Development of an eHealth Intervention Prototype to Prevent Health Risk Behaviors Among Hispanic Adolescents: A User-Centered Formative Study

Yannine Estrada (), Alyssa Lozano, Padideh Lovan, Devina J. Boga, Lara Martinuzzi, Jennifer Chavez, Maria I. Tapia, Guillermo Prado and Victoria Behar-Zusman
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Yannine Estrada: School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA
Alyssa Lozano: School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA
Padideh Lovan: Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
Devina J. Boga: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
Lara Martinuzzi: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
Jennifer Chavez: School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA
Maria I. Tapia: School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA
Guillermo Prado: School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA
Victoria Behar-Zusman: School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 12, 1-13

Abstract: Health risk behaviors continue to disproportionately affect Hispanic youth. Despite the existence of successful family and school-based interventions, there is a need for developing and testing individually-based preventive interventions that are easily accessed and widely disseminated. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a prototype (proof of concept) for an individual-level mobile application (app), informed by Hispanic parents and adolescents, to prevent/reduce drug use and sexual risk behaviors among Hispanic youth. An iterative user-centered approach was used to inform the development of the app prototype via focus groups with 66 participants ( n = 46 adolescents, n = 20 parents). A coding team analyzed data from the focus groups and identified major themes. The coding team summarized interview data into sub-categories that yielded five intervention modules for Hispanic adolescents, three more than originally proposed (i.e., drug use and sexual risk behaviors): (1) effective communication, (2) depression, (3) sexual health, (4) drug use, and (5) mindfulness. A mobile application for health risk behaviors can be used as an additional preventive tool to decrease the existing behavioral health disparities among Hispanic youth. Incorporating a user-centered approach to inform development is important for including the needs and voices of this population.

Keywords: Hispanic; adolescents; eHealth; risk behaviors; drug use; prevention (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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