title: Youth and Relationship Networks (YARNS): mobilising communities for sexual health.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Community participation is vital if sexual health disadvantage among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people is to be addressed, yet there is a paucity of literature examining this issue.
  
  
  METHODS
  The development, nature and impact of a community participation strategy for sexual health, implemented in two North Queensland sites, provided the opportunity for a systematic study, using qualitative and grounded theory analytic methods, of the factors that enable and constrain community participation in this context. A total of 30 people participated, in individual interviews and focus groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The community participation strategy was fundamental to the development of culturally and community congruent sexual health initiatives. There were also signs of a changing discourse in community around sexual health. Factors that enabled effective community participation involved individual attributes, structured group processes, organisational support, empowering external relationships, a culturally sensitive strategy and enhanced health and wellbeing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The model developed here identifies factors that enable community participation and mobilisation, thus providing a valuable tool for health practitioners seeking to plan and evaluate strategies that address entrenched disadvantage in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Work and Social Policy, La Trobe University, Victoria. Mary.Whiteside@latrobe.edu.au
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Whiteside
authors.forename: Komla
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsey
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Crouch
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fagan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011793:Queensland; D060728:Reproductive Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D055815:Young Adult