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311019
“Being friends with our body”: Promoting a healthy sexuality in Puerto Rican female adolescents
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Elaine Cray, MPHE
,
Department of Social Sciences, University of Puerto Rico-Graduate School of Public Health, Smyrna, GA, Georgia
Ivelisse García- Meléndez, MS, EdD
,
Graduate School of Public Health, Professor Head of Department of Social Sciences, Curriculum & Evaluation Office Director, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, PR
Marcilyn Colón-Colón, MPH, MA
,
School of Public Health, University of Puerto Rico-Graduate School of Public Health, San Juan, PR
The World Health Organization (WHO) positions sexual health as an experience of the continuous process of physical, psychological and sociocultural wellness. In Puerto Rico, the rates for STI, HIV and unwanted pregnancies point out towards sexual health as being a critical public health issue. Objective: To adapt the article “Waking up without strings: The right to pleasure during adolescence” in order to address linguistic and cultural needs of Puerto Rican adolescents’ sexual health. Method:Mixed methods were used to determine health literacy levels in the article according to Nutbeam’s model. A Panel of experts assessed the adequacy of the adapted material using the Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM) instrument and its legibility with the SMOG Readability Formula. Results: The adapted material was written using active voice verbs, a conversational tone and a logical sequence. The reading level was deemed inadequate because it was written at a 10th grade level, which limited text comprehension. In addition, the experts recommended a revision on metaphoric language, and the inclusion of examples and modeled behaviors that relate directly to the sociocultural reality of Puerto Rican female adolescents. Conclusion: “Being friends with our body” is a valuable resource for self-care that impacts reflection, behavior modification and perceived control on adolescents’ sexual health to achieve a healthy sexuality.
Learning Areas:
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Learning Objectives:
Describe the health literacy demand in an adapted educational material.
Keyword(s): Health Literacy, Adolescents
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I develop this project as a co investigator with a health education master degree student in University of Puerto Rico. Among my interests has been development of health education strategies and its process and outcome evaluation. Also I offer Evaluation of Health Education Iniciatives course and advise the Instituto Latinoamericano de Comunicación en Salud of the University of Puerto Rico in evaluation initiatives.
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.
