Background:
Despite rapid growth of the Asian Indian population in the U.S., this community lacks participation in studies related to aging and Alzheimer’s disease. The CARE Registry seeks to expand participation in health research among individuals from Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) backgrounds. We present focus group findings with Asian Indian CARE participants to identify effective retention strategies which facilitate engagement with the Registry.

Methods:
Two focus groups, Group I (n=5) and Group II (n=6) were conducted in English (Zoom), facilitated by linguistically concordant staff. Participants shared experiences with CARE, perceived value of research participation, and engagement improvement suggestions.

Results:
Thematic analysis showed that Group I participants emphasized a desire for deeper community involvement, e.g., supporting traditional events - Diwali, Holi and importance of wellness-related incentives. Group II similarly emphasized giving back over generations (“It may not be in my lifetime... [but my children and their grandchildren will benefit”), but also expressed skepticism about research participation benefits, citing unclear expectations and insufficient study updates. Concerns about digital communication (e.g., emails flagged as spam, reluctance to click links) were raised. Both groups highlighted need for tangible engagement, like in-person educational sessions and participant recognition (e.g., certificates). The perceived value of CARE’s importance varied, with some unaware of its broader purpose.

Conclusions:
Retention strategies for Asian Indian participants should incorporate tailored acknowledgements, clear communication on research outcomes, and incentives for continued participation. Findings inform implementation of targeted retention activities to improve long-term engagement for subgroups in the CARE Registry.

Background/Significance: Evidence-based practices (EBPs) are essential in mental health services, yet they often fail to address the cultural, linguistic, and contextual needs of Asian American and Asian Immigrant (AAAI) populations. CBOs and service providers help bridge these gaps by culturally adapting EBPs to better serve AAAI communities.

Objective/Purpose: The main objective of this project is to explore how CBOs and individual service providers culturally adapt EBPs for their AAAI communities and clients.

Methods: Thirty-five semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with CBO executives (n=13), staff (n=13), and individual mental health providers (n=9) across California. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Transcripts were coded to identify EBPs used, cultural adaptations, and challenges in the adaptation process.

Results: Findings indicate that CBOs and individual providers frequently employ clinical and activity-based EBPS, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and motivational interviewing. Common cultural adaptations include integrating cultural values, addressing mental health stigma, and tailoring assessment tools to be culturally relevant. For instance, some interviewees emphasized incorporating collectivism and family dynamics to adapt EBP frameworks for cultural acceptability. Providers also emphasized relationship-building and individualized adaptations to meet client needs.

Discussion/Conclusions: This project underscores the importance of culturally adapting EBPs to improve their relevance and effectiveness for AAAI communities. CBOs and service providers discussed existing cultural adaptation practices that have improved engagement and built trust with AAAI populations. However, challenges and barriers such as limited resources and language access highlight the need for continued efforts in developing, implementing, and evaluating culturally adapted EBPs for AAAI populations.

Introduction

Metabolic abnormalities are increasingly recognized as key risk factors for liver cancer globally amid rising obesity and Type 2 diabetes rates. Studies from Asian countries show varying prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS) among chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.

Methods

This study examines the prevalence of obesity and MetS and their risk factors in Asian Americans (AAs) with CHB. We used data from the All of US Research Program Controlled Tier Dataset v8. We created a cohort containing 467 AAs with CHB. We conducted descriptive analysis and logistic regression.

Results

Of the 467 AAs with CHB, 94 (20.1%) had obesity, 87 (18.6%) had type-2 diabetes, 124 (26.6%) had high cholesterol, 193 (41.3%) had hypertension, and 40 (15.2%) had other liver conditions (such as steatosis). In the cohort, 99 (21.2%) were defined to have MetS. Multivariate analyses show that US-born AA patients were more like (odds ratio = 1.856, p < .05) than their foreign-born counterparts to have obesity. In addition, older age was linked with an increased risk (odds ratio = 1.057, p < .05) of having MetS.

Conclusion

The high prevalence of obesity, MetS, and metabolic components in AAs with CHB highlights the need for targeted research, clinical interventions, and community education. Specific attention should be directed toward US-born and elderly AA subpopulations who demonstrate elevated risks. These findings underscore the importance of integrating metabolic health monitoring into CHB management protocols to improve prevention and treatment outcomes in this population.