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In this article, we report findings regarding parent communication and daughter's experiences of bullying and victimization in a sample of Hispanic families with seventh-grade daughters. About 57% of daughters reported experiencing any form of victimization and 37% reported engaging in some type of bullying behavior. Overall, the most common type of victimization reported was verbal/emotional bullying (36%). Nearly all parents agreed they had spoken with their daughters about the dangers of bullying perpetration (95%) and how to handle being victimized (96%), but there was no association between the frequency with which parents spoke with their daughters about bullying perpetration and their child's victimization experiences. Additionally, the gap between parent and child acculturation did not appear to moderate this association. The high incidence of self-reported bullying perpetration and victimization experiences underscores the need for school nurses, parents, and school personnel to address bullying behavior.

Interventions involving simulated interactions aimed at mimicking real situations must be engaging to maximize their effectiveness. This study aimed to assess how a sample of middle school girls displayed behavioral and cognitive indicators of engagement when interacting with avatars representing game characters that were controlled by a human digital puppeteer. The simulation game, DRAMA-RAMA, is a component of an intervention intended to reduce at-risk girls' sexual and other risky behaviors. We used verbal/nonverbal behaviors and surveys to assess the game players' cognitive and behavioral involvement (N = 131). Participants perceived the game scenarios and interactions as realistic and the characters as similar to people in real life. Participants' behavior indicated their involvement and interest in interacting with the game characters. Finally, participants tended to be appropriate but not effective when attempting to advise/support the characters. These findings have implications for assessing successful operationalization of communication designs in interactive virtual learning environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundTaking evidence-based interventions to scale is a challenge for prevention science. Mighty Girls is an evidence-based sexual health intervention program that combines classroom sessions with novel, cutting-edge technology (digital puppetry). The program was developed for 7th grade Latinas, but US school and community demographics rarely allow interventions targeting a single ethnic group. Additionally, digital puppetry is costly to scale up, and parent disapproval often prevents successful dissemination of adolescent sexual health programs. Intervening steps along the scaling-up pathway are needed to adapt the program prior to scaling up for dissemination. ObjectiveThe aims of this study were to create a multicultural adaptation of the Mighty Girls program using a mobile app that is less costly to disseminate and is acceptable to parents of 7th grade girls. MethodsThis study used a three-phase process to adapt Mighty Girls into Mighty Teens. All phases used purposive (nonprobability) sampling of low-income, multicultural, urban metropolitan groups (7th grade girls and their parents) within central Florida. Phase 1 involved two videotaped implementations of a multicultural adaptation of the classroom sessions, one involving focus groups (N=14) and the other serving as a single-group pretest-posttest pilot study (N=23). Phase 2 involved development of a narrative cell phone app prototype, which was subjected to usability testing (N=25). App usability and engagement were assessed qualitatively (observation, focus group, open-ended questions) and quantitatively. Phase 3 used focus groups to assess parent support for the program (N=6). Qualitative data were analyzed using descriptive content analysis. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired t tests. ResultsQualitative findings supported classroom sessions being multicultural, and identified simple changes to improve engagement and learning. Quantitative findings from the second classroom session implementation pilot study indicated a significant pre-post difference in intention to delay sexual intercourse (P=.04). App usability and appeal were supported by a System Usability Scale score of 76 (exceeding 68 per the industry standard) and 83% (20/24) of participants agreeing they would recommend the app to friends. Parents (mothers) expressed only positive regard for program goals, and classroom session and app activities. ConclusionsThis study adapted Mighty Girls into an engaging, easier-to-disseminate, multicultural program, termed Mighty Teens, that uses a narrative-generating app to support behavior change, and is likely to be accepted by parents of 7th grade girls. This study also provides evidence of the preliminary effectiveness of Mighty Teens classroom sessions. The sampling method and sample size were appropriate for adaptation, but research involving a more representative US sample is needed to confirm multicultural fit, parent receptivity, and program effectiveness. Study implications include integrating app use throughout the classroom sessions to build narrative-generating skills across the program and increasing the number of narratives produced, which should in turn increase the program’s behavior change potency.

Latinas continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV in the United States. Effective interventions to address HIV-related disparities among Latinas are available; however, they have not achieved widespread dissemination due to implementation challenges for real-world settings. A culturally tailored intervention that increases access to HIV prevention is urgently needed. The objective of this study was to develop a culturally tailored telenovela (i.e., a soap opera) to promote HIV prevention behaviors (condom use; HIV testing; and pre-exposure prophylaxis awareness, access, and use) among Latinas. The study was conducted in community organizations throughout South Florida. A total of 44 Spanish-speaking Latinas, 18–35 years old, and sexually active with a man in the past 6 months participated in the study. The final product was an HIV prevention telenovela that incorporated Latinas' ideas and feedback and was produced as four 10-minute filmed episodes. This study aimed to develop innovative approaches to reduce HIV-related disparities for Latinas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study replicates from a cross-sectional study about how young Latina teen viewers identify with and socially compare to teen mothers on MTV's Teen Mom over time. Identification and social comparison effects on attitudes toward teen pregnancy were assessed among the same group of Latina teen viewers at two different time points approximately one year apart. Results determined that upward social comparison and identification were associated with positive attitudes toward teen pregnancy in eighth grade, whereas downward social comparison was associated with negative attitudes toward teen pregnancy in ninth grade. Implications for teen mom reality programming audiences are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A content analysis of early adolescent X-bar = 12.02 years) Latino girls' (n = 44) responses to open-ended questions embedded in an electronic survey was conducted to explore strategies girls may use to resist peer pressure with respect to sexual behavior. Analysis yielded 341 codable response units, 74% of which were consistent with the REAL typology (i.e., refuse, explain, avoid, leave) previously identified in adolescent substance use research. However, strategies reflecting a lack of resistance (11%) and inconsistency with communication competence (e.g., aggression) were also noted (15%). Frequency of particular strategies varied depending on the situation described in the open-ended question, suggesting a variety of strategies may be needed to resist the peer pressure that puts early adolescent girls at risk of engaging in sexual behavior. Study findings extend the typology of resistance strategies identified in adolescent substance initiation and use research to the context of early adolescent sexual behavior.

Interviews with 1,435 urban, low-income African American and Hispanic youth about sexual experiences and behaviors revealed that interviewer age affected the reporting of sensitive behaviors. The strongest effects were observed for Hispanic women, who reported more sexual activity to younger interviewers. (Author/SV)

A four-item measure of acculturation for Hispanics was administered as part of interviews conducted with 684 first-, second-, and third-generation Puerto Ricans and Mexican Americans, ages 15-24, living in urban low-income households. The four-item scale correlated highly with generation, length of time in the United States, subjective evaluation of acculturation, and other characteristics. (SV)

Interviewed 30 Hispanics and 34 African Americans in Detroit, aged 15-21, to identify condom beliefs that may influence condom use in young minority populations. Also explored the utility of the construct accessibility model in explaining condom-use behavior. Condom intentions were reported to be accessible by more African Americans than by Hispanic participants. (KS)

We used the developmental systems model to deduce a definition of female early adolescent sexual desire. We evaluated a measure of this phenomenon with a secondary analysis of data from a randomized group sexual health intervention trial involving low-income, English-speaking, seventh grade Latinas enrolled in a Miami-Dade County public school (n = 542). As part of this study, girls completed a four-item early adolescent sexual desire (EASD) measure. Study findings supported internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha =.81 to.82) and stability over a 1-month period (r =.74). Developmental sensitivity was supported by a decline in stability over 12- (r =.66) and 24-month periods (r =.56). Validity was supported by correlations with puberty changes, sexual intentions, sexting, and sexual behavior, and hypothesized mean differences associated with dating and preference for shoes culturally associated with female sexual attractiveness (p <.01). Research implications include validation work with other ethnic/racial groups and using the EASD as a starting point for a measurement continuum tracking development of sexual desire across adolescence and into adulthood. Directions for future research also include measuring the development of sexual desire in boys and transgendered youth across adolescence and into adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports the relationships between resilience, demographic characteristics, immigration demands, and depression in a sample of 450 adult Russian immigrants to Israel. Contrary to theories of how resilience is related to psychological outcomes, no support was found for resilience modifying or mediating the relationship between the demands of immigration and depression. Resilience did, however, increase the risk of not being depressed by about two-fold (p < .0001).

The purpose of this article is to evaluate the effects of interviewer age on the reporting of personal behaviors including sexual experience, abortion, five births, and condom use. Data were [...]

This article presents data in support of the reliability and validity of a four-item measure of acculturation for Hispanics. The study has three strengths. First, this brief measure is evaluated with a probability sample of Hispanic adolescents and young adults (ages 15-24 years) living in urban, low-income households. Second the sample contains both second- and third-generation Puerto Rican and Mexican American adolescents and young adults. Third, the acculturation measure was administered as part of a face-to-face interview. The four-item acculturation scale correlated highly with generation, length of time in the United States, subjective evaluation of acculturation, country of birth, and language chosen for the interview. The psychometric properties of this brief scale are comparable to those obtained for other published scales. Results support the use of this four-item measure of acculturation as a simple, inexpensive measure that involves minimal respondent burden.

This study used multiple group structural equation modeling (SEM) to evaluate gender and ethnic differences in a theoretical model of condom use with a well known partner. The sample consisted of urban, low income, African American and Hispanic males and females. The theoretical model incorporated concepts from the Health Belief Model (HBM), Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), and Construct Accessibility Model (CAM). A new theoretical concept, condom predisposition, emerged from SEM as a predictor of condom use in all four gender-ethnic groups. This concept combines elements of the TRA (attitude, partner norm) and CAM (accessibility of condom related constructs). Statistically reliable differences were found in the theoretical models for each group. For example, talking about AIDS was positively related to a predisposition to use condoms for African American males and both Hispanic males and females. In contrast, for African American females, it was their concern about AIDS that was positively related to this predisposition. These results underscore the importance of investigating gender differences within ethnic groups, and benefits of integrating different theoretical perspectives.

Beliefs about condoms and accessibility of condom intentions among Hispanic and African American youths were studied. Results showed that the most common positive belief about condoms was that they provided protection, while the most popular negative belief was that condoms break. Accessibility of condom intentions were markedly higher in African American than in Hispanic youths. Condom utilization behavior was associated with gender and ethnic patterns of condom intention accessibility based on the Construct Accessibility Model.