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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Enrique Suarez, MD, SADEC/FEMAP, Executive Director, Av. Plutarco Elias Calles No. 744 Nte., Col. Progresista, Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, (656) 616-0833, esuarez@femap.org, Maria Eugenia Parra López, BS, SADEC/FEMAP, Av. Plutarco Elias Calles No. 744 Nte., Col. Progresista, Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua, 32310, Mexico, Adriana Peña, BS, SADEC/FEMAP, Directora de Investigacion, Av. Plutarco Elias Calles No. 744 Nte., Col. Progresista, Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, and Larry K. Olsen, DrPH, CHES, Department of Health Science, New Mexico State University, College of Health and Social Services, MSC 3446, 1335 International Mall, PO Box 30001, Las Cruces, NM 88011.

Background: Many youth in Juárez are not in school and face many health and social problems.

Purpose: The purpose was to gather risk data from youth felt to be at high risk for health and social problems.

Significance: This study represents the seminal attempt to gather health risk information from high risk youth in Ciudad, Juárez, Mexico.

Methods: At risk youth aged 6 – 17 years of age were identified, those who: a) were working packing groceries in stores and supermarkets, b) were living in special group homes for the homeless, c) who have experienced legal problems, d) are working on the streets, and e) have been illegally in the US and have returned to Mexico. This latter group was not well identified and was eliminated from the study. A 132 item risk behavior inventory was developed and pretested. Individuals were trained to conduct face-to-face interviews.

Selected Findings: 2670 youth were interviewed and answered all items. 8.5% did not live with either parent, 14.2% felt their parents did not want them; 25.6% had been involved in some sort of violence situation; 9.4% had carried weapons as protection; 23.7% had ridden with a drinking driver; 8.9% indicated they were sexually active, 4.3% had been forced to have sex; 5% had been asked by a family member to have sex; 8.2% had used illegal drugs.

Conclusions: Identification of these behaviors provided an opportunity to develop interventions to develop targeted intervention programs in situations with limited monetary and personnel resources.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will describe the magnitude of youth at risk in Juarez, Mexico.
• Participants will describe the types of risk behaviors in which high risk youth in Juarez engage.
• Participants will explain how to develop out-of-school programs that can alter the risk behaviors of out-of-school youth in an international setting.

Keywords: Risk Taking Behavior, Youth

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered