Let Our Voices Be Heard: Urban Minority Adolescents Share Their Perspectives regarding Substance Abuse and HIV/AIDS Prevention Messages. Issue 2 (November 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Reid, Robert J.; Garcia-Reid, Pauline; Forenza, Brad; Eckert, Caitlin; Carrier, Melissa; Drag, Stephanie
• Is Part Of: American journal of health promotion. Volume 29:Issue 2(2014)
• Page Start: 107
• Page End: 114
• Publication Date: 2014-11
• Subjects: Racial and Ethnic Minority Youth -- Community Empowerment -- Focus Groups -- Risk and Protective Factors -- Substance Abuse and HIV/AIDS Health Promotion Messages -- Prevention Research -- Manuscript format: research -- Research purpose: descriptive -- Study design: qualitative -- Outcome measure: behavioral -- Setting: school, local community -- Health focus: social health -- Strategy: built environment -- Target population age: youth -- Target population circumstances: geographic location, race/ethnicity; Health promotion -- Periodicals; Health Promotion; Health promotion; Periodicals; Periodicals; 613.05
• DOI: 10.4278/ajhp.130117-QUAL-34
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0890-1171

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 audio-recorded 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.