Let our voices be heard: Urban minority adolescents share their perspectives regarding substance abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention messages

Robert J. Reid; Pauline Garcia-Reid; Brad Forenza; Caitlin Eckert; Melissa Carrier; Stephanie Drag

doi:10.4278/ajhp.130117-QUAL-34

Let our voices be heard: Urban minority adolescents share their perspectives regarding substance abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention messages

Robert J. Reid, Pauline Garcia-Reid, Brad Forenza, Caitlin Eckert, Melissa Carrier, Stephanie Drag

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Purpose. This study explored the substance abuse and human immunodeficiency virus prevention needs of urban minority adolescents.

Design. Six 1-hour focus groups.

Setting. Two high schools and two community-based organizations located in the city of Paterson, New Jersey.

Participants. The sample included 41 African-American and Latino youth, ranging in ages from 13 to 18 years.

Method. Data were collected through six focus group interviews. Each group discussion was audiorecorded and transcribed. Qualitative software was then used to facilitate the processes of thematic analysis, until emergent themes transcended the data. To bolster the rigor and confirmability of analysis, additional researchers coded stratified selections of transcript.

Results. Study participants were able to identify the environmental threats and structural deficits impacting their city. Few of the youth were able to recognize substance abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention messages in their immediate surroundings. Additionally, most participants indicated that prevention messages must be delivered in authentic ways from relatable sources in order to resonate with their audience.

Conclusion. Our findings emphasize the importance of infusing the adolescents' voices into the design and implementation of health promotion messages, which could serve to increase their receptivity and responsiveness, and the overall resonance of the interventions. (Am J Health Promot 2014;29[2]:107- 114.).

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	107-114
Number of pages	8
Journal	American Journal of Health Promotion
Volume	29
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.4278/ajhp.130117-QUAL-34
State	Published - 1 Nov 2014

Keywords

Community empowerment
Focus groups
Health focus: social health
Local community
Outcome measure: behavioral
Prevention research. manuscript format: research
Race/ethnicity
Racial and ethnic minority youth
Research purpose: descriptive
Risk and protective factors
Setting: school
Strategy: built environment
Study design: qualitative
Substance abuse and hiv/aids health promotion messages
Target population age: youth
Target population circumstances: geographic location

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.4278/ajhp.130117-QUAL-34

Cite this

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title = "Let our voices be heard: Urban minority adolescents share their perspectives regarding substance abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention messages",

abstract = "Purpose. This study explored the substance abuse and human immunodeficiency virus prevention needs of urban minority adolescents.Design. Six 1-hour focus groups.Setting. Two high schools and two community-based organizations located in the city of Paterson, New Jersey.Participants. The sample included 41 African-American and Latino youth, ranging in ages from 13 to 18 years.Method. Data were collected through six focus group interviews. Each group discussion was audiorecorded and transcribed. Qualitative software was then used to facilitate the processes of thematic analysis, until emergent themes transcended the data. To bolster the rigor and confirmability of analysis, additional researchers coded stratified selections of transcript.Results. Study participants were able to identify the environmental threats and structural deficits impacting their city. Few of the youth were able to recognize substance abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention messages in their immediate surroundings. Additionally, most participants indicated that prevention messages must be delivered in authentic ways from relatable sources in order to resonate with their audience.Conclusion. Our findings emphasize the importance of infusing the adolescents' voices into the design and implementation of health promotion messages, which could serve to increase their receptivity and responsiveness, and the overall resonance of the interventions. (Am J Health Promot 2014;29[2]:107- 114.).",

keywords = "Community empowerment, Focus groups, Health focus: social health, Local community, Outcome measure: behavioral, Prevention research. manuscript format: research, Race/ethnicity, Racial and ethnic minority youth, Research purpose: descriptive, Risk and protective factors, Setting: school, Strategy: built environment, Study design: qualitative, Substance abuse and hiv/aids health promotion messages, Target population age: youth, Target population circumstances: geographic location",

author = "Reid, {Robert J.} and Pauline Garcia-Reid and Brad Forenza and Caitlin Eckert and Melissa Carrier and Stephanie Drag",

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language = "English",

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AU - Drag, Stephanie

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AB - Purpose. This study explored the substance abuse and human immunodeficiency virus prevention needs of urban minority adolescents.Design. Six 1-hour focus groups.Setting. Two high schools and two community-based organizations located in the city of Paterson, New Jersey.Participants. The sample included 41 African-American and Latino youth, ranging in ages from 13 to 18 years.Method. Data were collected through six focus group interviews. Each group discussion was audiorecorded and transcribed. Qualitative software was then used to facilitate the processes of thematic analysis, until emergent themes transcended the data. To bolster the rigor and confirmability of analysis, additional researchers coded stratified selections of transcript.Results. Study participants were able to identify the environmental threats and structural deficits impacting their city. Few of the youth were able to recognize substance abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention messages in their immediate surroundings. Additionally, most participants indicated that prevention messages must be delivered in authentic ways from relatable sources in order to resonate with their audience.Conclusion. Our findings emphasize the importance of infusing the adolescents' voices into the design and implementation of health promotion messages, which could serve to increase their receptivity and responsiveness, and the overall resonance of the interventions. (Am J Health Promot 2014;29[2]:107- 114.).

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Let our voices be heard: Urban minority adolescents share their perspectives regarding substance abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention messages

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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