Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #110078

Juan Negrón, MPH, PhDc¹, Rafaela R. Robles, EdD², Juan C. Reyes, EdD², Yesenia Delgado, BA¹, Héctor M. Colón, PhD², José M. Calderón, MS³, Tomás D. Matos, MS², and C. Amalia Marrero, MPH². (1) Center for Addiction Studies, Universidad Central del Caribe, School of Medicine, Call Box 60327, Bayamón, PR 00960-3062, 787-288-0200, jnegron@uccaribe.edu, (2) Center for Addiction Studies, School of Medicine, Universidad Central del Caribe, PO Box 60327, Bayamón, PR 00960-6032, (3) Center for Addiction Studies, Universidad Central del Caribe, P.O. Box 60327, Bayamón, 00960-6032

The need of situating quantitative indicators of risk in their proper social contexts has fueled a growing interest in incorporating qualitative methods in HIV and substance abuse prevention research. However, concrete examples on how qualitative methods are incorporated in research design to interact with and complement quantitative methods are rarely described. The focus of this paper is to describe a methodological strategy by which qualitative data can be used to expand, clarify and interpret epidemiological information. The discussion centers on the development of a qualitative approach used in exploring adolescent's initiation and progression into substance use and HIV risk behaviors. Quantitative data from a prospective study on risk and resilience to drug use conducted with 586 Hispanic/Latino families living in poor neighborhoods in Puerto Rico are used in identifying thematic domains employed in the conceptualization of the in-depth interview protocol. The resulting open-ended interview is used to elicit information related to specific contexts in which behavioral transitions of substance abuse and HIV risks occur from a subsample of 40 adolescents (50% boys and 50% girls), age 12 to 15, identified as having initiated alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. All adolescents will be interviewed five times over a period of 2.5 years. Qualitative data are used in turn to interpret and expand those models by contextualizing patterns, trends and statistical associations. By reviewing the role of qualitative methods in the production and interpretation of data, we underscore the need of multimethod research to address the complex interaction of factors influencing drug use and HIV risk behaviors.

Learning Objectives:

• 1)To recognize the relevance of multimethod approach in HIV and substance abuse prevention research.
• 2)To describe the role of qualitative methods in the interpretation of epidemiological data.
• 3)To discuss the factors that influence adolescent’s initiation and progression into substance use and HIV risk behaviors.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.