Community Connections Through Native Hawaiian Cultural Values to Strengthen Youth Resilience, Health, and Well-Being

Summary

The goal of this pilot clinical trial is to learn if a community referral program can improve services for youth with mental health and chronic health conditions in a predominantly Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community. The main questions the trial aims to address are:

* What is the best way for a community health center to connect youth with community programs rooted in cultural practices and traditions?
* Does participation in community programs engage youth and mental health and chronic health outcomes?

Participants will:

* Participate in a community program for youth that will strengthen connection to 'āina (land) and culture. Programs in the summer are 5 hours per day, 4 days a week, for 4 weeks. Programs in the school-year are 2.5 hours per day, 2 days a week, for 16 weeks.
* Take surveys on their demographics, general well-being, mental health, and chronic health conditions they may have at 4 different times: Before the program begins, immediately after the program finishes, 3-4 months after finishing, and 6-8 months after finishing.
* Have an adult family member complete surveys on their youth's demographics and general well-being at the same 4 times

Conditions

• Chronic Disease
• Adolescent Asthma
• Obesity & Overweight
• Youth Mental Health
• Youth Obesity
• Prediabetes
• Asthma

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Community Referral to Kaiona Programs

Youth will be recruited to participate in 'āina-based (natural environment-based) Kaiona programming at one of 5 well known community-based organizations. 1) Hoa 'Āina o Mākaha; 2) Ka'ala Farm; 3) E Ala Voyaging Academy; 4) PALS; and 5) MA'O Organic Farm. The program will consist of approximately 80 hours of Kaiona programming through an assigned CBO, delivered either as a summer intensive (four weeks, four days per week, five hours per day) or semester-long format (16 weeks, two days per week, 2.5 hours per day). This dosage provides meaningful cultural engagement while accommodating family and academic obligations. While Kaiona programming will not be strictly scripted, all programs will feature activities that promote cultural values identified by community leaders as foundational to the local perception of health and well being.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Hawaii

  collaborator OTHER

• Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• May M Okihrio, MD, MS · Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

12 Years

Max Age

25 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-04-10

Primary Completion

2028-08-31

Completion

2028-08-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations