Hawaiʻi

Health authorities pursue reinstating adult Medicaid coverage for basic dental care (Cocke, 2017) State health officials are pushing this year to restore adult Medicaid coverage for basic dental care nearly eight years after it was cut amid the 2008 financial crisis…

Fluoridation measures fail to advance in Legislature (Cocke, 2017) Bills that would require the counties to add fluoride to their public water systems appear dead for the year, despite a state Department of Health survey released in October that found Hawaii’s children have the most pervasive tooth decay in the nation…

Hawaii Smiles 2015: The Oral Health of Hawaii’s Children (Hawaii Department of Health, 2016) - Hawaii has the highest prevalence of tooth decay among third graders in the United States. More than 7 out of 10 third graders (71%) are affected by tooth decay; substantially higher than the national average of 52%...

A Pilot Dental Survey on Maui (Jenkins et al., 2016) - Routine dental screening surveys of third graders have proven to be a useful tool to monitor the dental health of a community, especially those of highest risk…

Returning Power to Micronesians in Hawaii: The Problems with Political Intervention in the Pacific (Mellen, 2016) – Federal treaties let Micronesians live in the US, often at great costs to state tax-payers. High rates of Micronesian homelessness are a tragic example…

Say ahhh … Time to fluoridate isle water? (O’Connell, 2016) Hawaii’s children have the most pervasive tooth decay in the nation…

Exploring the Relationship between Health Insurance, Social Connectedness, and Subjective Social Status among Residents of Oahu (Thompson et al., 2016) - Relative position in a social hierarchy, or subjective social status, has been associated with indicators of socioeconomic status and may be influenced by social connectedness…

Hawaii Oral Health: Key Findings (Hawaii Department of Health, 2015) - This report presents key findings and recommendations from the most recent data about oral health and access to dental care…

Health Literacy, Health Communication Challenges, and Cancer Screening Among Rural Native Hawaiian and Filipino Women (Sentel et al., 2013) - Native Hawaiians and Filipinos are disproportionately impacted by cancer and are less likely to participate in cancer screening than whites…

Betel Nut Chewing in Hawai‘i: Is it Becoming a Public Health Problem? Historical and Socio-Cultural Considerations (Pobutsky & Neri, 2012) - This article examines the socio-cultural significance of betel nut use among Micronesians, in light of the recent migration of Micronesians to Hawai‘i…

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Health Disparities (Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, 2010) - Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AA and NHPI) historically have been aggregated in most demographic and health surveys, obscuring significant disparities in health risks and outcomes and health care access affecting NHPIs (Bitton et al., 2010)…

Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander Population (2010 Census Briefs) - According to the 2010 Census, 1.2 million people in the United States identified as Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, either alone or in combination with one or more other races…

More Than Half of Older Americans Skip Dental Checkups (Rapaport, 2009) (Reuters Health) - Only about one in nine U.S. adults with Medicare coverage have dental insurance, and many of them may be putting off oral healthcare as a result, a recent study suggests. Researchers examined nationally…

Quantitative Evaluation of Variance in Secondary Dentition Eruption among Ethnic Groups in Hawaii (Greer & Loo, 2003) - Though little scientific evidence existed to support the belief among dentists who treat Pacific Islander populations that many children of the region erupt secondary teeth earlier and at an eruption rate which exceeds Caucasian children…

Comparative analysis of oral health indicators among young children in Hawai'i, the Republic of Palau and Territory of Guam, 1999-2000 (Greer et al., 2003) - Dental caries prevalence data were collected in Hawai'i, Palau and Guam and analyzed for dft, DMFT, unmet treatment needs, sealant utilization and various caries patterns…

Early Childhood Caries among Hawaii Public School Children, 1989 vs. 1999 (Greer et al., 2003) - Utilizing a standardized oral health assessment tool, public school children ages 5 through 9 were evaluated Statewide in 1989 and 1999…

Healthy Smiles Hawaii (2003) - Welcome to the Healthy Smiles Hawaii Web site, Hawaii’s online resource for important dental and oral health information…

Dental Caries among Disadvantaged 3- to 4-Year-Old Children in Northern Manhattan (Albert et al., 2002) - The study was conducted to determine the prevalence of early childhood caries (ECC), untreated caries, and the ratio of posterior to anterior caries in a disadvantaged predominantly Hispanic or African-American urban population…

Dental Caries Levels and Treatment Levels in Arizona Preschool Children (Tang et al., 1996) - To assess the prevalence of dental caries in a large group of preschool children, to determine the extent to which the children received dental treatment...

Pacific/COFA

Symptoms with Betel Nut and Betel Nut with Tobacco among Micronesian Youth (Milgrom et al., 2016) - Betel nut has been stated to be addictive, but evidence is lacking. This study describes dependence symptoms among adolescents using betel alone or with tobacco…

Inpatient Hospitalization Costs: A Comparative Study of Micronesians, Native Hawaiians, Japanese, and Whites in Hawai'i (Hagiwara et al., 2016)- Considerable interest exists in health care costs for the growing Micronesian population in the United States (US) due to their significant health care needs, poor average socioeconomic status, and unique immigration status, which impacts…

Interpretive policy analysis- Marshallese COFA migrants and the Affordable Care Act (McElfish et al., 2016)- Since the enactment of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the rate of uninsured in the United States has declined significantly. However, not all legal residents have benefited equally. As part of a community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnership with the Marshallese community…

Sex and Geographic Differences in Health of the Early Inhabitants of the Mariana Islands (Pietrusewsky et al., 2016) - The early inhabitants of the Mariana Islands encountered numerous challenges that likely affected their health, including island size, vulnerability to natural disasters, availability of resources, and shifts in climate…

Developing a Betel Quid Cessation Program on the Island of Guam (Moss et al., 2015) - Betel quid is a psychoactive drug preparation typically made up of a combination of areca quid, slaked lime, piper betel leaf and tobacco…

Sociocultural Factors that Affect Chewing Behaviors among Betel Nut Chewers and Ex-Chewers on Guam (Murphy & Herzog, 2015) - Areca nut (betel nut) is chewed by an estimated 10% of the world's population which is equivalent to about 600 million people…

Effect of US Health Policies on Health Care Access for Marshallese Migrants (McElfish et al., 2015)- The Republic of the Marshall Islands is a sovereign nation previously under the administrative control of the United States. Since 1986, the Compacts of Free Association (COFA) between the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the United States allows Marshall Islands citizens to freely enter, lawfully reside, and work in the United..

The Betel Quid Dependence Scale: Replication and Extension in a Guamanian Sample (Herzog et al., 2014) - Betel quid is the fourth most commonly consumed psychoactive substance in the world. The Betel Quid Dependence Scale (BQDS) is the first instrument designed specifically to measure betel quid dependence…

The Reasons for Betel-Quid Chewing Scale: Assessment of Factor Structure, Reliability, and Validity (Little et al., 2014) - Despite the fact that betel-quid is one of the most commonly used psychoactive substances worldwide and a major risk-factor for head-and-neck cancer incidence and mortality globally, currently no standardized instrument is available to assess the reasons why individuals chew betel-quid…

Screening for Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders among Areca (Betel) Nut Chewers in Guam and Saipan (Paulino et al., 2014) - The Mariana Islands, including Guam and Saipan, are home to many ethnic subpopulations of Micronesia. Oral cancer incidence rates vary among subpopulations, and areca (betel) nut chewing, a habit with carcinogenic risks, is common…

SELECTED POPULATION PROFILE IN THE UNITED STATES- 2011-2013 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates (US Census Bureau, 2014)- Although the American Community Survey (ACS) produces population, demographic and housing unit estimates, it is the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program that produces and disseminates the official estimates of the population for the nation, states, counties, cities and towns and estimates of housing units for states and counties.

Health in Ancient Mariana Islanders: A Bioarchaeological Perspective (Pietrusewsky et al., 2014) - Previous investigation of health and lifestyle in the Mariana Islands indicated that the prehistoric inhabitants living on the smaller islands of this archipelago experienced more stress than those living on the larger islands…

Palauans Who Chew Betel Nut: Social Impact of Oral Disease (Quinn Griffin et al., 2014) - Chewing betel nut is a tradition extending from Southeast Asia to the Pacific. Globally, betel nut is the fourth main psychotropic substance containing a stimulant, arecoline, that has a similar effect to nicotine…

Micronesians on the Move: Eastward and Upward Bound (Hezel, 2013) - Is out-migration an admission of a Pacific Island nation’s failure to fulfill its economic promise and provide the jobs that its citizens seek in a modernized society?

Medicaid Parity is Needed for COFA Migrants (Asian & Pacific Islander Health Forum, 2013)- COFA (Compact of Free Association) migrants are persons who are free to enter and work in the U.S. without restriction under long-standing agreements between the U.S. and pacific jurisdictions…

Areca Use among Adolescents in Yap and Pohnpei, the Federated States of Micronesia (Milgrom et al., 2013) - Areca (Betel Nut) is the fourth most commonly used psychoactive drug throughout the world and is legal in U.S. It is carcinogenic…

Survey of Federated States of Micronesia Migrants in the United States including Guam and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) (Hezel & Levin, 2012) - The survey of FSM migrants was conducted from March through July 2012 by Francis X. Hezel, SJ, and Michael J. Levin at the request of Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) National Government…

Survey of Federated States of Micronesia Migrants in the United States including Guam and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) (Hezel, Levin, 2012)- This survey of FSM migrants was conducted from March through July 2012 by Francis X. Hezel, SJ, and Michael J. Levin at the request of Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) National Government…

The Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Population: 2010 (Hixson et al., 2012)- According to the 2010 Census, 1.2 million people in the United States identified as Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, either alone or in combination with one or more other races…

The Introduction of Implant Dentistry in the South Pacific Islands of Fiji (Bickel et al., 2011) - Fiji is a Micronesian island group in the South Pacific Ocean, approximately 2000km from Auckland and about one-third of the way from New Zealand to Hawaii…

Health Care for Micronesians and Constitutional Rights (Shek, Yamada, 2011)- Under the Compacts of Free Association (COFA), people from the Freely Associated States — the Republic of Palau (ROP), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) — have been migrating to the United States in increasing…

Improvements Needed to Assess and Address Growing Migration (United States Government Accountability Office, 2011)- U.S. compacts with the freely associated states (FAS)—the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Marshall Islands, and Palau— permit FAS citizens to migrate to the United States and its territories (U.S. areas) without regard to visa…

Areca (Betel) Nut Chewing Practices in Micronesian Populations (Paulino et al., 2011) - To describe the areca nut/betel quid chewing practices of Micronesian chewers living in Guam…

An Assessment of Health and Lifestyle among Pre-1521 Chamorro from Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (Pietrusesky et al., 2010) - Earlier investigations of health and disease in the Mariana Islands (Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan) suggested that the pre-contact inhabitants of Saipan experienced more stress than the pre-contact Chamorro living on Guam…

SUMMARY ANALYSIS OF KEY INDICATORS from the FSM 2010 Census of Population and Housing (FSM Office of Statistics, 2010) The April 2010 FSM Population and Housing census provided a national population count of 102,843 persons, comprising of 52,193 males and 50,650 females. This represents a decrease of 4,178 people compared to 2000, reflecting an annual population growth rate of ‐0.4 percent per year over the past ten years…

The “Compact Impact” in Hawai‘i: Focus on Health Care (Riklon et al., 2010)- The political, economic, and military relationship between the former Pacific Trust Territories of the United States is defined by the Compact of Free Association (COFA) treaty. The respective COFA treaties allow…

Final Report of the COFA taskforce (State of Hawaii Dept. of the Attorney general, 2009)- This report is made pursuant to Senate Resolution No. 142, S.D. 1, adopted during the regular session of 2007, which requested that the Attorney General convene a task force to investigate and coordinate the provision of medical and social services to migrants from Freely Associated States…

