Using the Healthy Native Youth Implementation Toolbox to Provide Web-Based Adolescent Health Promotion Decision...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Equity
• Adolescent Health

Background:

• American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth face significant health disparities in sexual, reproductive, and mental health.
• Culturally relevant, evidence-based programs are crucial for mitigating these inequities.
• Barriers often hinder the adoption and implementation of adolescent health programs in AI/AN communities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the user reach and engagement of the Healthy Native Youth (HNY) website and HNY Implementation Toolbox.
• To assess the effectiveness of web-based decision support in promoting adolescent health programming for AI/AN communities.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Google Analytics to track website and Toolbox usage from January 2022 to January 2024.
• Promotional strategies targeted Tribal organizations, opinion leaders, and federal stakeholders via various networks.
• User reach and engagement were analyzed based on demographics, geographic location, visit frequency, duration, and tool access.

Main Results:

• HNY website and Toolbox page views increased 10-fold and 27-fold, respectively.
• Approximately 1 in 8 HNY website users accessed the Toolbox.
• The 'Gather' phase and 'Community Needs and Resource Assessment' tool were most frequently accessed and downloaded, indicating user engagement with early implementation stages.

Conclusions:

• The HNY website and Toolbox demonstrate growing reach and engagement among AI/AN educators.
• Web-based decision support can facilitate the adoption and implementation of culturally relevant adolescent health programs.
• These tools hold potential for increasing health equity among AI/AN youth.