Scott K Okamoto
Biographic Data
| ID | 171706 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Scott K Okamoto |
| GIVEN NAMES | Scott K |
| FAMILY NAME | Okamoto |
| SIGNATURE | OKAMOTO S K |
| AFFILIATIONS | Hawaii Pacific University |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-0638-5354 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 49 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 44 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 49 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2001 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
The Process of Cultural Adaptation of an Evidence-Based Intervention With the Native Hawaiian Community
Background: Culturally adapting evidence-based programs may increase effectiveness, but decreases in fidelity to the original intervention are possible. Objective: We describe the process and lessons learned from the adaptation of an evidence-based intervention, the Savvy Caregiver Program with a Native Hawaiian Community Action Board. Results: We present three examples: retaining an existing activity, revising a core concept as a hybrid with a H…
Exploring #Zyn-Related Video Content Posted by Zynfluencers on TikTok
OBJECTIVES: Oral nicotine pouches such as Zyn have gained popularity, with marketing increasingly leveraging social media influencers. This study aimed to analyze the content and engagement metrics of TikTok videos tagged with #Zyn across different influencer types. METHODS: A standardized inductive coding approach was used to analyze 130 TikTok videos tagged #Zyn, collected on February 16, 2024. Videos were categorized by macro (100,000-1 M foll…
The Fuetsan Manhoben Curriculum
Background: While there are known high rates of tobacco and betel (areca) nut use in the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI), there have been limited efforts at preventing the initiation of tobacco and betel nut among those living in the region, particularly, adolescents. To meet this need, Fuetsan Manhoben (FM)—a culturally tailored, school-based tobacco and betel nut use prevention curriculum—was developed for adolescents in Guam, a USAPI i…
Youth vaping prevention with urban Indigenous communities of the southwest U.S
Background Indigenous adolescents have the highest rates of nicotine vaping and tend to initiate at an earlier age compared to other racial and ethnic groups. Despite this, no evidence-based intervention currently exists to prevent nicotine and cannabis vaping for Indigenous youth. Methods This study will partner with a long-established community organization and an Indigenous Youth Advisory Board to better understand the key risk and protective …
Caring for loved ones as community
Caregiving interventions can reduce caregiver burden and promote caregiver competence, yet caregiving is rooted in culture, with differing impacts of the caregiving role. Culturally adapted interventions may better address the unique experiences of diverse family caregivers. In this exploratory study, we aimed to adapt the Savvy Caregiver Program (SCP), an evidence-based caregiving intervention, with a Native Hawaiian community in Hawaiʻi. First,…
Health and Well-being of Family (ʻOhana) Caregivers of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Adults Living with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias
Introduction: We aimed to describe the health and well-being of family caregivers of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) adults living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD), explore cultural values related to caregiving, and characterize barriers and facilitators to their health and well-being. Methodology: Caregivers of NHPIs living with ADRD were recruited from across the United States to complete a multimethod study inc…
Adult Familial Influences on Rural Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Youths’ E-Cigarette Use
Background: Over the past decade, youth e-cigarette use has grown into a national epidemic, with Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) youths’ rates among some of the highest in the nation. Family factors significantly contribute to NHPI youths’ decisions to engage in or resist substance use, yet few studies have specifically examined familial influences on NHPI youths’ substance use decision-making and behaviors. Objective: The objective o…
Exploring Youths’ Offers to Use E-Cigarettes in Rural Hawai‘i
The purpose of this study is to describe the development and initial validation of a survey focused on problematic situations involving e-cigarette use by rural Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) youths. A 5-phase approach to test development and validation was used. In Phase 1 (Item Generation), survey items were created from a series of focus groups with middle school youths on Hawai'i Island ( N = 69). In Phase 2 (Item Refinement and …
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders’ Identity and Housing Status
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders (NHPIs) are overrepresented in Hawai'i's houseless population. Indigenous populations, such as NHPIs, may encounter experiences of historical trauma that impact their well-being. This original research project examines how NHPI identity and houselessness compound to affect the perceived stress and historical trauma of transition-aged youth. Fifty-one participants aged 18 to 24 ( M = 21.37, SD = 1.93) complete…
Guam Adolescents’ Use of Strategies to Resist Cigarette, e-Cigarette, and Betel Nut Offers
Background: This study examined resistance strategies used by predominantly Pacific Islander young adolescents in response to offers of tobacco, e-cigarettes, and betel [areca] nuts. This study was intended to inform the development of a prevention curriculum focused on training young adolescents from the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI) on culturally appropriate strategies to resist substance use offers. Currently, very little is understo…
Peer Crowds and Tobacco Product Use in Hawai‘i
Tobacco and other substance use prevention interventions, such as mass media campaigns, may benefit from targeting high-risk peer crowds, especially those relevant for NHPI young adults, who are at high risk for tobacco and other substance use. E-cigarette use prevention interventions may benefit from paying close attention to vulnerable Popular and Athlete groups
The Mental Health, Substance Use, Physical Health, and Mental Health Treatment Need of Community Individuals Experiencing Homelessness in Hawai‘i
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, mental health and treatment need in the United States during Covid ‐19
Tobacco product use and cultural connectedness among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Asian American, and Filipino American young adults in Hawai’i
Tobacco product use rates among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (NHPI), Asian American, and Filipino American young adults in Hawai'i have risen rapidly in recent years following the introduction of electronic nicotine delivery systems. Though some research has examined tobacco use correlates for these demographics of young adults, research examining protective factors, such as cultural connectedness, is lacking. Additionally, research that disa…
Deep-Structure Adaptations and Culturally Grounded Prevention Interventions for Native Hawaiians
The Effects of E-Cigarette Use on Alcohol and Marijuana Abuse Symptoms in an Ethnically Diverse Sample of Young Adults
NHPI are often combined with Asians in national surveys, which obfuscates the higher risks faced by NHPI compared with groups that are routinely classified as Asians (e.g., Chinese, Japanese, Filipinos). The current research highlights the NHPI's vulnerability in terms of the effects of e-cigarette use on marijuana and alcohol abuse symptoms
The implementation of a culturally grounded, school‐based, drug prevention curriculum in rural Hawai‘i
This article describes the process of infusing implementation strategies in the development of a school‐based drug prevention curriculum for rural Native Hawaiian youth. The curriculum (Ho‘ouna Pono) is a video‐enhanced, teacher‐implemented curriculum developed using a culturally grounded and community‐based participatory research approach. Throughout the development of the curriculum, strategies reflective of the domains of the Consolidated Fram…
Parental support, parent–adolescent conflict, and substance use of Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander youth
This research study examined the overall and ethnic-specific effects of parental emotional and instrumental support, parent-adolescent interpersonal conflict, and negative life events (i.e., major life stressors, such as parental job loss or school suspension) on the substance use of Caucasian, Asian-American, Filipino, and Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander (NHOPI) youth in Hawai’i. Adolescents (N = 3,561) from 10 public middle/intermedi…
An efficacy trial of the Ho‘ouna Pono drug prevention curriculum
This study reports on the drug use outcomes in an efficacy trial of a culturally grounded, school-based, substance abuse prevention curriculum in rural Hawai'i. The curriculum (Ho'ouna Pono) was developed through a series of pre-prevention and pilot/feasibility studies funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and focuses on culturally relevant drug resistance skills training. The present study used a dynamic wait-listed control group desig…
The relationship between ethnocultural identity measures and youth substance use among a school-based sample
The way in which behavioral health interventions are designed, implemented, and evaluated must be responsive to the ethnocultural characteristics of the targeted youth and their families, schools, and communities. The goal of this paper is to examine the relationship between ethnocultural identity measures and substance use among Native Hawaiian compared to non-Hawaiian youth. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted from baseline data drawn from…
Special issue introduction
The Role of Relational Harmony in the Use of Drug-Refusal Strategies of Rural Native Hawaiian Youths
This study examined the role of maintaining relational harmony among family members in the use of drug refusal strategies for rural Hawaiian youth. Youth focus groups were conducted to validate refusal strategies used in realistic, hypothetical drug-related problem situations. The findings suggested gender-specific motivations for maintaining relational harmony among family members when faced with drug offers from them. Specifically, boys describ…
Drug Offers as a Context for Violence Perpetration and Victimization
Drug use has been linked empirically with and aggression and violence among youth in national and State of Hawai'i samples. However, the nature of this link and its implications for prevention are unclear. Therefore, this article explores the intersection of drugs with aggression and violence by using the drug offer context as the unit of analysis. Native Hawaiian youth are sampled because substance use rates tend to be higher and onset tends to …
