Adapting a Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention Intervention Among Female Adolescents in Hawai'i.

Epidemiological data suggest that Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Asian American (NHPIA) adolescent females in Hawai'i are at elevated risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). These data also indicate that teen girls in Hawai'i are more likely to engage in high-risk sexual behaviors than boys. Despite this compelling evidence, there is a paucity of published research on effective STI prevention protocols that target NHPIA female adolescents. In light of this need, the purpose of this study was to adapt an evidence-based, group-level STI behavioral prevention intervention targeting local NHPIA adolescent girls in Hawai'i for implementation by community-based organizations (CBOs). This article describes the adaptation of an evidence-based STI prevention intervention in partnership with a CBO, using a locally modified ADAPT-ITT model as a basis for the adaptation process. This research consisted of two phases: (1) development of an initial test version of an adapted intervention and (2) the development of the final version of the adapted intervention, Girl Power Hawai'i. The results provide the empirical and foundational research necessary for a tailored intervention that can be readily implemented by CBOs for local teen girls in Hawai'i.

Ethnic and gender differences in ideal body size and related attitudes among Asians, Native Hawaiians, and Whites.

Often overlooked explanations for the varied obesity rates across ethno-cultural groups include differences in attitudes toward excess weight, with certain populations assumed to have larger ideal body sizes (IBS). Past studies found ethnic and gender difference in IBS across and within different groups. This study examined the effects of ethnicity and gender, and their interaction, in accounting for differences in IBS and attitudes toward those ideals. Multiple regression analyses were used to better understand the effects of ethnicity and gender in accounting for differences in perceived IBS according to ethnic-specific and Western ideals and attitudes in 1,124 people of Native Hawaiian, Filipino, Japanese, and White ancestry. The analyses controlled for socio-demographics, body mass index, health-related behaviors, and psychosocial variables. The results indicated that Native Hawaiians selected larger ethnic IBS, Filipinos selected smaller ethnic IBS, and Native Hawaiians selected slightly smaller Western IBS than other ethnic groups. Overall, males selected larger IBS compared to females. Interaction analyses indicated that the relationship between ethnic IBS and attitude toward that IBS varied as a function of ethnicity, such that Native Hawaiians who selected a larger ethnic IBS held less favorable attitudes toward that IBS. The discrepancy between Native Hawaiians' selection of larger ethnic IBS as ideal and their less positive attitude toward that selection warrants more investigation. However, it does suggest that Native Hawaiians, on a personal level, do not prefer larger body sizes, which contradicts their perceptions of social norms. These findings have important implications for obesity interventions among Native Hawaiians.

Self-consciousness and social anxiety in youth: the Revised Self-Consciousness Scales for Children.

Despite the established relationship between self-consciousness (SC) and anxiety and depression in adults, there is a paucity of research examining SC in children and adolescents. We therefore sought to examine the factor structure, reliability, and validity of scores for a revised version of the Self-Consciousness Scales for Children, a measure of SC in youth. The Revised Self-Consciousness Scale for Children (R-SCS-C) was examined in 2 studies using a community sample of children and adolescents. In the 1st study, 1,207 youth (685 girls) ages 7 to 18 completed the R-SCS-C as well as measures of imaginary audience, anxiety, depression, and positive and negative affect. Results of an exploratory factor analysis of the R-SCS-C conducted on a randomly selected subsample (n = 603) supported a 3-factor solution, including the subscales of Public Self-Consciousness, Private Self-Consciousness, and Social Anxiety. A subsequent confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) conducted on the remaining half of the sample (n = 604) revealed that this model fit the data well. Additionally, subsequent multigroup CFAs by gender and age demonstrated good model fit across both gender and younger (ages 7 to 12 years) and older (ages 13 to 18 years) cohorts. In the 2nd study, 245 youth completed the R-SCS-C twice, approximately 2 weeks apart. The R-SCS-C scores in these samples demonstrated acceptable internal consistency, convergent and divergent validity, and test-retest reliability. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.