title: Testing the feasibility of ¡Cuídate! With Mexican and Central American youth in a rural region of a southern state.
abstract: Regions of the US with growing Latino populations are in need of culturally sensitive sexual risk reduction programs. A Latino community, a public school district, and a university in eastern North Carolina collaborated to test the feasibility of ¡Cuídate!, a culturally tailored, evidence-based sexual risk reduction program, with Mexican and Central American youth. Ten male and 10 female adolescents, ages 13-17 years, participated in the ¡Cuídate! program and post-program focus groups. Early adolescent boys and girls (ages 13-15) gained the most from this program. A safe environment facilitated healthy sexual communication, and condom skills-building provided a context for shared partner responsibility. Grade-level and gender differences were significant. Analysis of the focus group data identified three important messages: Everybody needs sex education, We like this program better because it is hands-on, and I'm going to make better decisions about sex. The findings of this study support the need for community-based interventions that ensure cultural respect, trust, and a safe environment in which to discuss sexual issues.
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, East Carolina University, College of Nursing, 3135 Health Science Building, Greenville, NC, 27858-4353.
authors.forename: Kim L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Larson
authors.forename: Sharon M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ballard
authors.forename: Brenda J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Nuncio
authors.forename: Melvin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Swanson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D002489:Central America / Q000208:ethnology; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000193:education* / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000208:ethnology; D009657:North Carolina; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012424:Rural Population; D012736:Sex Education / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States
keywords: Latino; adolescence; community-based participatory research; focus groups; prevention; sexual risk