238835 Using film-making to engage Native American youth in reproductive health improvement

Tuesday, November 1, 2011: 2:50 PM

William E. Lambert, PhD , Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR
Nichole Hildebrandt, BS , Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR
Stephanie N. Craig-Rushing, PhD, MPH , Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, Portland, OR
Carol J. Grimes, MPH , Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, Portland
Angela Mendez, MSEd , Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Health and Human Services, Fort Hall, OR
Tosha Zaback, MPH , Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR
     
Background: Native American youth are more likely to be sexually active, and demonstrate a higher prevalence of STDs and HIV/AIDS in both rural and urban settings. Further, the use of illicit substances is high in Native teens, putting them at additional risk for STDs, HIV, teen pregnancy and sexual violence.

Methods: “Native STAND”, an adaptation of the STAND curriculum previously demonstrated to be effective in rural Georgia, has been implemented for 40 Native teens in a Jr/Sr high school in a Northwest reservation community. We are evaluating the curriculum to determine its effectiveness in the domains of academic enrichment, life skills, personal development and enrichment. An additional innovation is skill development in film-making, with the intent to empower youth to create risk messages for peers that are relevant to the perspectives of Native teens and result in diffusion to other tribal communities. Several short films have been produced to date and students have participated in a regional film festival.

Results: This prevention education intervention is in its first year, and we will present baseline measures of knowledge, attitudes and behaviors, as well as examples of student film projects.

Conclusions/Discussion: The combination of film-making and media literacy with conventional classroom sexual health education shows potential for ensuring engagement and retention of youth, and provides a means for dissemination of risk messages to peers.

Learning Areas:
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Program planning

Learning Objectives:
1. Explain the process of adapting and delivering health behavior change curriculum to Native American teens. 2. Discuss ways to incorporate film-making into peer education.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the principal investigator of the H.E.Y. Project (Healthy Empowered Youth) conducted in partnership with a tribal reservation community in the Pacific Northwest. I have experience in all aspects of this community participatory reserch project, including design and protocol development, IRB submission,data collection and analysis.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Community Engagement and Empowerment: Indigenous Examples of Community Based and Community Led Projects
See more of: American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Caucus