title: Community partnership to affect substance abuse among Native American adolescents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Substance abuse is one of the nation's primary health concerns. Native American youth experience higher rates of substance abuse than other youth. There is little empirical evidence that exists concerning the use of culturally-based interventions among Native American adolescents.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study used a community-based participatory research approach to develop and evaluate an innovative school-based cultural intervention targeting substance abuse among a Native American adolescent population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A two-condition quasi-experimental study design was used to compare the Cherokee Talking Circle (CTC) culturally-based intervention condition (n = 92) with the Be A Winner Standard Education (SE) condition (n = 87). Data were collected at pre-intervention, immediate post-intervention, and 90-day post-intervention using the Cherokee Self-Reliance Questionnaire, Global Assessment of Individual Needs - Quick, and Written Stories of Stress measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant improvements were found among all measurement outcomes for the CTC culturally-based intervention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data provide evidence that a Native American adolescent culturally-based intervention was significantly more effective for the reduction of substance abuse and related problems than a noncultural-based intervention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that cultural considerations may enhance the degree to which specific interventions address substance abuse problems among Native American adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University , Davie, FL 33314, USA. jlowe@fau.edu
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lowe
authors.forename: Huigang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Cheryl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Riggs
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Henson
authors.forename: Tribal
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Elder
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D008297:Male; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000208:ethnology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires