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Abstract
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Substance use prevention interventions include an array of different programs, strategies, systems, and policies designed to reduce adolescent substance use initiation, frequency, and associated harms. These interventions, generally implemented in schools, families, and communities, target specific risk factors (e.g., peer influence, family conflict) while promoting protective factors (e.g., clear health behavior standards, proactive family communication) to prevent or decrease substance use [[1]]. Informed by behavior change theories, effective interventions are delivered by trained facilitators who employ various preventive strategies (e.g., skills training, role modeling) and evidence-based approaches (e.g., motivational interviewing, social norming).
Although several evidence-based preventive interventions (EBPIs) have demonstrated efficacy among Latino/a (i.e., an individual of Latin American origin or descent) youth populations in the United States, further research and evaluation efforts are needed to assess their suitability in different contexts, particularly Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries [[2]]. Given that LAC ranks among the top three regions worldwide regarding healthy life years lost due to substance use disorders (Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, 2020), there is an urgent need to enhance efforts to address substance use-related consequences through culturally tailored EBPIs [[3]]. In this context, cultural adaptation may serve as an ideal method for optimizing the contextual fit of EBPIs and for empowering local LAC researchers, stakeholders, and informed citizens engaged in the field of applied prevention science.
Cultural adaptation involves adjusting EBPIs to align with a specific population's cultural beliefs, values, and practices [[4]]. Two types of adaptations commonly discussed in the prevention science literature are surface-level adaptations (e.g., translation of materials, use of culturally appropriate images) and structure-level adaptations (e.g., incorporation of traditional family practices, adjustment of intervention content to align with cultural values) [[5]]. In substance use prevention, cultural factors are essential to incorporate into evidence-based programs so that target populations will consume the intervention content. Especially, among Latinos/as (i.e., a group of individuals of Latin American origin or descent, also known as Hispanics or Latinx, as described in the literature), cultural norms, traditions, and social dynamics within peer and family contexts might influence substance use patterns and levels of related risk and protective factors [[6]]. By targeting and incorporating these sociocultural influences, EBPIs can integrate more appropriate prevention strategies and content, thereby effectively addressing the prevalent etiological factors in a given cultural context ...
Language: en |