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Klein Buendel’s 2019 Research Highlights

Klein Buendel’s 2019 Research Highlights

In our 17th year, Klein Buendel scientists and staff continue to conduct rigorous behavioral science research with numerous collaborators from across the country. In 2019, our investigators published 15 new research manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals and presented their research findings via 18 posters and presentations at 10 local, national, and international conferences and expert meetings. One of our posters was nominated for Best Poster in the Prevention and Public Health division at the Science of Dissemination and Implementation in Health annual conference, and one of our papers was selected by its journal to be included in their December 2019 Continuing Medical Education (CME) exam.

In April 2019, KB opened a new satellite research office in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The office is led by Dr. Gill Woodall, KB Senior Scientist, and conducts research projects with southwestern populations. 

Dr. Valerie Myers, KB Senior Scientist, was appointed this year by the Board of Directors of the Society of Behavioral Medicine to serve as the Education, Training, and Career Development Committee Chair. Her three-year term will begin in April of 2020.

In March of 2019, Dr. Barbara Walkosz, KB Senior Scientist, lectured on Media Literacy and Health Communication at Beijing Normal University in China. Dr. Walkosz also serves as an appointed Commissioner for Denver Mayor Michael Hancock’s Commission on Aging, part of the Agency for Human Rights and Community Partnerships.

In April of 2019, Dr. David Buller, KB Director of Research, lectured on KB’s occupational sun protection research (Sun Safe Workplaces) in a class at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. And in December, he presented initial findings from an ongoing social media campaign for mothers to improve adolescent health and reduce indoor tanning (Health Chat) via webinar to the Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch of the National Cancer Institute.

In product news, we licensed our Train to Tend® responsible marijuana vendor training program to Avid Will LLC for marketing and sales have started to take off. Also, sales of the very successful Way To Serve® responsible alcoholic beverage server training program continue to accelerate. And in September, we made one of our long-time products – the Grow, Eat Thrive elementary school nutrition and gardening curriculum – available for free online.

Lastly, KB was recognized in 2019 as #47 on Colorado Biz Magazine’s Top 100 Woman-Owned Companies list, and was #130 on their Top 200 Private Companies list.

Here’s to a Very Healthy and Happy New Year!

Publications

  • Byrnes HF, Miller BA, Grube JW, Bourdeau B, Buller DB, Wang-Schweig M, Woodall WG. Prevention of alcohol use in older teens: A randomized trial of an online family prevention program. Psychol Addict Behav. 2019 Feb;33(1):1-14. doi: 10.1037/adb0000442.
  • Buller MK, Bettinghaus EP, Fluharty L, Andersen PA, Slater MD, Henry KL, Liu X, Fullmer S, Buller DB. Improving health communication with photographic images that increase identification in three minority populations. Health Ed Res. 1 Apr 2019;34(2):145-158.
  • Kitt-Lewis E, Loeb SJ, Myers VH, Wion RK, Baney B, Strickfaden S. Developing educational modules to enhance care of aged and dying inmates: Set-up phase. Public Health Nurs. 2019;36(11): 401-410.
  • Buller DB, Walkosz BJ, Berteletti J, Pagoto SL, Bibeau J, Baker K, Hillhouse J, Henry KL. Insights on HPV vaccination in the United States from mothers’ comments on Facebook posts in a randomized trial. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2019;15(7-8):1479-1487.
  • Buller DB, Walkosz BJ, Woodall WG. Use of media and social media in the prevention of substance abuse. In: Sloboda Z, Petras H, Robertson E, Hingson R, eds. Prevention of Substance Use. Cham, Switzerland: Springer Nature Switzerland AG; 2019 pp 319-334.
  • Newton RL Jr, Carter L, St. Romain J, Jerrod T, Griffith D, Myers V. Development of a mobile phone app to maintain physical activity in African American men: MobileMen. mHealth. 2019 Jun 13;5:16. doi: 10.21037/mhealth.2019.05.03. eCollection 2019.
  • Kitt-Lewis E, Loeb SJ, Wion RK, Myers VH, Jerrod T, Strickfaden S. Developing Computer-Based Learning on Care of Aged and Dying Incarcerated People. J Forensic Nurs. 2019 Jul 9. doi: 10.1097/JFN.0000000000000248. [Epub ahead of print]
  • Byrnes HF, Miller BA, Bourdeau B, Johnson MB, Buller DB, Berteletti J, Rogers VA. Prevention of alcohol and other drug overuse among nightclub patrons: a randomized trial of a group-based mobile intervention at nightclubs. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2019 Jul;80(4):423-430.
  • Walkosz B, Buller D, Buller M, Wallis A, Liu X. Senior managers’ awareness of sun protection policy predicts implementation of worksite sun safety in a randomized trial. Am J Ind Med. 2019 Oct;62(10):893-900.
  • Meenan RT, Walkosz BJ, Buller DB, Eye R, Buller MK, Wallis AD, Olivas S. Economic evaluation of an intervention promoting adoption of occupational sun protection policies. J Occup Environ Med. 2019 Dec 6;61(12):978-983.*

