Community-based participatory research to prevent substance abuse and HIV/AIDS in African-American adolescents.
Adolescence is a time for exploration and risk-taking; in today's urban environment, with the twin threats of substance abuse and HIV/AIDS, the stakes are particularly high. This paper describes a community-based participatory research project to design, implement, and evaluate a faith-based substance abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention program for African-American adolescents. A coalition of university-based investigators and African-American church member stakeholders collaborated on all aspects of Project BRIDGE, the 3-year intervention to reduce substance abuse and HIV/AIDS in African-American adolescents. Our results support the use of community-based participatory research to create desirable change in this setting. Adolescents who participated in Project BRIDGE reported significantly less marijuana and other drug use and more fear of AIDS than a comparison group. Project BRIDGE has been designated an official ministry of the church and the program has been extended to others in the larger metropolitan community. The church now has a well-trained volunteer staff University faculty developed skills in negotiating with community-based settings. The coalition remains strong with plans for continued collaborative activities.
Marcus
Marianne T
MT
University of Texas at Houston Health Science Center, School of Nursing, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. Marianne.T.Marcus@uth.tmc.edu
Walker
Thomas
T
Swint
J Michael
JM
Smith
Brenda Page
BP
Brown
Cleon
C
Busen
Nancy
N
Edwards
Thelissa
T
Liehr
Patricia
P
Taylor
Wendell C
WC
Williams
Darryal
D
von Sternberg
Kirk
K
D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American; D003256:Community Participation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016730:Program Development; D008921:Religious Missions; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control*