Building a Healthy Future: Reaching Youth at Risk: Findings From Focus Group Research With High-Risk Adolescents

36 Pages·1995·2.2 MB·English

t
Table ofContents
Foreword
i
Introduction \
HowToUseThisGuide 3
KeyElementsofProgramPlanning 4
PrimaryTargetAudience y. .2 5
SecondaryTargetAudience , J .......„«„„..„„. =,6
Information NeedsandGapsl 7
Goalsand Objectives _ 8
ProgramStrategies /•'•"'•*« 9
GuidingPrinciples I !f| 7. 9
Youth-OrientedStrategies JL...1 12
Family/Adult/Community-Oriented Strategies 14
Messages .; 17
ChannelsorvehiclesforReachingYouth ,, 20
MassMedia „ 22
inConclusion „7^i:::::v- 23
AppendixA
GettingGroupDiscussionstoWorkforYou 24
ListofResources: FederalHealthInformationCentersandClearinghouses 28

Foreword
Healthcommunicatorsandpolicymakers amongtheseyouthandtopromotehealth-
continuetograpplewithhowtoaddress fulbehaviors. Thesestrategies,aspre-
theneedsofyoungpeoplewhoengagein sentedinthisguide,canbeadaptedtofit
high-riskbehaviorssuchasalcoholand individualprogramneeds. Theyarenot
otherdruguse,earlyandunprotectedsex, meanttobeallinclusivebutratherto
andviolence. Toidentifyeffectivestrate- stimulateplanningandprogramimplemen-
giesandapproachesforcommunicating tation.
healthinformationtohard-to-reachyouth
atrisk,anumberofFederalagencies Theoverallprojectconfirmsthecomplexity
sponsoredtheresearchprojectunderlying ofbehaviorsandenvironmentssurround-
thisprogramguide. Theprojectwasdi- ingyouthatrisk. Thefindingssupporta
rectedbytheU.S.DepartmentofHealth criticalelementinplanningandpolicy
andHumanServices' OfficeofDisease development...invitingand listeningto
PreventionandHealth Promotion (DHHS/ thevoiceofyouth. Therewillbenosimple
ODPHP)andassistedbyaFederalAdvisory solutions. Theanswerslieinmultifaceted,
Panel. multilevel,long-termcommitmenttoyouth
atrisk.
Theprojectincluded24focusgroupdis-
cussionsthroughoutthecountrywith 160 Thisguideisintendedtobeausefultoolin
youthalreadyengagedinhigh-riskhealth realizingthatcommitment. Wehopeitwill
behaviors,8groupswithfamilies (parents indeedbehelpfultoprogramplannersin
andothercaregivers)ofyouthatrisk,and "Buildingahealthyfuture: reachingyouth
discussionswithrepresentativesofnational atrisk."
andlocalyouthprogramorganizations.
Thestudy'sfindingssupportstrategiesfor
policymakers,healthpromotionprofession- ClaudeEarlFox,M.D., M.P.H.
als,andyouthservicesstafftoconsider DeputyAssistantSecretaryforHealth
whencreatingprogramsandcampaignsto Director,OfficeofDiseasePreventionand
helpdecreasehigh-riskhealthbehaviors HealthPromotion
Indeed,ifyoureallywanttohelpkids,youwillfindawaywithoutmuchtrouble.And
itprobablywillwork.Thethingmostprecioustoneglectedchildrenisattention.Seeking
thisiswhatgetsthemintosomuchtrouble.Halfthebattleiswoniftheyfindthat
someonehasaninterestinthem.
P178
TheShookUpGeneration
HarrisonE.Salisbury
Writtennearly40yearsago,thesewordsapplytoday—andwilltomorrow, rfonjudgmental
adultattentionalwayswillbeessentialinreachingyouthandencouraginghealthy
attitudesandbehaviors,asunderscoredintheresearchfindingsthatsupportthisguide.
—
Introduction
Manyofthe300specificnationalhealth programorganizations. Whatyouthand
promotionanddiseasepreventionobjec- theirfamiliesseemedtoneedmostwere
tivestargetedforachievementbytheyear thetoolstomakechangestoavertvio-
2000concerntheshort-andlong-term lence,toquitdrugs,topreventpregnancy
risksofadolescentbehavior. Factafter notjustinformationaboutwhythese
factdescribeswhyachievingtheseobjec- healthbehaviorsandpracticesareharmful.
tivesissoimportantforyouth: Aftera
sharpdeclineintheearly1980s,thedeath Foryouthtomakethesecomplexandgreat
rateforadolescentsandyoungadultsis changestowardhealthy,happy,andpro-
climbing. Thisshiftisattributedtoin- ductivelives,theyneedthemeansandthe
creasesinmotorvehiclecrashes,homicide, opportunitiestodoso. Thisguideoffers
andsuicide,withalcoholandotherdrug programplannerssuggestions,withsup-
useheavilyimplicatedinallthreecauses. portingresearch,forprovidingtheneces-
Theuseofalcohol,tobacco,andother sarymeansandopportunities.
drugsiscorrelatedwiththeseproblemsof
adolescence: schoolfailure,delinquency, Thisguideisoneofthematerialsproduced
earlysexualactivity,sexuallytransmitted throughacollaborative
diseases,andunintendedpregnancy. projectdirectedbythe
U.S. Departmentof
Althoughproblemsareencounteredinall HealthandHuman
adolescents,thereisagrouplabeled"high Servicesandassisted
risk"becausetheyengageregularlyina byaFederalAdvi-
clusterofhigh-riskbehaviors. Theseyouth soryBoard. The
becomeevenmoresetapartfromtheir guidedoesnot
peersbecauseofintermittentcontact with duplicatethe
thecriminaljustice,socialwelfare,and research find-
educationalsystemspromptedbytheir ingsreportedin
riskypractices. Traditionalapproachesto otherpublica-
thedeliveryofhealthinformationandser- tionsfromthe
vicesdonotappeartoinfluencetheseyouth. project. Nor
doesthe
Thestudyunderlyingthisprogramguide guide
wasintendedtoidentifypreventionstrate- present
giesthatwouldworkwithhigh-riskyouth. everything
Thestudysoughttofindsuccessfulearly aprogram
aindtuelrtvheonotdionssafetlhayt—wtohuelsdahmeelpasyoHuetahdgeSttatrot pnleaendnserto
programsforpreschoolersandHealthyStart know about
programsforpregnantwomenandinfants. planning,
implementing,
Thestudyinvolvedextensiveand intensive andevaluating
yliosuttehnitnhgemtosealnveds,inttheeriarctfianmigliweist,hahnidghr-erpirsek- eindfuocramtaitoinonand \
sentativesofnationalandlocalyouth activities.
PracticalProaramPlannersGuide 1
Forinstance,theguidedoesnotdescribe
thestepsinvolvedindeterminingwhatis
neededandwhatismostappropriatefor
anindividualcommunity. Rather,theguide
seekstoprovidesuggestionsforstrategies
thatcouldbeadoptedinplanningan
effectiveprogramtoreachhigh-riskyouth.
Programplannersareencouragedtobuild
upontheirownknowledgeandexperience
andtodrawuponthemanyresources
availablelocallyandnationally.
Theotherpublicationsfromthehigh-risk
youthprojectaredescribedbrieflybelow.
Singlecopiesofthesepublicationsmaybe
obtainedforamodesthandlingfee.
•AFactSheet (F0038) $1.00
Listskeyfindings.
•FindingsfromFocusGroupResearch
WithHigh-RiskYouth(F0037B) $3.00
Summarizesfindingswithhigh-risk
youthanddiscussionswithrepresenta-
tivesofnationalyouthorganizations
andlocalyouthprograms. Discusses
implicationsforcommunicationand
programs.
•ProjectSummary (F0037A) $2.00
Summarizestheresultsoffocusgroup
discussionswith160youthwhowere
alreadyinvolvedinhigh-riskbehaviors.
Toorder, contact::
NationalHealthInformationCenter
P.O. Box 1133
Washington, DC 20011-1133
[phone]
O RililriinnaHoalthvFtitiire-Roar-hinnVniithatRic
How 7b UseThis Guide
Usethisguideforideasandstrategiesin
planningthedesign, implementation,
conduct, andevaluationofprogramsand
activitiestochangehigh-riskbehaviors
amongyouth.