Developing Human Resources for Health in the Pacific (Finau, 2007) - Pacific Health Dialog, Journal of Community Health and Medicine for the Pacific…

Oral Health Survey of School Children Aged 6 and 12 Years in the Solomon Islands (Vane, 2007) - The early caries epidemiological surveys in the Pacific were conducted by the Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) of the World Health Organization in the 1960…

Cancer of the Oral Cavity – A Growing Concern in the Micronesia: A Case Report from the Marshall Islands (Bhandary & Bhandary, 2003) - Cancer of the oral cavity is of growing concern worldwide. In the Micronesia, there has been a recent increase in use of betel nut and tobacco chewing in addition to already existing problem of smoking and alcohol drinking…

Dental Caries in South Pacific Populations: A Review (Cutress, 2003) - Dental caries (tooth decay) was uncommon in Pacific Island communities before European trading and migration expanded into the Region…

Periodontal Health in South Pacific Populations: A Review (Cutress, 2003) - Periodontal (or gum) disease is historically endemic in all indigenous communities in the South Pacific Region…

Tooth Brushing and Utilization of Dental Services in Fiji (1998) (King, 2003) - Utilization of services is considered the presence or absence of care received. The most common measure of utilization is the annual number of dental visits per person…

The Early Childhood Caries Prevention Program in Palau (Larson, 2003) - Early Childhood Caries is a significant public health problem in Palau. Data have shown that nearly 80% of children ages 3-5 years of age in Palau experience dental caries and a significant number of these children require general anesthesia to treat or remove painful or infected carious teeth…

Effects of a Propofol-Ketamine Admixture in Human Volunteers (Morse et al., 2003) - As the ideal sedative does not exist for all situations, particularly in settings with limited resources, the effect of a propofol-ketamine combination in human volunteers was examined…

Oral Health Status of Older Adults in Fiji: 1985-1999 (Panapasa & Maharaj, 2003) - This paper examines the oral health status of older adults in Fiji to determine the risks of dental disabilities…

Infant and Child Feeding Practices and Dental Caries in 6 to 36 Months Old Children in Fiji (Singh & King, 2003) - Dental caries is a multifactorial disease. These factors include the presence of cariogenic micro-organisms, fermentable carbohydrates in diet, susceptible tooth and time…

Training of Oral Health Personnel in Fiji (Tuisuva & Morse, 2003) – Dental training in Fiji began in 1945 at the Central Medical School with a four year course for Assistant Dental Practitioners. This was subsequently upgraded to a four-year diploma in dentistry program for dentists…

Oral Health in the Pacific (Tuisuva et al., 2003) - Pacific Health Dialog, Journal of Community Health and Medicine for the Pacific…

Pacific Oral Health Summit – “A Call for Action”, 2001 (Tuisuva et al., 2003) - Oral health is an increasing area of concern in all Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs)…

Republic of the Marshall Islands: Planning and Implementation of a Dental Caries Prevention Program for an Island Nation (Tut et al., 2003) - The Republic of Marshall Islands (R.M.I.) is an island state in eastern Micronesia with a landmass of 70 square miles scattered across 750,000 square miles of the western Pacific Ocean with a national population of approximately 51,000…

Oral Health Status and Treatment Needs of Institutionalized Elderly and Disadvantaged Population in Fiji (King & Kapadia, 1997) – Information on the oral health of institutionalized elderly populations in a number of countries is available but, no data is available nor published on the elderly population of Fiji…

Oral Health and Personnel Needs in the Pacific (Finau, 1996) - A regional review of oral health in the Pacific showed the major problems to be dental caries, periodontal diseases, poor dental health service management and lack of appropriate dental personnel…

Developing vs Importing Oral Health Resources the PHS Experience in the Pacific (Louie, 1994) - My friend was Dr. Gene Sabino from the Sonsorol Islands just north of the Equator in Palau…

Biological Mechanisms of Early Childhood Caries (Seow, 1998) - The present paper reviews biological issues in early childhood caries (ECC) in light of the current understanding of the field…