Addressing Substance Use Utilizing a Community-Based Program among Urban Native American Youth Living in Florida

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Substance Abuse Prevention
• Community Psychology

Background:

• Urban Native American youth face unique challenges regarding substance use.
• Existing prevention programs may not adequately address cultural contexts.
• Culturally relevant interventions are needed to promote healthy behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a culturally-based intervention for substance use prevention among urban Native American youth.
• To compare a culturally relevant intervention (Native-Reliance) with a non-culturally based intervention.

Main Methods:

• Study conducted in Florida with two urban Native American youth programs.
• Sample recruitment utilized convenience and snowballing strategies.
• Random assignment of program sites to either the culturally-based intervention or a control condition.

Main Results:

• The culturally-based intervention (UTC) was significantly more effective than the control (SE) in reducing substance use interest.
• The culturally-based intervention also led to improvements in general well-being.
• Evidence supports the efficacy of culturally-tailored approaches.

Conclusions:

• Culturally-based interventions are effective for substance use prevention in urban Native American youth.
• Leveraging Native American strengths, values, and beliefs promotes healthy behaviors.
• Prevention programs should integrate cultural relevance to reduce harm from high-risk behaviors.