Understanding measures of racial discrimination and microaggressions among American Indian and Alaska Native college students in the Southwest United States

Abstract Background Racial discrimination, including microaggressions, contributes to health inequities, yet research on discrimination and microaggressions has focused on single measures without adequate psychometric evaluation. To address this gap, we examined the psychometric performance of three discrimination/microaggression measures among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) college students in a large Southwestern city. Methods Students (N = 347; 65% female; ages 18–65) completed the revised-Everyday Discrimination Scale, Microaggressions Distress Scale, and Experiences of Discrimination measure. The psychometric performance of these measures was evaluated using item response theory and confirmatory factor analyses. Associations of these measures with age, gender, household income, substance use, and self-rated physical health were examined. Results Discrimination and microaggression items varied from infrequently to almost universally endorsed and each measure was unidimensional and moderately correlated with the other two measures. Most items contributed information about the overall severity of discrimination and collectively provided information across a continuum from everyday microaggressions to physical assault. Greater exposure to discrimination on each measure had small but significant associations with more substance use, lower income, and poorer self-rated physical health. The Experiences of Discrimination measure included more severe forms of discrimination, while the revised-Everyday Discrimination Scale and the Microaggressions Distress Scale represented a wider range of severity. Conclusions In clinical practice, these measures can index varying levels of discrimination for AI/ANs, particularly for those in higher educational settings. This study also informs the measurement of racial discrimination and microaggressions more broadly.

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Belief in the myth of an American Indian/Alaska Native biological vulnerability to alcohol problems among reservation‐dwelling participants with a substance use problem

Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research ◽

10.1111/acer.14703 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Vivian M. Gonzalez ◽

Monica C. Skewes

Keyword(s):

Substance Use ◽

American Indian ◽

Alaska Native ◽

Alcohol Problems

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Correlates of Substance Use Among American Indian/Alaska Native Adolescents

International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction ◽

10.1007/s11469-018-9971-z ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 18 (3) ◽

pp. 674-692

Author(s):

Holly E. R. Morrell ◽

Blake T. Hilton ◽

Kelli L. Rugless

Keyword(s):

Substance Use ◽

American Indian ◽

Alaska Native

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Recruitment and retention in randomized controlled trials with urban American Indian/Alaska Native adolescents: Challenges and lessons learned

Clinical Trials ◽

10.1177/1740774520971774 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 174077452097177

Author(s):

Daniel L Dickerson ◽

Jennifer Parker ◽

Carrie L Johnson ◽

Ryan A Brown ◽

Elizabeth J D’Amico

Keyword(s):

Substance Use ◽

American Indian ◽

Randomized Controlled Trials ◽

Alaska Native ◽

Controlled Trials ◽

Substance Use Prevention ◽

Recruitment And Retention ◽

Native Communities ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Urban American Indian

Background: Although the majority of American Indians/Alaska Natives reside in urban areas, there are very few randomized controlled trials analyzing culturally centered substance use prevention interventions for this population. Methods: We describe methods employed to recruit and retain urban American Indian/Alaska Native adolescents into a randomized controlled trial, which was focused on testing the potential benefits of a substance use prevention intervention for this population. We also report challenges encountered in recruitment and retention of participants and strategies employed addressing these challenges. Data collection occurred from August 2014 to October 2017. Results: We partnered with two community-based organizations in different cities in California. We utilized American Indian/Alaska Native recruiters from communities, placed flyers in community-based organizations, and asked organizations to post flyers on their web and social media sites. We also offered gift cards for participants. Our initial recruitment and retention model was moderately successful; however, we encountered five main challenges: (1) transportation, (2) increasing trust and interest, (3) adding research sites, (4) getting the word out about the project, and (5) getting youth to complete follow-up surveys. Strategies employed to overcome transportation challenges included shortening the number of sessions, offering sessions on both weekends and weekdays, and increasing bus tokens and transportation options. We hired more staff from American Indian/Alaska Native communities, added more research sites from our previously established relationships, and were more proactive in getting the word out on the project in American Indian/Alaska Native communities. We also utilized more field tracking and emailed and mailed survey invitations to reach more participants for their follow-up surveys. Because of our efforts, we were nearly able to reach our initial recruitment and retention goals. Conclusion: Although our research team had previously established relationships with various urban American Indian/Alaska Native communities, we encountered various recruitment and retention challenges in our study. However, by identifying challenges and employing culturally appropriate strategies, we were able to collect valuable data on the potential effectiveness of a substance use prevention intervention for urban American Indian/Alaska Native adolescents. Findings from this study assist toward the development of potentially successful strategies to successfully recruit and retain urban American Indian/Alaska Native adolescents in randomized controlled trials.

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