Prevention is a privilege: Implementing drug-free community coalitions in Black communities.

Community-based interventions for youth substance use prevention require high levels of capacity to organize and coordinate community resources to support youth development and create opportunities to prevent youth substance use. This project aimed to better understand what Black prevention practitioners perceive as the requirements for a successful drug-free community coalition. Black prevention practitioners, who were engaged in drug-free community funded coalitions, had discussions about coalitions as a strategy for youth substance use prevention in Black communities. These facilitated discussions resulted in consensus over a set of nine core principles regarding successful youth substance use prevention coalition building in these communities.

Marijuana risk perceptions are associated with past-month marijuana use among Black first-year college students at a historically Black university.

To examine the relationship between marijuana risk perceptions and marijuana use, and assess the potential moderating role of stress among Black students from a historically Black university, a convenience sample of students (n = 213) was surveyed. The majority (87.9%) of the sample was Black and 52% were female. Over a third (35.1%) reported past 30-day marijuana use, and a majority (58.4%) reported no or slight risk from using marijuana once or twice weekly. Higher marijuana risk perceptions were associated with lower odds of marijuana use (OR = .45, 95% CI [0.32, 0.64]). No significant relationship between stress and marijuana use was found. Perception of marijuana risk warrants further examination as a predictor of marijuana use.

The Need for Marijuana Perceived Risk Interventions Targeting College Students at a Historically Black College and University.

The purpose of this pilot study was to test a peer-led Hip-Hop Development Model (HHD) prevention intervention designed to increase the perceived risk from drug use for undergraduate college students attending a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). The HHD model was used to develop prevention messaging to increase the perceived risk from drug use. This study examined the following outcomes of peer-group-based development of public service announcements grounded in HHD: (1) feasibility, (2) acceptability, and (3) potential for immediate posttest and 1-year impact on perceived risk from marijuana use. Findings indicated that the college students were able to produce public service announcements over the course of a semester that could be broadcast to other students on campus. At the 1-year follow-up, perceived risk from marijuana use was significantly higher than at baseline. Perceived risk from marijuana use at baseline was low with 36% of participants who responded moderate or great risk which increased to 63% at immediate and 50% at 1-year posttest. This small pilot study provides insights into what is needed to implement and evaluate youth-targeted marijuana prevention messaging, in a context of rapid increase in the liberalization of adult marijuana use across the United States.

Psychological Violence and Sexual Risk Behavior Among Predominantly African American Women.

Physical and sexual violence are commonly researched as risk factors for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However, psychological violence and its relationship with HIV risk behaviors have received limited attention among African American/Black (Black) women. This study examined (a) the frequency of recent (past 3 months) psychological violence, physical violence, and sexual violence and (b) the association of HIV risk behaviors, including unprotected sex, sex under the influence of alcohol/drugs, and sex exchange for money/drugs/shelter, with psychological violence. Participants included 191 women (89.2% Black), who were recruited through information sessions held at community centers, Parent Teacher Association meetings, substance use and HIV counseling centers, radio public service announcements, and word of mouth. Interested women participated in a multisession HIV and substance use prevention program and completed a self-reported assessment at program baseline. The current study utilized baseline data collected for a longitudinal study. Results from descriptive analysis indicated that the rate of psychological violence was higher than physical violence or sexual violence, and it was strongly associated with physical and sexual violence. Furthermore, hierarchical logistic regression analysis showed that unprotected sex was significantly associated with recent psychological violence after controlling for covariates. Findings suggest that recent psychological violence is more common than physical or sexual violence and it relates to sexual risk behaviors among Black women. Recent psychological violence may indicate psychosocial and sexual vulnerability for HIV and warrants particular attention among Black women.

The Impact of Spirituality and Religiosity on Unprotected Sex for Adult Women.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the relationship of spirituality and religiosity with sexual behavioral self-efficacy in predicting recent unprotected sex in a sample of adult women, predominantly comprised of African Americans. METHODS: Data were collected from a sample of 171 adult women via a paper-and-pencil questionnaire. We conducted a path analysis to test the proposed relationships. RESULTS: An increase in both religiosity and spirituality predicted a decrease in number of types of recent unprotected sex, indirectly through sexual behavior self-efficacy. All indirect effects were similar in magnitude. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that religiosity and spirituality are both associated with unprotected sex through sexual self-efficacy among African-American women. Faith-based strategies warrant further examination as components of sexual risk reduction efforts for this population.

Hip-hop to prevent substance use and HIV among African-American youth: a preliminary investigation.

Substance use and HIV risk behaviors are increasing among African-American youth. Interventions that incorporate youth values and beliefs are needed to reduce this trajectory. Hip-hop plays an important role in the lives of many African-American youth and provides a context within which to prevent risky behaviors. The current study examines the efficacy of a hip-hop based substance use and HIV preventive intervention that targets African-American middle-school youth. The sample consists of 68 middle-school students who completed baseline and 6-month follow-up assessments. Findings suggest that students in the intervention group were significantly more likely to have higher knowledge of perception of drug risk and more knowledge about HIV/AIDS compared to students in the comparison group at the 6-month post-intervention assessment. Discussion is centered on implications of hip-hop as a viable approach for preventing substance use and HIV within a high-risk group.