Abstract
Digital and social media are now widely used to promote engagement in health programs and improve health behaviors across a variety of age groups and domains. However, limited research exists on applying culturally relevant, new media interventions specific to Latino immigrant youth. This paper describes the pilot Adelante Youth Ambassador program for Latino immigrant youth, which used digital media and community-based participatory research to build positive youth development (PYD) assets as a prevention mechanism to reduce co-occurring health risks of substance use, sexual risk, and interpersonal violence. We worked collaboratively with adolescents to create video content as a conduit for Adelante-branded messages to be disseminated on the program’s social media platforms. Using an active audience engagement methodology, youth participants informed the development of prevention messages, scripts for the videos, and acted in videos. Participants disseminated content to their social media networks and engaged peers in dialogue about topics addressed in the videos. Using pre and post tests, we evaluated changes in PYD assets (Civic Action Competence, Confidence, Connection to Community, and Connection to Peers) and skills related to digital media use, communication, and advocacy. The program used innovative branding and social media strategies to engage Latino youth in health risk prevention.
Highlights
Latinos accounted for more than half (54%) of the total U.S population growth from 2000 to 2014 and Latino adolescents represent 22.8% of the population ages 10-19 (Colby & Ortman, 2015; Pew Research Center, 2016;)
This paper describes the pilot Youth Ambassador component of the Adelante program for Latino immigrant youth, which used digital media and community-based participatory research to build positive youth development (PYD)
An equal female-to-male ratio of participants was recruited from the larger Adelante youth intervention cohort based on level of interest in acting and social media
Summary
Latinos accounted for more than half (54%) of the total U.S population growth from 2000 to 2014 and Latino adolescents represent 22.8% of the population ages 10-19 (Colby & Ortman, 2015; Pew Research Center, 2016;). Latino adolescent immigrants (foreignborn)—in contrast to a significant proportion of the broader U.S Latino population that has long, multigenerational roots in the country—face additional challenges of acculturation (Gamst et al, 2002; Smokowski & Bacallao, 2007), familial separation and reunification patterns, documentation status (Cavazos-Rehg, Zayas, & Spitznagel, 2007), and vulnerabilities at multiple levels (individual, peer, family, school, community) (Edberg et al, 2016) that could be unique potential contributors to mental health problems, coping strategies and risk-taking, and harmful behaviors and health outcomes (Potochnick & Perreira, 2010) This group of youth represents an important community that deserves public health intervention attention. Residents have limited educational attainment: two-thirds of adults lack a high school diploma, 57% of adults have below a ninthgrade education, and 37% of youth ages 16-19 are working and not in school (The Urban Institute, 2014)
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