Cultural Accommodation of the Strengthening Families Program for Parents and Young Adolescents 10-14: Greek Phase I and II Study.

Abstract

The Strengthening Families Program for Parents and Youth 10-14 (SFP10-14) is an evidence-based, internationally recognized program designed in the USA for prevention of youth substance abuse and other behavioral problems. The program aims to build young adolescents' skills to reduce risk, improve parenting practices, and promote positive family relationships that are known to reduce high-risk behaviors in youth. The SPF 10-14 is a universal program developed for ethnically diverse populations. The license to adapt and apply the SFP10-14 was granted to the First Department of Pediatrics, Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in Greece by the Iowa State University of Science and Technology in the USA. The program was approved by the School Division of the Municipality of Athens and the Greek Ministry of Education. This paper presents Phases I and II of the Greek adaptation of the SFP10-14 project. In Phase I, the original US SFP10-14 was initially translated into Greek and was subsequently implemented to 14 families with adolescents attending the Greek school. Phase II endeavored extensive adaptation of the SFP10-14 tools based on survey results from 57 independent advisory participants. Phases I and II provided safe grounds to warrant reshooting of the SFP10-14 DVDs. The Greek adaptation pointed to substantial cross-cultural convergence as to what the parents evaluate as "unacceptable." With respect to role models, however, Greek parents often came up as overprotective. The Greek families welcomed the intervention as a path to receive help, when general healthcare was often not accessible.