title: Nurturing healthy relationships through a community-based interactive theater program.
abstract: Promoting healthy relationships and preventing unhealthy behaviors, such as bullying and teen dating violence, among young adolescents was the goal of this study. This developmentally appropriate project used interactive theater to deliver a healthy message. Students in 7th grade health classes (N = 114) participated in the interactive theater intervention, a program that consisted of three consecutive performances and one follow-up day. This article reports on community-based research related to the development of a theater script in collaboration with a local theater group, the feasibility of using this innovative format as an intervention method, and lessons learned in collaborating with community partners.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, The University of Texas at Austin, 1700 Red River, Austin, TX 78701, USA. nfredland@mail.nur.utexas.edu
authors.forename: Nina M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Fredland
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D058445:Bullying / Q000523:psychology; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D003380:Courtship; D004324:Drama; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000193:education / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D010934:Planning Techniques; D016730:Program Development; D012572:School Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013781:Texas; D014754:Violence / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control