*The above paper was selected by JOEM as an article to be included in their December 2019 CME exam.

  • Gonzalez CD, Rundle CW, Pona A, Walkosz BJ, Dellavalle RP. Ultraviolet radiation may cause premature fading of colored tattoos. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed. 2019 Aug 28. doi: 10.1111/phpp.12509. [Epub ahead of print]
  • Buller DB, Woodall WG, Saltz R, Buller MK. Compliance with ID regulations by recreational marijuana stores in two US states. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2019 Nov;80(6):679-686.
  • White KAM, Dailey YT, Guest DD, Zielaskowski K, Robers E, Sussman A, Hunley K, Hughes CR, Schwartz MR, Kaphingst KA, Buller DB, Hay JL, Berwick M. MC1R variation in a New Mexico opulation. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2019 Nov;28(11):1853-1856.
  • Gonzalez CD, Pona A, Walkosz BJ, Dellavalle RP. Hispanic Tattoo Artists Could Provide Skin Cancer Prevention via Aftercare and Social Media. J Drugs Dermatol. ; 2019 Dec 1;18(12):1237-1243.
  • Glynn NW, Gmelin T, Santanasto AJ, Lovato LC, Lange‐Maia BS, Nicklas BJ, Fielding RA, Manini TM, Myers VH, de Rekeneire N, Spring BJ, Pahor M, King AC, Rejeski WJ, Newman AB; for the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Study Group. Impact of baseline fatigue on a physical activity intervention to prevent mobility disability. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2019 Dec 22. doi:10.1111/jgs.16274. [Epub ahead of print]

Conference Presentations

Society of Behavioral Medicine Annual Meeting: March 6-9 in Washington, DC

  • Berteletti J, Buller DB, Pagoto S, Walkosz B, Bibeau J, Baker K, Hillhouse J, Henry K. Mothers’ beliefs about adolescent marijuana use: insights from a Facebook-delivered intervention and randomized trial. Oral presentation.
  • Reynolds KD, Buller DB, Buller MK, Massie K, Berteletti J, Ashley J, Meenan RT. Randomized trial evaluating an intervention supporting implementation of sun safety policies in public elementary schools. Oral presentation.
  • Myers VH, Loeb SJ, Kitt-Lewis E, Wion R, Murphy J, Jerrod T, Carter M. E-training of Inmate Peer Caregivers for Enhancing Geriatric and End-of-Life Care in Prisons. Oral presentation.
  • Bibeau JL, Berteletti J, Goetz JM, Massie K. Using project management skills in behavioral research. Pre-conference workshop presentation.

American Society of Preventive Oncology Annual Meeting: March 10-12 in Tampa, Florida

  • Myers V. Technology and Health Behavior: Crossing the Digital Divide. Oral presentation.

Eastern Nursing Research Society Annual Meeting: April 3-5 in Providence, Rhode Island

  • Loeb SJ, Kitt-Lewis E, Myers VH, Wion R, and Murphy J, Jerrod T, Carter M. Inmate Caregiver Training in Geriatrics and End-Of-Life. Oral presentation.

DC Health Communication Conference: April 25-27 in Fairfax, Virginia

  • Buller D. Grant Writing 101: Boot Camp with NIH. Pre-conference workshop presentation.

Society for Prevention Research Annual Meeting: May 28-31 in San Francisco, California

  • Byrnes H, Miller B, Bourdeau B, Johnson MB, Buller DB, Berteletti J, and Rogers V. Group cohesion among social drinking groups at nightclubs and risk from alcohol and other drug use. Poster presentation.
  • Miller B, Byrnes H, Rogers V, Bourdeau B, Grube J, Johnson MB, Buller DB, Berteletti J. Group-based intervention for overuse of alcohol in a high-risk context: Examining the influence of group gender composition on outcomes. Poster presentation.
  • Saltz R, Buller D, Woodall WG, Grayson A. Refusal of pseudo-intoxicated customers by retail marijuana outlets in three U.S. states. Poster presentation.

Kettil Bruun Society Annual Meeting: June 3-7 in Utrecht, Netherlands

  • Woodall WG, Buller DB, Saltz R, Perez F, Chacon-Silva A, Sanchez V, Reither J, Starling R, Diaz L. WayToServe Español: A web-based responsible beverage service training for Spanish-speaking alcohol servers. Oral presentation.

National Research Society on Alcoholism Annual Scientific Meeting: June 22-26 in Minneapolis, Minnesota

  • Woodall WG, Saltz R, Buller D, Perez F, Chacon Silva A, Sanchez V, Starling R. Refusal of alcohol sales to pseudo-intoxicated patrons in primarily Spanish-speaking premises: A tale of two states. Oral presentation.

North American Association of Transportation Safety and Health Officials Annual Conference: September 8-12 in New Orleans, Louisiana

  • Grayson A. Go sun smart at work. Oral presentation.

European Society for Prevention Research Conference: September 16-18 in Ghent, Belgium

  • Buller D, Woodall WG, Saltz R, Grayson A, Svendsen S, Buller M. Effects of an online responsible vendor training for recreational cannabis stores on sales to pseudo-intoxicated customers: need for increased deterrence. Oral presentation. 
  • Miller B, Byrnes H, Rogers V, Bourdeau B, Grube J, Buller D, Woodall WG, Berteletti J. A family-based program to reduce teen alcohol use and risky sexual behavior. Oral presentation. 
  • Woodall WG, Miller B, Buller D, Byrnes H, Bourdeau B, Grube J, Rogers V, Berteletti J. Effect of teen engagement with a family-based online intervention on reduction in alcohol use by teens. Poster presentation.

The Science of Dissemination & Implementation in Health Conference: December 4-6 in Washington, DC

  • Buller DB, Reynolds KD, Buller MK, Meenan R, Ashley J, Berteletti J, Massie K. An implementation intervention for school sun safety policies increased parents’ reports of sun safety communication from schools and children’s sun protection. Oral presentation.
  • Buller DB, Walkosz B, Buller M, Meenan R, Eye R, Grayson A, Olivas S. An Implementation Model for the Cost-effective Scale-up of the Sun Safe Workplaces Program. Poster presentation.*

*The above poster was nominated for Best Poster in the division of Prevention and Public Health at the Science of Dissemination & Implementation in Health Conference.

Parents’ Reports of School Communication on Sun Safety

Parents’ Reports of School Communication on Sun Safety

The U.S. Surgeon General and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have called on the nation’s schools to help prevent skin cancer by implementing sun safety practices and policies. The Sun Safe Schools program was designed by Klein Buendel researchers and collaborators in response to those calls to action. The program was implemented and evaluated with 118 public elementary schools in California.

Dr. David Buller, Klein Buendel Director of Research, presented data on the impact of the Sun Safe Schools intervention on parents’ reports of sun safety communication from schools and children’s sun protection behavior at the 12th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation in Health in Washington, DC, December 4-6, 2019.

Schools randomized to the Sun Safe Schools intervention group (N=58) received support for implementing school sun safety practices by trained coaches over 20 months. Based on Diffusion of Innovations Theory, support and resources for implementation were tailored to school principals’ readiness to implement. Parents completed an online posttest survey through invitations sent by principals or while attending parent-oriented school events. Parents were surveyed to test the hypothesis that parents would report more communication about sun safety at schools receiving the intervention than at control schools.

The Sun Safe Schools program appeared to increase communication on sun safety and the use of student sun protection. Parents in intervention schools were more likely to report receiving information about sun safety from the school and that their children wore sun-protective clothing than in control schools. The improvement in sun safety appeared to result from policy implementation. In schools where principals reported implementing sun safety practices at posttest, parents reported that children spent less time outdoors and had fewer sunburns than at non-implementing schools. Further, parents who received information about sun safety from the school reported more sun protection for their child than parents not receiving the information.

In summary, a school district-level policy, combined with active technical support for schools within the district, appears to be effective at increasing implementation of school sun safety practices to help protect children from solar ultraviolet radiation, the primary risk factor for the development of skin cancer.

The Sun Safe Schools program is a joint research effort of Claremont Graduate University (CGU), the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, and Klein Buendel. The research was funded by a grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health (HD074416; Dr. Kim Reynolds, CGU, and Dr. David Buller, Multiple Principal Investigators). Other collaborators included Dr. Richard Meenan from the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Oregon; Dr. Jeff Ashley from Sun Safety for Kids in Los Angeles, California; Kim Massie previously from Chapman University; and Julia Berteletti and Mary Buller from Klein Buendel.

Responsible Marijuana Vendor Training

Responsible Marijuana Vendor Training

Dr. David Buller, Klein Buendel Senior Scientist and Director of Research, presented recent work by his research team at the Tenth European Society for Prevention Research (EUSPR) Conference and Members’ Meeting in Ghent, Belgium in September. His presentation, “Effects of an Online Responsible Vendor Training for Recreational Cannabis Stores on Sales to Pseudo-intoxicated Customers: Need for Increased Deterrence,” was coauthored by Dr. Gill Woodall, Mr. Andrew Grayson, Ms. Sierra Svendsen, and Ms. Mary Buller from Klein Buendel; and Dr. Robert Saltz from the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation.

The advent of recreational cannabis in Canada, Uruguay, and several U.S. states raises the risk of polysubstance-impaired driving. In alcohol markets, training in responsible sales practices is an intervention to reduce sales to intoxicated patrons and thus prevent impaired driving and other harms. Similar training may benefit communities with recreational cannabis sales.

An online responsible marijuana vendor (RMV) training, Train To Tend, was developed with input from state regulators and store personnel. Among its five modules, learning elements taught store personnel to recognize signs of alcohol impairment and intoxication, refuse sales, and understand the risks of driving under the influence of cannabis. A sample of 150 recreational cannabis stores in Colorado, Oregon, and Washington State, USA were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial, half of which were randomly assigned to use the RMV training. Stores were posttested using a pseudo-intoxicated patron (PiP) protocol in which confederate buyers feigned obvious signs of intoxication.

Sales of cannabis to PiPs were refused at only 16 of 144 stores across the three states. There was no difference in refusal rates between intervention and control stores or between stores that used the RMV training or not. In 11 visits, store personnel commented on the buyers’ behavior or expressed concern/suspicion about buyers but sold to them anyway.

Training in responsible sales practices alone did not appear to reduce sales to intoxicated customers. Legal deterrence from making these sales may be insufficient or nonexistent for store management to support adherence to this responsible sales practice. Regulatory actions (such as swift, severe, and certain penalties) may be needed to increase perceived risk with such sales  to achieve training’s benefits.

This research was sponsored by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National Institutes of Health (DA038933; Dr. David Buller, Principal Investigator). Train To Tend was programmed by the Creative Team at Klein Buendel.

Dr. David Buller presenting the RMV training program
Smart Choices 4 Teens

Smart Choices 4 Teens

Three Klein Buendel researchers were part of a team that gave two presentations at the Tenth European Society for Prevention Research (EUSPR) Conference and Members’ Meeting in Ghent, Belgium in September. Dr. David Buller, Dr. W. Gill Woodall, and Ms. Julia Berteletti were part of the Smart Choices 4 Teens research team led by Dr. Brenda Miller from the Prevention Research Center at the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE).

Smart Choices 4 Teens is an online, interactive, family-based program for parents and older teens designed to reduce teen alcohol use and risky sexual behaviors. The program features three sequential components (parent-teen communication, teen alcohol prevention, and teen romantic relationships) that parents and teens complete separately before working together through a discussion activity at the end of each component. A randomized controlled trial with 411 families found significantly better outcomes for teens in the experimental condition as compared to controls in terms of decreased alcohol use and decreased sexual risk behaviors.

Oral Presentation

Dr. Brenda Miller’s presentation focused on the design of the Smart Choices 4 Teens alcohol prevention component. This module targeted eleven topics: (1) the decision to drink or not drink, (2) social host laws, (3) physical effects of alcohol, (4) signs of alcohol poisoning, (5) social consequences of alcohol, (6) an interactive Blood Alcohol Calculator, (7) myths about alcohol, (8) creating a safety plan for parties, (9) parental influences, (10) refusal skills, and (11) defining a drinking problem. The module incorporated four different activity formats — video narratives, info-gadgets, interactive activities, and structured discussions. Parents and teens engaged in the same materials but did so separately, coming together to choose and discuss hypothetical scenarios that guided the discussion offline. A “nudge” feature was embedded to allow teens to prompt their parent to finish a module and move to the end-of-module offline discussion or vice versa. The nudge feature was used 561 times by 218 users.

Dr. Miller reported that 86% of experimental families began the intervention and 50% of families completed the teen alcohol prevention component. The average time needed to complete the alcohol component was 16 minutes. Parents and teens reported learning new lessons and becoming more comfortable discussing alcohol use together. Barriers to completion included limited understanding of some content and needing additional instructions.

Poster Presentation

Dr. David Buller presented a poster, with analysis led by Dr. W. Gill Woodall, on the effect of teen engagement with Smart Choices 4 Teens. Teens and parents (411 dyads) completed an online baseline survey prior to being assigned to either the intervention or control conditions. Follow-up online surveys were completed 6, 12, and 18 months later. The teen sample was 55% female and 72% non-Hispanic White. The parent sample was comprised predominately of mothers (84.7%).

The Smart Choices 4 Teens website tracked duration of time spent using each of the web-based components. In an analysis of teens who completed the program in the intervention group (n=142), linear regressions tested duration of teens’ time in each online component in the entire program as predictors of teens’ past 30-day alcohol use at the 6-month follow-up. More time spent by teens using interactive activities negatively predicted later alcohol use, as did teens’ time spent viewing videos. Also, teens’ time spent using info-gadget activities had a negative relationship with alcohol use.

The researchers report that activities with interactivity, animations, and video content may produce stronger preventive effects on alcohol use because teens prefer this format over written text in the info-gadgets, have more involvement with them, and/or find characters relatable. These reactions may stimulate deep processing of prevention content.

The Smart Choices 4 Teens research was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (AA020977; Dr. Brenda Miller, PIRE, Principal Investigator). Other authors on Dr. Miller’s research team included Dr. Hilary Byrnes, Ms. Veronica Rogers, and Dr. Joel Grube from PIRE; Dr. Beth Bourdeau from the University of California San Francisco; and Dr. David Buller, Dr. W. Gill Woodall, and Ms. Julia Berteletti from Klein Buendel. Smart Choices 4 Teens was programmed by the Creative Team at Klein Buendel.

Dr. Brenda Miller viewing Smart Choices 4 Teens
Alcohol Sale Refusals to Pseudo-Intoxicated Patrons In Primarily Spanish-Speaking Premises

Alcohol Sale Refusals to Pseudo-Intoxicated Patrons In Primarily Spanish-Speaking Premises

Klein Buendel Senior Scientist Dr. W. Gill Woodall presented data on alcohol over-service from the WayToServe-Español project on a panel discussion at the 42nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism held in Minneapolis, Minnesota on June 22-26, 2019.

The over-service of alcohol to individuals who show signs of intoxication is problematic for public health because it contributes to drunk driving and alcohol-related injury and death. In addition, little is known about alcohol over-service in premises where business is conducted primarily in Spanish because these alcohol service situations have been understudied.

Dr. Woodall presented data from a baseline assessment of a randomized trial that investigated Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) training in predominately Spanish-speaking premises in Texas and New Mexico. The research provides a unique opportunity to contrast two states and communities with similar populations, but different alcohol policies and practices.

Hispanic confederates were trained to enact evidence-based signs of intoxication while attempting to purchase an alcoholic beverage in Spanish. Over-service was measured using a pseudo-intoxicated patron protocol. Baseline refusal rates were 12% in Texas and 34% in New Mexico. On the panel, Dr. Woodall discussed the implications of these baseline data for RBS training in minority communities and alcohol policy.

This research is funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities at the National Institutes of Health (MD010405; Dr. W. Gill Woodall, Klein Buendel, Principal Investigator). Collaborating co-authors on the presentation included Dr. Robert Saltz from the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Dr. David Buller from Klein Buendel, Dr. Victoria Sanchez and Dr. Randall Starling from the University of New Mexico, and Dr. Areli Chacon Silva and Dr. Frank Perez from the University of Texas at El Paso.

Refusal of Pseudo-intoxicated Customers at Retail Marijuana Stores

Refusal of Pseudo-intoxicated Customers at Retail Marijuana Stores

Klein Buendel Senior Scientist, Dr. David Buller presented a poster at the Society for Prevention Research Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California in May. The poster presented insights on whether personnel in recreational marijuana stores refuse sales to buyers who appear to be intoxicated.

Recreational marijuana is sold by state-licensed stores in seven U.S. states. Like alcohol, sales are prohibited to persons younger than age 21 and sometimes to persons who are apparently intoxicated. A sample of 150 licensed retail stores in Colorado, Oregon, and Washington were selected from state regulatory agency lists. A majority of stores sold both recreational and medical marijuana. The sample was stratified between the largest metropolitan area in each state (Denver, Portland, and Seattle) and nearby regions with smaller cities.

Pseudo-patron assessment teams comprised of a ‘buyer’ and an ‘observer’, visited each store once from August to October 2018. Buyers attempted to enter the premises while feigning obvious signs of intoxication (for example: slurred speech, stumbling, dropped change or ID) and attempted to purchase a low-cost cannabis product. Observers recorded whether buyers gained entry and if the clerk offered to sell marijuana (no actual purchases were made).

Refusal rates were rare. Overall, refusal rates were slightly higher in the states of Colorado and Oregon than in Washington. A state law that explicitly prohibited sales in Oregon may have slightly decreased sales there, while refusals in Colorado may be attributed to the wide-scale use of security guards checking IDs at entrances. These high rates of sales to apparently intoxicated customers are a cause for concern, especially in light of research indicating that the combination of alcohol and marijuana intoxication appears to severely impair driver performance.

This research project is funded by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National Institutes of Health (DA038933; Dr. David Buller, Principal Investigator). Additional collaborators include Dr. Robert Saltz from the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation in Oakland, California; and Dr. Gill Woodall and Andrew Grayson from Klein Buendel.

Nightlife Risk from Alcohol and Drug Use

Nightlife Risk from Alcohol and Drug Use

Two Klein Buendel researchers are part of a team that presented two posters at the Society for Prevention Research Annual Meeting in San Francisco in May. Dr. David Buller and Julia Berteletti are part of the Nightlife Safety Plans research team led by Dr. Brenda Miller from the Prevention Research Center at the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE).

Nightclubs are high-risk settings for overuse of alcohol and other drugs and physical and sexual aggression among young adults. Nightlife Safety Plans (NSP) is a group-based, tablet app-delivered intervention designed for patrons arriving together. NSP addresses these unwanted outcomes and encourages social groups to recognize early indicators of risk. Actions steps are provided via tablet app to de-escalate the situation. 

Nightclub Group Gender Composition

The first poster examined the influence of social group gender composition on alcohol outcomes and on the effectiveness of the NSP intervention across different group compositions (all-female, all-male, mixed gender). The sample included 959 nightclub patrons who formed 359 groups recruited from seven clubs, across 41 different events. Less than half of the participants were female and the average age was 26. All data was collected anonymously.

Outcome variables included overall number of the group’s safety actions taken to keep group members safe, the highest number of safety actions by any single group member, and breath alcohol concentration (BAC) at exit.  Mixed model regressions examined the main effect of group composition and its interaction with the intervention as a predictor of outcomes after controlling for individual and group characteristics. Those in the intervention condition reported higher numbers of safety actions by any single member in all female groups and mixed gender groups, but not in all-male groups. There were no significant interactions for intervention status by group composition for either BAC at exit or the number of group actions taken as assessed by the overall group.  This poster was first-authored and presented by Dr. Brenda Miller from PIRE.

Drinking Group Cohesion

The second poster examined the hypothesis that club patrons who perceive greater cohesion in their group implement fewer protective strategies and use higher levels of alcohol and other drugs. Could being part of a more cohesive peer drinking group lead to a false sense of security and letting down one’s guard, which could lead to more risk taking? The sample included 815 nightclub patrons in the San Francisco area, arriving in 324 distinct groups, from seven clubs hosting electronic music dance events across 30 different evenings. Less than half of the participants were female and the average age was 27. Club patrons were surveyed anonymously and completed breath tests as they entered and exited clubs. Oral fluid samples at exit assessed drug use.

Patrons reported perceived cohesion with their group members (for example, people in the group are willing to help each other), as well as use of actions to keep oneself safe, actions to keep group members safe, and actions in response to group alcohol and other drug problems. Mixed model regressions examined group cohesion as a predictor after controlling for individual and group characteristics, and past 30-day drinking/drug use at clubs. Findings partially confirm the hypothesis. Patrons who perceived greater group cohesion engaged in fewer preventive strategies to keep themselves and their group safe during the night and those who perceived greater group cohesion implemented fewer actions in response to group AOD problems. This poster was first-authored and presented by Dr. Hilary Byrnes from PIRE.

The NSP research is funded by a grant to the Prevention Research Center at PIRE from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (AA022331; Dr. Brenda Miller, Principal Investigator). Research team collaborators/authors include Dr. Brenda Miller, Dr. Hilary Byrnes, Dr. Joel Grube, and Dr. Beth Bourdeau, Dr. Mark Johnson, and Veronica Rogers from PIRE; and Dr. David Buller and Julia Berteletti from Klein Buendel. The NSP tablet app was developed by Klein Buendel’s Creative Team.

Inmate Caregiver Training in Geriatrics and End-Of-Life

Inmate Caregiver Training in Geriatrics and End-Of-Life

Dr. Susan Loeb from Penn State University presented on the development of computer-based learning modules for caregivers of the aged and dying in prisons at the 31st Annual Scientific Sessions of the Eastern Nursing Research Society (ENRS) held in Providence, RI on April 3-5, 2019. This research is being conducted with Klein Buendel Senior Scientist, Dr. Valerie Myers, a co-author on the presentation.

More men and women are aging and facing end-of-life (EOL) while incarcerated. Early research by this research team found that computer-based training for inmates assisting staff in geriatric and EOL care was feasible. This collaborative team of nurse scientists, small business partners, and the correctional community are working to advance the quality of care provided for those aging and dying in our nations’ correctional institutions. Specifically, the purpose of the research presented at ENRS was to identify inmate peer caregiver training needs, and discover priority content areas and core values for inmate computer-based modules with the help of stakeholders and experts.

Six focus groups were conducted with stakeholders at one men’s and one women’s state correctional institution in a Mid-Atlantic state. Stakeholders included information technology and human resources staff, interdisciplinary front line staff who oversee inmate peer caregivers, and inmate peer caregivers. A content analysis identified content areas and core values. An Advisory Board of experts in EOL and geriatric care, corrections health, and corrections training, suggested combining some of the priority content areas. The resulting priority content areas for the initial Inmates Care modules were Universal Precautions, Role of the Inmate Caregiver in the Final Hours, and Loss and Grief. The core values identified for the inmates training were respect, dignity, and compassion. The next steps of the research project include completing three prototype modules, testing them for usability, and developing a specifications document for technology programming and production congruent with correctional facility security precautions.

This research was funded by a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant to Klein Buendel from the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health (AG057239; Dr. Susan Loeb, Principal Investigator) and Dr. Valerie Myers, Co-Investigator. Additional collaborators on the work presented at the conference include Dr. Erin Kitt-Lewis, Dr. Rachel Wion, and Julie Murphy from the Penn State University College of Nursing, and Tiffany Jerrod and Morgan Carter from Klein Buendel. The technology-based modules are being developed by the Creative Team at Klein Buendel.

Implementation of Sun Safety Policies in Public Elementary Schools

Implementation of Sun Safety Policies in Public Elementary Schools

Klein Buendel Research Program Manager, Julia Berteletti, presented insights from a randomized controlled trial that tested a technical assistance program designed to help principals implement district sun safety policies in elementary schools at the 40th Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, March 6-9, 2019 in Washington, DC.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Surgeon General have advised the nation’s schools to adopt and implement sun protection policy to reduce children’s exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation to prevent skin cancer. A total of 118 elementary schools from 40 California public school districts that had adopted a school board-approved policy for sun safety were recruited and the principal and a teacher at each school reported on school sun protection practices at baseline and posttest.

Half of the schools were randomly assigned to receive the 20-month Sun Safe Schools intervention, delivered by trained Sun Safety Coaches who met with principals, described the district policy, helped them select and plan implementation of sun safety practices, and provided support and resources matched to the principal’s readiness to implement practices based on Diffusion of Innovation Theory. Control schools received a minimal information treatment containing basic school sun safety information from the CDC, the National Association of State Boards of Education, and U.S. Surgeon General.

Compared to controls, principals at intervention schools reported implementing more sun safety practices in general, whether present in the district’s written policy or not. Similarly, teachers at intervention schools reported implementing a larger number of sun safety practices in general, including practices in their district’s written policy or not, compared with control schools. Overall, the intervention was effective at increasing sun safety practices in public elementary schools. However, convincing school districts to adopt policies may be only the first step in improving sun safety practices becasue districts need to actively disseminate the new policy to schools and provide assistance and materials to facilitate implementation.

This research was supported by a grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (HD074416; Dr. Kim Reynolds, Principal Investigator). Collaborators in addition to Julia Berteletti, include Dr. Kim Reynolds and Kim Massie from Claremont Graduate University in California; Dr. David Buller and Mary Buller from Klein Buendel; Dr. Jeff Ashley from Sun Safety for Kids in, California; and Dr. Richard Meenan from Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Oregon.

Mothers’ Beliefs about Adolescent Marijuana Use

Mothers’ Beliefs about Adolescent Marijuana Use

Marijuana laws are changing rapidly in the United States, which poses potential challenges for parent-child communication about avoiding marijuana use during adolescence. Klein Buendel Research Program Manager, Julia Berteletti, presented insights from a Facebook-delivered intervention and randomized trial with mothers and teen daughters at the 40th Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions of the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM), March 6-9, 2019 in Washington, DC.

Baseline survey responses, a sample of posts on preventing marijuana use, and comments were analyzed for understanding mothers’ and daughters’ marijuana use and beliefs about marijuana. The research was testing mothers’ engagement with a social media campaign on adolescent health delivered via private Facebook groups. The sample was comprised of over 800 mothers with adolescent daughters aged 14-17 from 34 U.S. states. As the primary trial purpose was to prevent indoor tanning, eligibility included residing in one of 34 states without a complete ban on indoor tanning for minors. Of these states, 15 have legalized medical marijuana sales, three have legalized medical and recreational sales, and 16 have not legalized sales of marijuana.

Both mothers and daughters completed a baseline survey. Overall, mothers believed that marijuana is harmful for adolescents. Fewer daughters used marijuana than mothers, and daughters felt marijuana use was less harmful than mothers. Both mothers and daughters who used marijuana found it less harmful than non-users. Compared to non-recreational states, mothers in states with recreational marijuana sales felt it was more harmful, but state laws did not significantly affect use by mothers or daughters.  

Facebook comments supporting marijuana use from mothers pertained to benefits of cannabinoids over opioids and providing daughters with information to make their own choices, for example. Negative comments included adverse effects on developing brains, lack of research, and dangers of it being “laced” with other drugs. Mothers also shared reasons to say “no” and how to discuss long-term effects with their daughters.

This research project is funded by a grant from the National Cancer Institute (CA192652; Dr. David Buller, Klein Buendel, Principal Investigator). Collaborators include Dr. Barbara Walkosz and Julia Berteletti from Klein Buendel, Dr. Sherry Pagoto and Jessica Bibeau from the University of Connecticut, Dr. Katie Baker and Dr. Joel Hillhouse from East Tennessee State University, and Dr. Kim Henry from Colorado State University.