Home > Faculty & Staff > Faculty Directory > Kathryn Braun

Profile

Kathryn Braun, DrPH Professor, Social & Behavioral Health Sciences 1960 East West Road, Biomed D203 Honolulu, HI 96822 email: kbraun@hawaii.edu phone: (808) 956-5768 fax: (808) 956-9582

Academic Degrees
DrPH (Health Services Evaluation), University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
MPH, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
BS, University of Michigan

Awards
Regents' Medal for Excellence in Teaching, 1998

Dr. Kathryn L. Braun is Professor and Head of the Social Behavioral Health Sciences specialization in the Department of Public Health Sciences. She has a joint appointment with the School of Social Work, where she serves as Interim Director of the Center on Aging Research and Education (CARE) and Co-Investigator of the National Resource Center for Native Hawaiian Elders. She also serves as Research Director of ‘Imi Hale -- Native Hawaiian Cancer Network, which is funded through a grant to Papa Ola Lokahi (a Native Hawaiian Health organization) from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). In this role, she mentors Native Hawaiians who want to expand their skills in research, grant writing, and publishing.

Dr. Braun teaches courses in needs assessment, program planning, and evaluation. Her primary research focuses on the development and testing of interventions to reduce health disparities among Hawai‘i's ethnic groups, especially disparities experienced by Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders. Another area of interest is gerontology, especially population aging. She is a partner with Hawai‘i state and county offices on aging on a multi-year healthy aging project and collaborates with universities in Japan, Korea, China, and Thailand to promote active aging and gerontology education. She also consults as a trainer and program evaluator in Hawai‘i.

Dr. Braun is a returned Peace Corps Volunteer, having served in the Philippines in the 1970s. She likes to travel and has visited all seven continents and more than 100 countries.

Recent Publications
DeRenne, C., Maeda, J., Chai, D., Ho, K., Kaluhiokalani, N., & Braun, K. (in press). After-school physical activity program to reduce obesity in Hawaiian youth: A feasibility study. Journal of Cancer Education.

Kaholokula, J., Braun, K., Santos, J., Chang, H. (in press). Culturally informed smoking cessation strategies for Native Hawaiians in rural communities. Nicotine & Tobacco Research.

Mokuau, N., Braun, K., Wong, L., Higuchi, P., & Gotay, C. (in press). Testing the feasibility of a family intervention for Native Hawaiian women with cancer: A pilot study. Social Work.

Browne, C., & Braun, K. (in press). Globalization, gender migration, and the long-term care work force. Gerontologist.

Matsui, M., Braun, K., & Karel, H. (in press). Comparison of end-of-life preferences between Japanese and Japanese-American elders. Journal of Transcultural Nursing.

Mokuau, N., & Braun, K. (in press). Family support for Native Hawaiian women with breast cancer. Journal of Cancer Education.

Kulukulualani, M., Braun, K., & Tsark, J.(in press). Using a four-step protocol to develop and test culturally targeted cancer education brochures. Health Promotion Practice.

Boyd, J., & Braun, K. (in press). Supports and barriers of young adult Native Hawaiians to living a healthy lifestyle. Preventing Chronic Disease.

Lindsey, J., Braun, K., Aung, N., Campos, J., Choy, L., Chung, J, Dellinger, S., Gentry, L., Li, J., Mayet, S., Mitchell-Box, K., & Pan, J. (in press). An assessment of educational needs for Hawai‘i;s public health workforce: A class project. Pacific Health Dialog.

Chen, T.H., Buenconsejo-Lum, L, Braun, K. Higa, C., Maskarinec, G. (in press). Evaluating distance education modalities for health workers in the US Affiliated Pacific Islands: Results of a pilot study. Pacific Health Diaolg.

Aitaoto, N, Braun, K., Dang, K., Soa, T. (2007). Cultural considerations in developing church-based programs to reduce cancer health disparities among Samoans. Ethnicity and Health. 12:381-400.

Young, N., & Braun, K. (2007). La’au lapa’au and western medicine: Experiences and perspectives of participants who use both. Hawaii Medical Journal. 66:176-180.

Browne, C., Braun, K., & Arnsberger, P. (2007). Filipinas as residential long-term care providers: The role of culture, gender, and immigrant status. Journal of Gerontological Social Work. 48: 439-457.

Tsark, J., CCPI, & Braun, K. (2007). Reducing cancer health disparities in the US-associated Pacific. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. 13:49-58.

Braun, K., Tsark, J., Santos, L., Aitaoto, N., Chong, C. (2006). Building Native Hawaiian capacity in cancer research and programming: The Legacy of ‘Imi Hale. Cancer. 107 (8 Suppl): 2082-2090.

Braun, K., Karel, H., & Zir, A. (2006). Family response to end-of-life education: Differences by ethnicity and stage of caregiving. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine 23:269-276.

Fong, M., Braun, K., & Chang, M. (2006). Native Hawaiian preferences for informed consent and disclosure of results from genetic research. Journal of Cancer Education, 21(Suppl.): S47-S52.

Gellert, K., Braun, K., Starkey, V. & Morris, W. (2006). The ‘Ohana (Family) Day Project—A community approach to increase cancer screening. Preventing Chronic Disease [serial online] July. http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2006/jul/pdf/05_0188.pdf

Kaholokula, J., Braun, K., Kana‘iaupuni, S., Grandinetti, A., & Chang, H. (2006). Ethnic-by-gender differences in cigarette smoking among Asian and Pacific Islanders. Nicotine & Tobacco Research 8:275-286.

Braun, K., & Zir, A. (2005). Using an interactive approach to teach nursing home workers about end-of-life care. Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing 7:280-288.

Braun, K., Fong, M., Gotay, C., Chong, C., & Pagano, I (2005). Ethnicity and breast cancer in Hawai‘i: Increased survival, but continued disparity. Ethnicity and Disease.15:453-460.

Aitaoto N., Braun K, Ichiho HM, Kuhaulua RL. (2005). Diabetes Today in the Pacific: Reports from the field. Pacific Health Dialog 12:124-131.

Braun, K., Fong, M., Ka‘ano‘i, M., Kamaka M., & Gotay, C. (2005). Testing a culturally appropriate, theory-based intervention to increase colorectal cancer screening among Native Hawaiians. Preventive Medicine. 40:619-627.

Braun, K., Zir, A., Crocker, J., & Seely, M. (2005). Kokua Mau: A statewide effort to improve end-of-life care. Journal of Palliative Medicine 8:313-324.

Braun, K., & Cheang, M. (2005). Increasing knowledge, skills, and empathy among direct care workers: A preliminary study of an active learning model. Gerontologist. 45:118-124.