The effectiveness of a joint mother–daughter sexual health program for Latina early adolescents☆

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2013.10.001Get rights and content

Highlights

  • •

    A joint mother–daughter program for Latina early adolescents was evaluated.

  • •

    The program was a cultural adaptation of successful youth only program.

  • •

    Evidence of increased knowledge about HIV for both mothers and daughters

  • •

    Evidence of improved communication about sexual health and HIV transmission

  • •

    Daughters reported more positive attitudes toward future condom use.

Abstract

A culturally and cognitively adapted joint mother–daughter sexual health and HIV transmission curriculum was implemented for 96 Latina early adolescents and their mothers (48 mother–daughter dyads). Pretest and posttest surveys, interviews, and observations of participants' conversations about AIDS were used to assess program effectiveness in increasing knowledge and communication about sexuality and HIV transmission, and fostering daughters' positive attitudes toward using condoms in the future. At posttest, mothers and daughters reported an increase in the frequency of home communication about sexual topics and openness in general communication. Systematic observational analysis of videotaped mother–daughter conversations about AIDS revealed that, compared to the pretest, daughters were more engaged in posttest conversations as evidenced by an increase in their spontaneous sharing of information about HIV transmission and their offering of opinions. In addition, the posttest conversations focused on a broader discussion of HIV transmission risk behavior including condom use as a protective measure. Mothers who knew more about HIV transmission at posttest, and who reported more openness in general communication with daughters at posttest, asked their daughters more questions in the conversations about what they had learned in the program. Daughters who contributed more information and opinions to the posttest conversations, who were more knowledgeable about HIV transmission at posttest, and who reported more home communication about sexual topics in the posttest, also reported more positive attitudes toward using condoms in the future.

Section snippets

The benefits of family-based intervention prevention programs

In the area of pregnancy/HIV prevention, active parental involvement in the sexual health education of their early adolescents has been shown to have an impact on adolescents' knowledge about sexual health and avoidance of sexual risk behavior. For example, Lederman, Chan, and Roberts-Gray (2004) found that middle school students who participated with their parents in a sexual health program with interactive parent–child activities showed increased knowledge postintervention about the

Sample and participant selection

Participants were 48 Latina mothers and their early adolescent daughters (48 dyads = 96 participants). The mothers were recruited from schools and local community centers in neighborhoods that serve low-income families. The study was presented in two parent meetings with about 65 mothers present. Some of the mothers were approached about the study when they picked up their daughters from community center activities. We estimate that about 95 mothers were made aware about the study and among

Changes in self-reported communication

Paired-sample t-tests were conducted to examine changes in self-reported frequency of home communication about sexual topics and open general communication (Table 1). Daughters and mothers reported an increase in the frequency of communication about sexual topics at the posttest compared to the pretest, daughters, t(1,44) = 4.82, p < 001; mothers, t(1,45) = 5.25, p < 001. Both daughters and mothers reported more open general communication at posttest, compared to pretest daughters, t(1,47) = 2.05, p = 

Discussion

Parent–adolescent sexual health programs designed specifically for Latino populations are rare. This study brought together two existing curricula into a single program, a shortened version of a mother–daughter sexual health program that had not been evaluated with Latinas (Growing Together) and a classroom-based HIV transmission prevention curriculum designed for young adolescents (Think Biology). A Spanish translation of the Growing Together program is available but there are no published

References (50)

  • S.M. Blake et al.

    Effects of a parent-child communication intervention on young adolescents’ risk for early onset of sexual behavior

    Family Planning Perspectives

    (2001)
  • J.D. Bransford et al.

    How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school: Expanded edition

    (2000)
  • F.G. Castro et al.

    The cultural adaptation of prevention interventions: Resolving tensions between fidelity and fit

    Prevention Science

    (2004)
  • F.G. Castro et al.

    Ethnic pride, traditional family values, and acculturation in early cigarette and alcohol use among Latino adolescents

    The Journal of Primary Prevention

    (2009)
  • R.F. Catalano et al.

    Positive Youth Development in the United States: Research findings on evaluations of positive youth development programs

    Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science

    (2004)
  • A.M. Cauce et al.

    Latino families: Myths and realities

  • S.D. Datta et al.

    Gonorrhea and chlamydia in the United States among persons 14 to 39 years of age, 1999 to 2002

    Annals of Internal Medicine

    (2007)
  • R. Dutra et al.

    The process and content of sexual communication with adolescents in two-parent families: Associations with sexual risk-taking behavior

    AIDS and Behavior

    (1999)
  • P. East et al.

    Positive adolescent sexuality as evident in consistent and reliable contraceptive use: A study of sexually active Latino and non-Latino youths' contraceptive behavior

    Sexuality Research and Social Policy: Journal of NSRC

    (2005)
  • A.J. Fuligni et al.

    Attitudes toward family obligations among American adolescents with Asian, Latin American and European backgrounds

    Child Development

    (1999)
  • M.L. Gilliam et al.

    Interpersonal and personal factors influencing sexual debut among Mexican–American young women in the United States

    Journal of Adolescent Health

    (2007)
  • V. Guilamo-Ramos et al.

    Parent adolescent communication about sex in Latino families: A guide for practitioners

  • V. Guilamo-Ramos et al.

    The content and process of mother–adolescent communication about sex in Latino families

    Social Work Research

    (2006)
  • V. Guilamo-Ramos et al.

    Parental expertise, trustworthiness, and accessibility: Parent-adolescent communication and adolescent risk behavior

    Journal of Marriage and Family

    (2006)
  • B.L. Guzman et al.

    Let's talk about sex: How comfortable discussions about sex impact teen sexual behavior

    Journal of Health Communication

    (2003)

    • Cited by (14)

    • Mother-child relationships

      2023, Encyclopedia of Child and Adolescent Health, First Edition

    • Parental practices and adolescent health

      2023, Encyclopedia of Child and Adolescent Health, First Edition

    • Adolescent Latinas’ with Diabetes and Their Mothers’ Understanding of Diabetes and Reproductive Health: Converging Themes to Inform a Culturally Sensitive Preconception Counseling Program

      2021, Journal of Pediatric Health Care
      Citation Excerpt :

      Studies evaluated different mother–daughter communication programs on teen pregnancy, conception use, STDs, and risky sexual behavior (Guilamo-Ramoset al., 2011a; Guilamo-Ramos et al., 2011b). For example, in a study conducted by Romo et al. (2014) that evaluated the effectiveness of culturally adapted mother–daughter sexual health program for Latina early adolescents showed Latina adolescents who received the program compared with those who did not receive the program had increased knowledge and open communication about sexuality and HIV transmission and fostered positive attitudes toward using condoms in the future (Romo et al., 2014). Different daughter-parental communication styles appeared within our sample; some mothers were authoritative, which could inhibit the discussion, whereas others used an open approach.

    • Positive Youth Development and Contraceptive Use Consistency

      2016, Journal of Pediatric Health Care
      Citation Excerpt :

      The literature on positive youth development indicates that parent-child communication is also linked with positive developmental outcomes among adolescents. A large body of evidence suggests that adolescents whose parents communicate with them about contraception before initiation of sexual activity are more likely to use contraception consistently than do those whose parents do not communicate with them about contraceptives at all (Dilorio, Kelley, & Hockenberry-Eaton, 1999; Miller, Levin, Whitaker, & Xu, 1998; Romo, Bravo & Tschann, 2014); therefore, fostering good communication about contraceptive use and sexual issues between adolescents and their parents is recommended as an effective means to encourage teens to use contraceptive more effectively (Dilorio et al., 1999; Romo et al., 2014). Also relevant to the PYD construct of connectedness is our finding that involvement in more stable romantic relationships was associated with decreased odds of consistent condom use among participants, indicating that adolescent girls in stable relationships were less likely to use condoms consistently.

    • Development and implementation of a worksite-based intervention to improve mothers’ knowledge, attitudes, and skills in sharing information with their adolescent daughters on preventing sexual violence: lessons learned in a developing setting, Sri Lanka

      2024, BMC Public Health

    • Processes Underlying Mexican Adolescents’ Sexual Behaviors and Intentions: Examining the Roles of Familial Cultural Values and Parental Monitoring

      2023, Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology
    View all citing articles on Scopus
    ☆

    This research was supported by a William T. Grant Foundation Scholar's Award to the first author.

    View full text
    Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.