Engaging community to support healthy youth development in rural Honduras: Results from a formative assessment

To gain understanding about the health needs of adolescents residing in rural Honduras, a low-income, resource-poor country, where youth are a large percentage of the population and poverty and economic viability are linked to youth health and well-being.

In 2010/2011, a youth-focused, formative assessment was conducted in 7 rural villages, including key informant interviews with community leaders (n=19) and focus groups with parents (n=4) and youth (n=7) for a total of 109 participants (females=53%; youth=59%). Assessments were conducted in Spanish by bilingual research staff, audio-taped, transcribed, translated and analyzed using a 3-step process for qualitative analysis.

Concerns about longstanding poverty, limited work and educational opportunities, access to potable water and poor nutrition were common. Emerging concerns included substance use, especially marijuana use among young males and shifts in the activity and food environment, with increasing sedentary behavior and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and salty, high-fat snacks. Sports were identified as a community strength, along with institutional support from local churches, schools, health care providers and nongovernmental organizations. Family and parent support were considered critical but often regarded as limited or absent. Interest in providing youth-focused health services, educational support and life-skills training was high. There is an urgent need to address adolescent health in developing countries, especially in rural areas where the interplay of poverty and globalization may be particularly devastating for youth. Study results confirm the importance of community engagement by nursing and other health professionals to inform future programming that is relevant and responsive to community need.