ERIC Number: EJ938221
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Aug
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0278-095X
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Familia Adelante: A Multi-Risk Prevention Intervention for Latino Families
Cervantes, Richard; Goldbach, Jeremy; Santos, Susana M.
Journal of Primary Prevention, v32 n3-4 p225-234 Aug 2011
A comprehensive approach for providing behavioral health services to youth is becoming increasingly emphasized. Latino youth are at increased risk for substance abuse, mental health concerns, unsafe sexual practices and HIV, and these outcomes have been empirically connected to individual, family and community-based stress. Despite this knowledge, there is a lack of evidence-based approaches that target these negative outcomes by reducing stress in Latino families in a culturally relevant manner. The current study examined the use of research-based strategies for reducing multiple risk behaviors in a predominantly Mexican-American sample of families. Through a modular approach, participants engaged in a psycho-educational curriculum to enhance communication and psychosocial coping, increase substance abuse and HIV knowledge and perception of harm, and improve school behavior. Over 12 sessions, the curriculum aimed to achieve these outcomes through an overall decrease in family and community-based stress by focusing on acculturative stress. Findings indicate that communication and perception of substance use harm were significantly enhanced, while social norms regarding sexual behavior, HIV anxiety and past use of marijuana and other illegal drugs were significantly reduced. While many of measures were reliable ([alpha] greater than 0.80), further changes are necessary to improve the accuracy of future studies. Despite these limitations, Familia Adelante improves many areas of participant's family life, and points toward the feasibility of multi-risk reduction behavioral health prevention approaches.
Descriptors: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Health Services, Substance Abuse, Prevention, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Intervention, Hispanic Americans, Access to Health Care, At Risk Persons, Mental Health, Stress Management, Cultural Relevance, Coping, Psychoeducational Methods, Mexican Americans, Curriculum, Acculturation, Sexuality, Social Attitudes, Drug Abuse, Program Effectiveness
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A