Gender Differences in Preferred Drug Resistance Strategies of Rural Native Hawaiian Youths
This study examined the gender differences in preferred strategies used to resist drugs and alcohol for rural Native Hawaiian youth. Seventy-four youth (60% female) within eight different middle/intermediate or high schools participated in 15 different focus groups as part of a pilot/feasibility drug prevention study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Consistent with relational-cultural theory, qualitative findings indicated how fema…
The Development of Videos in Culturally Grounded Drug Prevention for Rural Native Hawaiian Youth
Special issue introduction
Social contexts of drug offers among American Indian youth and their relationship to substance use
In this exploratory study the authors examined the social contexts of American Indian youths' encounters with drug offers and their relationship to substance use. Using an inventory of drug use-related problem situations developed specifically for American Indian youth, questionnaires were completed by 71 American Indian youth at public middle schools in a Southwest metropolitan area. Regression analyses highlight the importance of situational an…
Resiliency Factors Related to Substance Use/Resistance
This exploratory, qualitative study examined risk and protective factors influencing drug and alcohol use and/or resistance of Native youth in the Southwest. Thirty-two Native middle school students participated in 10 focus groups that explored their experiences with alcohol and drugs in their school and reservation communities. The findings indicate a complex interaction of both risk and protective factors related to substance use. Respondents' …
Who Is Offering and How Often? Gender Differences in Drug Offers Among American Indian Adolescents of the Southwest
This exploratory study examines gender differences in the patterns of drug offers among a sample of 71 American Indian middle school students. Participants respond to an inventory of drug-related problem situations specific to the cultural contexts of Southwestern American Indian youth. They are asked to consider the frequency of drug offers from specific groups in their social networks and the difficulty associated with refusing drugs from vario…
The development and initial validation of the Hawaiian Youth Drug Offers Survey (Hydos)
The survey helps to fill the gap in information related to drug use of Native Hawaiian youth and has implications for the development and assessment of culturally-specific drug prevention programs for these youth
Current and Future Directions in Social Work Research with Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders
This special issue evolved from the need to understand the health and social issues of Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (NHOPIs), coupled with the lack of empirical research in national
Gender Differences in Drug Offers of Rural Hawaiian Youths
This study examined the gender differences in drug-offer situations of Native Hawaiian youths in rural communities. Youths from seven middle or intermediate schools (N 194) on the Big Island of Hawai'i completed a survey that focused on the drug offers they had received. Multivariate and bivariate analyses indicated that the girls received significantly more drug offers than did the boys in the sample and found it more difficult to refuse drugs i…
A‘ole Drugs! Cultural Practices and Drug Resistance of Rural Hawai`ian Youths
This qualitative study examined how Native Hawaiian youth from rural communities utilized cultural practices to promote drug resistance and/or abstinence. Forty-seven students from 5 different middle schools participated in gender specific focus groups that focused on the cultural and environmental contexts of drug use for Native Hawaiian youth. The findings described culturally specific activities that participants used in drug related problem s…
Adapting Culture in a Colonial and Capitalized World
Despite being known for its culture of generosity, tropical beaches, and tourist-friendly atmosphere, Hawai‘i’s colonial history and present-day political economy have extended social stratification along ethnic lines, resulting in a number of unfortunate outcomes. In particular, Hawaiian and Samoan families residing in Hawai'i have been negatively influenced by social stratification, and have had to adapt their cultures to survive in a capitalis…
Challenging the “Asian Pacific American” Rubric
In recent years, a number of Asian American scholars have attempted to incorporate Pacifititle Islanders into the Asian American rubric by coining the term “Asian Pacific American.” Using qualitative interview data, this paper suggests that by including Pacific Islanders into Asian American Studies, Asian American scholars have glossed over unique concerns pertinent to Pacific Islander communities. Specifically, this paper examines the identity c…
The Hoop of Learning
Indigenous communities in the United States have a wealth of cultural and social resources that can facilitate educational resilience among Native students. This article reviews the historical context, contemporary trends, and current challenges related to education of Indigenous students. The authors present an innovative middle school-to-high school-to-college bridge program as one example of many positive educational initiatives currently deve…
The implementation of a culturally grounded, school‐based, drug prevention curriculum in rural Hawai‘i
This article describes the process of infusing implementation strategies in the development of a school‐based drug prevention curriculum for rural Native Hawaiian youth. The curriculum (Ho‘ouna Pono) is a video‐enhanced, teacher‐implemented curriculum developed using a culturally grounded and community‐based participatory research approach. Throughout the development of the curriculum, strategies reflective of the domains of the Consolidated Fram…
I No Like Get Caught Using Drugs”
This exploratory study examined the use of explanations for refusal as a drug resistance strategy for rural Native Hawaiian youth. Fourteen gender-specific focus groups were conducted within seven middle or intermediate schools on the Island of Hawai'i (N = 64). Participants were asked to describe drug resistance strategies in response to 15 hypothetical culturally specific drug-related problem scenarios developed from earlier research. The findi…
Academic Marginalization? The Journalistic Response to Social Work Research on Native Hawaiian Youths
Journal Article Academic Marginalization? The Journalistic Response to Social Work Research on Native Hawaiian Youths Get access Scott K. Okamoto, PhD Scott K. Okamoto, PhD associate professor School of Social Work, Hawai'i Pacific University, 1188 Fort Street Mall, Suite 434B, Honolulu, HI 96813; e-mail: [email protected] Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar Social Work, Volume 55, Issue 1, January 2010,…
Participatory Drug Prevention Research in Rural Hawai`i With Native Hawaiian Middle School Students
Implications are discussed regarding drug prevention research and programs that highlight indirect-contextual drug offers that are place based and culturally grounded
Thoughts on Feminist Mentoring
Instrument development
The study discussed in this article describes the development of a questionnaire for evaluating the nature and extent of practitioners' fears in working with high-risk youths. Three scales were proposed. A stepwise approach to test construction and validation was used. Phase 1 (item generation) and 2 (item refinement and selection) generated 42 test items related to the three proposed subscales. In phase 3, items were administered to 248 practiti…
Challenging the “Asian Pacific American” Rubric
In recent years, a number of Asian American scholars have attempted to incorporate Pacifititle Islanders into the Asian American rubric by coining the term “Asian Pacific American.” Using qualitative interview data, this paper suggests that by including Pacific Islanders into Asian American Studies, Asian American scholars have glossed over unique concerns pertinent to Pacific Islander communities. Specifically, this paper examines the identity c…
The Hoop of Learning
Indigenous communities in the United States have a wealth of cultural and social resources that can facilitate educational resilience among Native students. This article reviews the historical context, contemporary trends, and current challenges related to education of Indigenous students. The authors present an innovative middle school-to-high school-to-college bridge program as one example of many positive educational initiatives currently deve…
Resiliency Factors Related to Substance Use/Resistance
This exploratory, qualitative study examined risk and protective factors influencing drug and alcohol use and/or resistance of Native youth in the Southwest. Thirty-two Native middle school students participated in 10 focus groups that explored their experiences with alcohol and drugs in their school and reservation communities. The findings indicate a complex interaction of both risk and protective factors related to substance use. Respondents' …
An Ecological Assessment of Drug-Related Problem Situations for American Indian Adolescents of the Southwest
This study examined difficult situations related to drug and alcohol use as identified by American Indian youth in the South-west. Sixty-two contextually based items were developed from focus group data, and were administered to 71 American Indian youth. The items measured the frequency in which youth experienced specific drug-related situations, as well as the perceived difficulty in resisting drug use offers in those situations: The results ind…
Adapting Culture in a Colonial and Capitalized World
Despite being known for its culture of generosity, tropical beaches, and tourist-friendly atmosphere, Hawai‘i’s colonial history and present-day political economy have extended social stratification along ethnic lines, resulting in a number of unfortunate outcomes. In particular, Hawaiian and Samoan families residing in Hawai'i have been negatively influenced by social stratification, and have had to adapt their cultures to survive in a capitalis…
The Implications of Ecologically Based Assessment for Primary Prevention with Indigenous Youth Populations
Social contexts of drug offers among American Indian youth and their relationship to substance use
In this exploratory study the authors examined the social contexts of American Indian youths' encounters with drug offers and their relationship to substance use. Using an inventory of drug use-related problem situations developed specifically for American Indian youth, questionnaires were completed by 71 American Indian youth at public middle schools in a Southwest metropolitan area. Regression analyses highlight the importance of situational an…
Who Is Offering and How Often? Gender Differences in Drug Offers Among American Indian Adolescents of the Southwest
This exploratory study examines gender differences in the patterns of drug offers among a sample of 71 American Indian middle school students. Participants respond to an inventory of drug-related problem situations specific to the cultural contexts of Southwestern American Indian youth. They are asked to consider the frequency of drug offers from specific groups in their social networks and the difficulty associated with refusing drugs from vario…
Thoughts on Feminist Mentoring
The Effect of Neighborhood Context on the Drug Use of American Indian Youth of the Southwest
This study examined neighborhood effects on the drug use of American Indian youth of the Southwest. We compared these effects with American Indian and non-American Indian youth in order to examine the universality of neighborhood disorganization as a risk factor for drug use. Neighborhood level variables included unemployment, poverty, education, and violent crime rate. Results indicated that American Indian youth were not as adversely affected b…
The Efficacy of a Multicultural Prevention Intervention among Urban American Indian Youth in the Southwest U.S
Beyond the Manuscript
Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action - Volume 2, Issue 4, Winter 2008
Participatory Drug Prevention Research in Rural Hawai`i With Native Hawaiian Middle School Students
Implications are discussed regarding drug prevention research and programs that highlight indirect-contextual drug offers that are place based and culturally grounded
Risk and Protective Factors of Micronesian Youth in Hawai'i
This exploratory, qualitative study examined the risk and protective factors of Micronesian middle and high school students in Hawai'i. Forty one Micronesian youth participated in 9 focus groups that explored their experiences within their schools, families, and communities. The findings describe youths' experiences of ecological stress beginning with their migration to Hawai'i, and the potential outcomes of this stress (e.g., fighting, gangs, an…
Community Risk and Resiliency Factors Related to Drug Use of Rural Native Hawaiian Youth
This exploratory, qualitative study examined the community-based risk and resiliency factors related to the drug use of rural Native Hawaiian youth. Forty-seven youth from five middle schools participated in focus groups that examined the ecological context of drug use for rural Hawaiian youth. Findings indicated that youth in the study were part of large extended networks of families and that these networks became a defining characteristic of th…
A‘ole Drugs! Cultural Practices and Drug Resistance of Rural Hawai`ian Youths
This qualitative study examined how Native Hawaiian youth from rural communities utilized cultural practices to promote drug resistance and/or abstinence. Forty-seven students from 5 different middle schools participated in gender specific focus groups that focused on the cultural and environmental contexts of drug use for Native Hawaiian youth. The findings described culturally specific activities that participants used in drug related problem s…
The development and initial validation of the Hawaiian Youth Drug Offers Survey (Hydos)
The survey helps to fill the gap in information related to drug use of Native Hawaiian youth and has implications for the development and assessment of culturally-specific drug prevention programs for these youth
A Typology and Analysis of Drug Resistance Strategies of Rural Native Hawaiian Youth
Gender Differences in Drug Offers of Rural Hawaiian Youths
This study examined the gender differences in drug-offer situations of Native Hawaiian youths in rural communities. Youths from seven middle or intermediate schools (N 194) on the Big Island of Hawai'i completed a survey that focused on the drug offers they had received. Multivariate and bivariate analyses indicated that the girls received significantly more drug offers than did the boys in the sample and found it more difficult to refuse drugs i…
Academic Marginalization? The Journalistic Response to Social Work Research on Native Hawaiian Youths
Journal Article Academic Marginalization? The Journalistic Response to Social Work Research on Native Hawaiian Youths Get access Scott K. Okamoto, PhD Scott K. Okamoto, PhD associate professor School of Social Work, Hawai'i Pacific University, 1188 Fort Street Mall, Suite 434B, Honolulu, HI 96813; e-mail: [email protected] Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar Social Work, Volume 55, Issue 1, January 2010,…
A Community Stakeholder Analysis of Drug Resistance Strategies of Rural Native Hawaiian Youth
I No Like Get Caught Using Drugs”
This exploratory study examined the use of explanations for refusal as a drug resistance strategy for rural Native Hawaiian youth. Fourteen gender-specific focus groups were conducted within seven middle or intermediate schools on the Island of Hawai'i (N = 64). Participants were asked to describe drug resistance strategies in response to 15 hypothetical culturally specific drug-related problem scenarios developed from earlier research. The findi…
Current and Future Directions in Social Work Research with Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders
This special issue evolved from the need to understand the health and social issues of Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (NHOPIs), coupled with the lack of empirical research in national
The Development of Videos in Culturally Grounded Drug Prevention for Rural Native Hawaiian Youth
Psychology (38 works) · Medicine (30 works) · Sociology (30 works) · Community Health and Development (22 works) · Psychiatry (22 works) · Environmental health (18 works) · Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes (13 works) · Clinical Psychology (12 works) · Pacific islanders (12 works) · Political science (12 works)