title: A quasi-experimental evaluation of a community-based HIV prevention intervention for Mexican American female adolescents: the SHERO's program.
abstract: This article describes a quasi-experimental evaluation of a community-based, culturally and ecologically tailored HIV prevention intervention for Mexican American female adolescents grounded in the AIDS risk reduction model. A total of 378 Mexican American female adolescents (mean age = 15.2) participated in either the nine-session SHERO's (a female-gendered version of the word hero) intervention or a single session information-only HIV prevention intervention. Assessment data were collected at pretest, posttest, and 2-month follow up. Significant improvements across all time points were revealed on measures of self-esteem, condom attitudes, beliefs regarding a woman's control of her sexuality, beliefs regarding sexual assault, perceived peer norms, and HIV/AIDS and STI knowledge. At posttest SHERO's participants were more likely to carry condoms and to report abstaining from vaginal sex in the previous 2 months; and at 2-month follow up they reported using condoms more often in the preceding 2 months and planned on using them more frequently in the coming 2 months. Findings support the development of community-based adolescent HIV prevention interventions that address culturally specific ecological factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, DePaul University, Chicago, IL 60614, USA. gharper@depaul.edu
authors.forename: Gary W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Harper
authors.forename: Audrey K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Bangi
authors.forename: Bernadette
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.forename: Mimi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Doll
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pedraza
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009657:North Carolina; D011203:Poverty; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult