A culturally adapted drug and alcohol abuse prevention program for aboriginal children and youth.
BACKGROUND
In response to substance abuse within their community, the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation invited the University of Alberta (UofA) to partner in a collaborative effort to establish a school-based substance abuse prevention program.


OBJECTIVE
An evidence-based substance abuse prevention program was reviewed and adapted by the community to ensure that it incorporated their cultural beliefs, values, language, and visual images. The adapted program was delivered to students at Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation School and changes in student participants' knowledge, attitudes, refusal skills, and self-beliefs were measured. Benefits and challenges of adapting the program were documented.


METHODS
The principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR) and the Canadian Institute for Health Research, Guidelines for Research Involving Aboriginal People, provided a frame of reference for the work throughout the research process. A pre-/posttest questionnaire was used to measure changes in student participants' drug and alcohol refusal skills, self-beliefs, and knowledge of the negative effects of drug and alcohol use. Focus groups (FGs) documented community members' experiences of and responses to the program adaptations and delivery.


RESULTS
Results included (1) positive changes in students' drug and alcohol refusal skills, self-beliefs, and knowledge of the negative effects of drug and alcohol use, (2) ownership of and investment in the program by the community, (3) teaching approaches that correspond with the learning contexts, worldview, and relationships of the community, and (4) participation of community Elders.


CONCLUSIONS
Quantitative and qualitative measures provide evidence for the importance, benefits, and challenges of employing a culturally adapted evidence-based substance abuse prevention program with Aboriginal students attending a First Nations school.
Baydala
Lola T
LT
Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Canada.
Sewlal
Betty
B
Rasmussen
Carmen
C
Alexis
Kathleen
K
Fletcher
Fay
F
Letendre
Liz
L
Odishaw
Janine
J
Kennedy
Merle
M
Kootenay
Brenda
B
D000367:Age Factors; D000416:Alberta; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000517:prevention & control; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D019058:Community Networks; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D036301:Qualitative Research; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires