Informing Cultural Adaptation of a Parent-Based Intervention for African American Youth

Washington State University, Pullman WA

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

? DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Epidemiological data indicate alcohol use peaks during emerging adulthood, including prevalence rates of heavy drinking, alcohol dependence, and alcohol-related problems. However, racial group differences in developmental patterns of alcohol use and related consequences reveal African American emerging adults mature out of high-risk drinking at slower rates compared to other racial and ethnic groups. Moreover, African American youth are more likely to experience negative social and health consequences due to heavy drinking. Despite these disparities, few preventative interventions have been developed to target culturally specific risk and protective factors that are associated with high-risk alcoho use among this vulnerable population of emerging adults. To address these gaps, the proposed research brings together the developers of an established parent-based intervention (PBI), with proven efficacy among four-year college students, and investigators of the Family and Community Health Study (FACHS), the largest African American panel study to date. The research will follow established guidelines for cultural adaptation of an existing evidence-based treatment (EBT) by focusing on three phases that comprise the pre-intervention stage and result in a culturally adapted version of the parent handbook used in the PBI. Phase 1 (information gathering) uses the existing data from FACHS to examine previously established associations (Aim 1a) and then extend the theoretical model to examine unique processes for African American families (Aim 1b). Results will then be compared to previous evaluations of the PBI using non-minority samples of four-year college students in order to identify particularly strong or unique mechanisms in the African American sample (Aim 1c). These results will guide the production of two drafts of the adapted PBI handbook (Aim 2) to be developed in Phase 2 (preliminary intervention design). During this phase, we will conduct focus groups with African American community college students and their parents to assess reactions to the Draft 1. Results of the focus groups will guide development of Draft 2. Phase 3 (preliminary adaptation tests) will recruit dyads of African American community college students and their parents to pilot test the adapted handbook. Students will respond to a web survey that includes core elements of the theoretical model in order to provide preliminary effect size estimates. Parents will receive a copy of Draft 2 to review and will be asked to provide quantitative and qualitative feedback regarding feasibility and acceptability of the modified PBI handbook. Thus, to our knowledge, the proposed study will be the first to develop and test a brief intervention that targets high-risk drinking and consequences among African American emerging adults who attend two-year community colleges. As such, the proposal represents a low risk/high reward opportunity that is likely to have substantial impact on addressing a known health disparity with significant long-term costs.