NIH R03: Partners in Research PROJECT NO.
RFA-OD-07-001 Ogca: 108-0917; GAMS:5495
Para un Futuro Mejor
ABSTRACT OF RESEARCH PLAN
Please use this format for your abstract whether or not you use this actual page.
Principal Investigator/Program Director: Maria Idall TOITGS
Project Title: Para un Futuro Mejor
The abstract is a succinct and accurate description of your proposed work, and should be able to stand alone from the application as an
accurate synopsis of your project as it Is included in the IR8 agenda. Please identify your objectives and specific aims, and describe
concisely your methodology for achieving these objectives.
Latina/o adolescents experience higher rates than their non-Latino peers for births, HIV Infection,
and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Despite the significant influence of the Latino family on
adolescent behavior, the role of parent-adolescent communication about sexual health protection has
lot been widely explored. This developmental and exploratory Intervention research will test the
Feasibility of a Photovoice approach to Improve Latino parents' communication with their high school
adolescents about sexuality and sexual health, as well as to increase understanding of the use of
research to support the integration of sexual health education into the high school curriculum. The
mpetus for this intervention emerged from Latino members of the Public Health Club, a student-led
organization at the Springfield High School of Science and Technology. Students from the Public Health
Club sought the support of the University of MassachusettsSchool of Public Health, and the Springfield
Health Center of the Planned ParenthoodLeagueof Massachusetts(PPLM) to pursue their ideas.
The specific alms of this project are: (1) to establish a community partnership in Springfield, MA for
participatory action research and scientific literacy focused on Latino youth sexual health protection,
2) to engage community partners In a participatory-action ethnographic analysis of facilitators and
carriers to Latino/a parent-adolescentcommunication about sexuality, sexual health protection, and
comprehensive sexuality education in high school, and (3) to develop and test the feasibility of an
intervention protocol (Para un Futuro Mejor, or For a Better Future) to educate Latino/a parent-child
dyads about utilizing research data to promote youth sexual health and to increase access to
comprehensive sexual health education in public schools.
rotocols and procedures for the 12-week intervention will be developed in conjunction with PPLMand
the community partnership to ensure feasibility in content, context and process. Intervention
participants will be recruited from the same combined pool of candidates available through the
community partnership. Parents will engage In the own skills training workshops ("Talleres") for the
irst five sessions to build their communication skills and then partner with their adolescent children to
use Photovoice to deliver information about sexual health to peers and other influential in their
community.
Form 441: PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS
PROJECT NIH R03: Partners inResearch PROJECT NO.
Ogca: 108-0917;
RFA-OD-07-001 GAMS:5495
TITLE: Para un Futuro Mejor
Describe the characteristics of the group(s) to be used: (If additionalspace is needed for anHem, usea separate sheet)
a) Sex, race or ethnic group, age range, etc.
All participants in this research will be Latino parents and their adolescents (ages15-
18). Both males and females will be represented in the parents and adolescent groups.
Adolescent children 15to 18years of agewill comprise half of the participants.
Latino/as adolescents (15-18)and their parents or adult caretakers.
b) Affiliation of subjects, e.g..institutions, hospitals, general public, etc.
CHARACTER- Latino/as English Language Learners (ELL) high school students who attend theSpringfield
High School of Science and Technology and their parents or adult caretakers and Latfno/a
parents who receive education or clinicalservices at the Springfield Center of the Planned
Parenthood League of Massachusetts.
ISTICS
OF GROUP(S):
c) Subjects' general state of health (mental andphysical)
Good general health status.
If human subjects are either children, mentally Incompetent, or legally restricted groups give explanation as to:
a) The necessity for using these particular groups
Required to accomplish the goal of the project: develop and test the feasibility of an
intervention protocol to educate Latino/a parent-child dyads about utilizing research
data to promote youth sexual health and to increase access to comprehensive sexual
health education in public schools.
SPECIAL a) Why adult "normal" groups cannot be used (specifically)
GROUPS: The goal of the project can not be accomplished withparents only.
What precautionary measures will be taken to Insure the protection of human subjects on physical, psychological,
social, legal and other Issues?
a) Type of consent to be obtained (written or oral)
Both written and oral formats will be utilized.
TYPE >) How and where will permission be recorded?
Consent forms will be read aloud to the participants, who in turn will follow by reading
t. If they agree to participate, they will be askedto sign the consent forms. At the
beginning of each data collection activity, the interviewer or group facilitator will
confirm confidentiality and the participant's right to refuse participation. English and
Spanish versions of the adult consent form, adolescent assent form, and parental
consent form are included in Appendices A, B, and C, respectively.
OF
CONSENT:
c) If subjects are minors or mentally incompetent, describe how and by whom permission will be
granted?
Parents will be asked to consent to their participation and the participation of their
adolescent. Adolescents will ask to sign a separate agreement for participation. At
each interview, they will be reminded of their agreementand their consent taped
recorded.
What precautions will betaken to safeguard Identifiable records of Individuals? These questions also apply If you
are using secondary sources of data.
a) Consider the long range use of data (by you and others)
To assure adolescent and parent confidentiality and accuracy of information, project
staff will be extensively trained in data collection procedures. To assurethe
confidentiality of all data and to avoid public disclosure of sensitive, personal
information, all data will besafeguarded by assigning Identification numbers to
participants and codes to data forms used for the project. ID numbers and codes will
be used for interviews and project documents, such as transcriptions from education
sessions. Identified documents will be kept in a secured filing cabinet in the Pi's office
at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Sources of data include identification
numbers for interview instruments, transcriptions andother written, visual, andaudio
sources of data. All personal identification datawill bestored on a password protected
removal hard drive. Data from this hard drive will be downloaded weeklyonto the Pi's
desktop computer into a password protected master file. In order to assure security of
the data, we will make weekly backup copies of this master file. Thesecopies will be
stored in a secure area physically separatefrom the data management and analysis
sections of the main project