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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Brian Dodge, PhD¹, Omar Martinez¹, Ellen Lopez, PhD, MPH, Dolores Albarracin, PhD³, and Michael Reece, PhD⁴. (1) College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, 101 S. Newell Drive, HPNP 4179, Gainesville, FL 32611, 352-273-6086, bdodge@phhp.ufl.edu, (2) Department of Psychology, University of Florida, 114 Psychology, Gainesville, FL 32611, (3) Dept of Applied Health Science, Indiana University-Bloomington, 1025 E. 7th St, HPER 116, Bloomington, IN 47405

Background: The state of Florida is exceptionally diverse in terms of its ethnic makeup. Latino/a youth comprise approximately 23% of the state's public school student body and far exceed the number of non-Latino/a students in sections of South and Central Florida. High rates of HIV/AIDS, STI, and unintended pregnancies are heavily concentrated among Latino/a young adults in these areas. Little is known about what is being taught in Florida's public schools to prepare Latino/a youth for these public health challenges and whether these students have access to materials which are appropriate in terms of language and culture. Methods: We conducted a statewide assessment of sexuality education curricula in Florida's public schools using survey methodology. All materials were translated from English to Spanish, and back-translated for reliability purposes. English- and Spanish-language questionnaires were mailed to all teachers in the state of Florida with primary Department of Education teaching codes of "health and physical education" and "family and consumer sciences." Findings: Both Latino/a and non-Latino/a teachers cited the lack of Spanish-language materials for use in their sexuality education classes. Teachers also noted the absence of formal sexuality education curricula targeted toward Latino/a youth. Discussion: The lack of Spanish-language materials in sexuality education classes may lead to a lack of comprehension of materials by students whose primary language is Spanish, particularly recent immigrant youth. State and local school health officials should focus on creating culturally and linguistically appropriate sexuality education curricula to address the needs of Latino/a students in Florida's public schools.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the need for an assessment of sexuality education in Florida, given the relatively high rates of negative sexual health outcomes (HIV/AIDS, STI, and unintended pregnancies),
• Recognize that in Florida Latino/a individuals comprise a significant percentage of the population, particularly in urban areas in South and Central Florida, and that they bear disproportionately high rates of negative sexual health outcomes,
• Comprehend that large numbers of non-English-speaking Latino/a youth attend public schools and are not able to receive adequate educational resources in Spanish,
• Learn that both Latino/a and non-Latino/a sexuality educators in Florida have cited that curriculum materials are often not available in English and Spanish,
• Challenge current policies which neglect to incorporate linguistically- and culturally-appropriate sexuality education materials for the large number of Latino/a students in Florida classrooms.

Keywords: Latino, School Health Educators

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No