The Methodology Core will be a synergistic and cost-effective way to assist component projects in common tasks, such as development of assessment instruments and process measures, interviewer training, outcome evaluation and cultural competency. The Core will ensure that all component projects are nformed by a common theoretical model, the Health Behavior Framework. The cultural competency component of the Core will assist all component projects in tailoring their methods to suit the needs of the pecific Asian subgroups that are included. By standardizing study protocols and assessment instruments to the extent possible while maintaining cultural sensitivity, the Core will increase comparability among studies and thereby facilitate comparisons and analyses across projects and across three Asian ethnic groups (Vietnamese, Hmong, and Korean). The research contribution of the Core will consist of cross-cultural comparisons to answer research questions that go beyond the component projects. This task will be accomplished in close collaboration with the component projects and the Biostatistics Core. Specifically, the Methodology Core will: 1. Coordinate development of assessment instruments in collaboration with component projects to measure constructs of the Health Behavior Framework. 2. Provide training for focus group leaders and interviewers of component projects. 3. Coordinate translations of all assessment instruments to derive three Asian-language versions of common items. 4. Ensure that interventions in all component projects are theory based. 5. Coordinate process evaluations across projects. 6. Standardize validation procedures for self-reported hepatitis B serological testing. 7. Provide expertise to all component projects to ensure cultural competency. 8. Facilitate scientific inquiry across projects through exploration of research questions that span multiple projects.
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