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

Abstract #117340

Katherine (Katie) Riley, EdD¹, Jennifer N. Rough, BA², L. Kris Gowen, PhD, EdM³, and Ramona Beltran, MSW¹. (1) Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, CB669, Portland, OR 97239-3098, 503-494-2556, rileyk@ohsu.edu, (2) Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, 8150 SW Barnes Rd. Apt #E303, Portland, OR 97225, (3) FACCT, 1200 NW Naito Parkway, Suite 470, Portland, OR 97212

The Parent/Teen Communication Enhancement project is designed to improve communication between parents and their teenagers and, through improved communication, to reduce the risk of negative behaviors. Studies have shown that teens who talk with their parents are less likely to engage in risky behaviors. In a panel of high school students conducted by the Adolescent Risky Behavior Section (ARB) of the Oregon Public Health Association (OPHA) at the OPHA fall 2003 conference, the students overwhelmingly agreed that the best prevention for risky behaviors was to increase parent/youth communication. The ARB members have been working with the Oregon Partnership, the African American Health Coalition, and the Susannah Marie Guillere (SMG) Foundation (a Latino group) to design a study that will enhance communication between parents and their teenagers.

During the first phase of this project focus groups were conducted with parents of teenagers regarding barriers to communication through four focus groups. Parents of teenagers were invited to participate in the focus groups for a one to one and one-half hour period. Focus group questions address the topics of patterns of communication with their teenager, barriers to communication, the ability to discuss the topics of substance use and abuse, and desired ways to break down communication barriers. The focus groups were conducted in English for white and black parents and in Spanish for Spanish-speaking parents. General themes will be discussed as well as those from black, white, and Latino parents.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the attendees will be able to

• identify general themes of barriers that parents experience in communicating with their teens regarding ATOD and other risky behavior issues.
• identify unique barriers that white, black, and Latino parents experience in communicating with their teens.

Keywords: Adolescents, Communication

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.