The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #68910

Tracey Lewis-Elligan, PhD¹, Yvette Banks², Zachary Rowe, BS³, Murlisa Lockett, MA⁴, Amy Schulz, PhD⁵, Sheryl Weir, MPH⁶, Teretha Hollis-Neely⁷, Yolanda Hill, MSW⁴, Marjorie Rodgers⁸, and Gloria Hill². (1) Community Health Scholars Program, The University of Michigan, School of Public Health, 109 Observatory, SPH II, Room M3531, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, 734-615-3633, lelligan@umich.edu, (2) East Side Village Health Worker, 4710 Alter, Detroit, MI 48215, (3) Friends of Parkside, P.O. Box 13168, Detroit, MI 48213, (4) Detroit Health Department, 1151 Taylor Rm 646B, Detroit, MI 48202, (5) Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan, School of Public Health, 5134 SPH II, 1420 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, (6) Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan, School of Public Health, 1420 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, (7) Detroit Health Department, Eastside Village Healthworkers, 1151 Taylor St., Room 646B, Detroit, MI 48202, (8) Eastside Village Health Worker, 5651 Woodrow, Detroit, MI 48209

Over the last fifteen years there has been a plethora of research that support the contributions of culturally relevant models to research design, theory, strategies, and methods. Culturally relevant models have been positively associated with reducing the risk behaviors related to substance abuse and sexual behavior of teens (Jemmott, L.S., Jemmott, J.B. 3rd, & Villaruel, A.M., 2002; Jemmott, L.S. 2000;Gilbert, M.J.,1995; Moran, J.R., 1995). However, few studies have systematically documented the development of culturally relevant interventions designed to enhance teens’ self-esteem. This paper describes a community-based participatory process used to develop a formative evaluation of a community-initiated project designed to enhance African American teens’ self-esteem. This community-initiated project was developed using the tradition of hairbraiding as a key strategy in strengthening self-esteem. In this session we will share a conceptual model of a culturally relevant intervention that promotes teens’ self-esteem. In addition, we will present preliminary results from a formative evaluation that documents the benefits of using hairbraiding as an intervention strategy, identify the strengths of the project, discuss the challenges of designing the evaluation, and identify the future directions of an intervention that incorporates hairbraiding to promote self-esteem.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this session, participants will
• Understand benefits of incorporating hairbraiding as an intervention strategy for fostering positive race identity, social support, skill building, and self-esteem.
• Describe benefits of community-based participatory research when working with African American families.
• Recognize the linkages between theory and practice when developing culturally relevant intervention models.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.