title: Community-based participatory research to prevent substance abuse and HIV/AIDS in African-American adolescents.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas at Houston Health Science Center, School of Nursing, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. Marianne.T.Marcus@uth.tmc.edu
authors.forename: Marianne T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Marcus
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: J Michael
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Swint
authors.forename: Brenda Page
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Cleon
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Busen
authors.forename: Thelissa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liehr
authors.forename: Wendell C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Darryal
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Kirk
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: von Sternberg
mesh_terms: 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*