A quasi-experimental evaluation of a community-based HIV prevention intervention for Mexican American female adolescents: the SHERO's program

AIDS Educ Prev. 2009 Oct;21(5 Suppl):109-23. doi: 10.1521/aeap.2009.21.5_supp.109.

Abstract

This article describes a quasi-experimental evaluation of a community-based, culturally and ecologically tailored HIV prevention intervention for Mexican American female adolescents grounded in the AIDS risk reduction model. A total of 378 Mexican American female adolescents (mean age = 15.2) participated in either the nine-session SHERO's (a female-gendered version of the word hero) intervention or a single session information-only HIV prevention intervention. Assessment data were collected at pretest, posttest, and 2-month follow up. Significant improvements across all time points were revealed on measures of self-esteem, condom attitudes, beliefs regarding a woman's control of her sexuality, beliefs regarding sexual assault, perceived peer norms, and HIV/AIDS and STI knowledge. At posttest SHERO's participants were more likely to carry condoms and to report abstaining from vaginal sex in the previous 2 months; and at 2-month follow up they reported using condoms more often in the preceding 2 months and planned on using them more frequently in the coming 2 months. Findings support the development of community-based adolescent HIV prevention interventions that address culturally specific ecological factors.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adolescent Behavior / psychology
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Community Health Services / organization & administration
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • HIV Infections / ethnology
  • HIV Infections / prevention & control*
  • Health Education / methods*
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  • Health Promotion / methods
  • Humans
  • Mexican Americans / statistics & numerical data*
  • North Carolina
  • Poverty
  • Program Evaluation / methods
  • Risk Reduction Behavior
  • Sexual Behavior / ethnology*
  • Urban Population
  • Young Adult