title: Healing hearts: laughter and learning.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cultural values of Alaska Native people acknowledge laughter as good medicine. It is heard in their words and stories.
  
  
  METHODS
  To investigate how and in what ways laughter impacts learning from the learners' perspective, cancer education course evaluations were reviewed and a survey administered.
  
  
  RESULTS
  94% (235/259) of Community Health Aides and Community Health Practitioners surveyed emphasized the importance of laughter to support adult learning. Written comments are grouped into three main themes: (1) supporting a comfortable learning community, (2) relieving stress, and (3) enhancing learning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates the value and significance of laughter to support people in their learning journey.
authors.affiliation: Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Anchor-age, AK 99508, USA. mcueva@anmc.org
authors.forename: Melany
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cueva
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kuhnley
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lanier
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dignan
mesh_terms: D000413:Alaska / Q000208:ethnology; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006303:Health Services, Indigenous; D006801:Humans; D004930:Inuit / Q000523:psychology; D007845:Laughter / Q000523:psychology*; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D019222:Mind-Body Relations, Metaphysical; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D014925:Wit and Humor as Topic