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Esmeralda Iniguez, Center for Behavioral and Community Health Studies, San Diego State University/University of California San Diego, 9245 Sky Park Court, Ste 221, San Diego, CA 92123, (619) 594-2050, esiniguez@yahoo.com, Adriana Villasenor, BS, Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, 9245 Sky Park Court, Ste. 221, San Diego, CA 92123, Jeanette I. Candelaria, MPH, Center for Behavioral and Community Health Studies, San Diego State University Foundation - Project FUERTE, 9245 Sky Park Court, Ste. 221, San Diego, CA 92123, and John Elder, PhD, MPH, Center for Behavioral and Community Health Studies, San Diego State University, 9245 Sky Park Court, Suite 221, San Diego, CA 92123.
The present study is a randomized controlled trial designed to recruits urban high school students and train them to mentor and teach middle school students about the dangers of tobacco and ways to prevent peer and other pressures to smoke. All participating high school students underwent an extensive training prior to mentoring middle school students. Some of the topics addressed during the training of high school students were improving self-esteem, family communication, and how to encourage middle school student parents to support their children to remain smoke free. Throughout their participation in the program high school students were required to complete a series of surveys. These surveys collected data on general demographics, smoking history, self-esteem, acculturation, and future educational plans. A total of 58 high school students participated in the study. Of these most were female (81%, n=47), 1st or 2nd generation (94.8%), and of Hispanic descent (93.1%). A majority of the participating students (74.1%), were either in the 9th or 10th grades. Preliminary results showed that greater than 89% of the high school students were satisfied with the staff trainers, while greater than 82% agreed that the training they received was adequate and sufficient to be able to mentor middle school students. High school students’ beliefs that their mentoring helped the middle school student not to smoke, was high (79.4%). Their beliefs that they were able to apply what they learned to everyday life was also high (82.8%). The present paper will examine the impact of the intervention on the high school students’ self-esteem, self-efficacy, family support and conflict, and their susceptibility to smoke, in addition to other issues related to their satisfaction with project.
Learning Objectives:
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.