Citation

Estrada Y, Lee TK, Huang S, Tapia MI, Velazquez MR, Martinez MJ, Pantin H, Ocasio MA, Vidot DC, Molleda L, Villamar J, Stepanenko BA, Brown CH, Prado G. Am. J. Public Health 2017; 107(4): 607-613.

Affiliation

Yannine Estrada, Tae Kyoung Lee, Maria I. Tapia, Maria-Rosa Velázquez, Hilda Pantin, Manuel A. Ocasio, Denise C. Vidot, Lourdes Molleda, Bryan A. Stepanenko, and Guillermo Prado are with the Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, FL. Shi Huang is with the Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN. Marcos J. Martinez is with the Prevention Research Center at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. Juan Villamar and C. Hendricks Brown are with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, American Public Health Association)

DOI

10.2105/AJPH.2017.303653

PMID

28207330

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of an evidence-based, parent-centered intervention, Familias Unidas, delivered by nonresearch personnel, in preventing substance use (alcohol, illicit drugs) and sex without a condom among Hispanic adolescents.

METHODS: A randomized controlled trial (n = 746) evaluated the effectiveness of Familias Unidas among Hispanic eighth graders (age range = 12-16 years), relative to prevention as usual, within a public school system. School personnel, including social workers and mental health counselors, were trained to deliver the evidence-based intervention. Participant recruitment, intervention delivery, and follow-up ran from September 2010 through June 2014 in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

RESULTS: Familias Unidas was effective in preventing drug use from increasing and prevented greater increases in sex without a condom 30 months after baseline, relative to prevention as usual. Familias Unidas also had a positive impact on family functioning and parental monitoring of peers at 6 months after baseline.

CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated the effectiveness of a parent-centered preventive intervention program in preventing risky behaviors among Hispanic youths.

FINDINGS highlight the feasibility of training nonresearch personnel on effectively delivering a manualized intervention in a real-world setting. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print February 16, 2017: e1-e7. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2017.303653).

Language: en