline, immediate post-intervention, and one-year follow-up. At baseline, the alcohol sales refusal was 21.6%, with a significant difference between states. The presentation examined the impact of a linguistically- and culturally-tailored online RBS training in Spanish-trading alcohol premises in two states with different alcohol RBS regulations. Implications for alcohol policy research were discussed.

The WTS-E research was funded by a grant from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities at the National Institutes of Health (MD010405; Dr. W. Gill Woodall, Principal Investigator). Collaborating co-authors on the presentation included Dr. Robert Saltz from the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation; Dr. Frank Perez and Dr. Areli Chacon Silva from the University of Texas at El Paso; Dr. Victoria Sanchez and Dr. Randall Starling from the University of New Mexico; and Dr. David Buller, Jeannyfer Camacho Reither, Lila Martinez, and Marita Brooks from Klein Buendel.