Fordetailsontheresearchfindingssup-
portingtheseideasandstrategies,referto
theotherpublicationsfromthehigh-risk
youthproject. Forprogramplanning,
resourcemanagement, andothertopics,
looktothegeneralliterature. Somesug-
gestionsareofferedintheappendix. The
appendixalsocontainsalistofFederal informationneedsandgaps
healthinformationcentersandclearing- (whatdoesthetargetaudienceneed
housesthatofferdatabasesearches,publi- toknow;whataretheinformation
cations,videotapes, andothermaterials gaps?)
helpfulinplanningandconductingpro- yourgoalsandobjectivesfor
gdirxamdesscforribyionugthh.owFintaollcy,ontdhuecrteidsisacnusaspipoenn- cauhdainegnicnegsth(perabcethiacavlioprlaonfntehresserealize
groups,whichwerefoundtobehelpfulfor thatthesegoalsandobjectivesmust
learningfromandeffectivelyreaching bestatedrealisticallyandmustbe
youth. described inwaysthatcanbe
measured)
Theorganizationoftheideasandstrategies
isbasedonthesetraditionalhealthinfor- programsandservicesyou
mationandeducationconcepts: choosetoofferthetargetaudience
theprimarytargetaudience bmeehmabvieorrsaltocheanncgoeuragetheir
(whomustbereachedand
influencedwithyourinformation) the messagesyouformulateand
thesecondarytargetaudiences delivertoyourtargetaudiences
whoinfluencetheprimarytarget thevehiclesorchannelsyouselect
audience(youmaywanttotarget forreachingyouraudiences
theseaudiencestohelpyoureach
andinfluencebehavioralchangein Strategiesappropriateforeachconceptare
youththemselves) presentedintheguide. Tohelpyouset
catutrirteundtesa,waarnednebsesh,avkinoorwsle(wdhgaet, ypfrioinuodrriinctgiosemsmfuarnnoidmttycho,enstrihedeseegrauraiccdht.eivihTtiigoehslmiragehklteesvayknoetuyrto
dnootesknthoewtaabrogeuttatuhdeiehenaclethk-nreolwatoerd ufisnedionfgsthaeregupirdeeseenatseydabnedtwefefeincietnwt,otdhiea-
behaviorsand associatedrisks?) monds( ). Generalinformationrelevant
tothestrategiesispresentedonpinned-up
memos.
PrantiralPrnnramPlanners?fiuide 3
Key Elements of
ProgramPlanning
1. Conductneedsassessmenttodeter- Identifyinformationneedsandgaps.
mineproblemsandopportunitiesforpre-
ventionactivitiesandprogramsinyour Setmeasurablegoalsand
community. objectives.
.Q Identifyresources, establishtime-
2. Selectoneormoreproblems/opportu- table,andsetbudget
nitiestoaddressinyourprogramplgn. Be
realistic,though, inwhatyoucantiecom- Sei%jtstrategies foractivitiesand
plish. StartwithactivitiesthatWedoable programs.
andbuildfromthere. Chooseactivities andprograms.
3. Involveothersinyourefforts,including Designmessagesandmaterials
membersofthecommunity—businesses, foryouraudience.
vcoalruentparrovyidoerrgsa,nigzaotvieornns,mesncthoaoglesn,ciheesa.lth Pretestme..messagesandmaterials.
Developthematerials.
4i.ngDtheivsealdoapgey:ourplparnoygoruarmwpolrakn,,wrolfmfe^myboeurr- Smeelsescatgcehsanannedlsmaftoerridailsst.ributingthese
plan.
Targetyouraudience. / *Q pIrmopglreamme.ntandmonitoryour
Cauodnideunccte'rsesaewaarrcehneosns,yokunrowledge, Measureyourresults.
attitudes,andbehaviorregarding Sharewhatyoulearned.
theproblem/opportunity.
Assessexistingactivitiesand 5a.ccoDmepvelliosphmaenntesw.plan,buildingonyour
programs.
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