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In CA, there are over 100 federally recognized tribes with more than 85 reservations/Rancherias throughout the state. AI youth have the highest smoking rates when compared to other racial/ethnic groups in the US. There is a great need for prevention interventions, especially with youth smoking initiation starting as young at 10 years old, having easy access to commercial tobacco, exposure to secondhand smoke, influences by their peers and family members who smoke, and the new ESDs in the market with little understanding of AI youth uptake of these products. This project aims to curb the high rates of smoking and ESD use. This pilot project will provide the first evaluated AI youth driven media campaign using Digital Storytelling, Photo Voice, and PSAs. It will generate capacity skills among AI youth and young adults and the leadership to empower their community for behavior change and local policy change. Specific Aims include: 1.Recruit and Train 15 AI Youth Peer Health Educator. AI young adults ages 16-24 years from Humboldt, Del Norte, Siskiyou and Trinity Counties in northern CA will be identified, recruited, and trained as Peer Health Educators to use digital media devices (e.g. camera, video recorders) to create commercial tobacco prevention media messages on commercial tobacco abuse and Electronic Smoking Devices (ESDs) and its harmful effects with Digital Storytelling, Photo Voice, and a Public Service Announcement. Peer Health Educators will be trained in research methods. 2. Development of Media Message. AI Peer Health Educators will meet over a 10 month period to work together in the development of three media messages. 3. Pilot Test Media Messages. Media messages will be pilot tested among 5 tobacco control experts and 5 cultural experts to determine if there are factual inaccuracies or cultural problems with the media messages. Revisions will be made to create final products. 4. Peer Led Media Campaign. Peer Health Educators will educate approximately 200 middle and high school AI students in classrooms at schools with predominantly AI students, AI Teen Advisory groups, AI Indian Education Centers, Title VII Youth groups, AI Sports Clubs and afterschool programs with all three media messages. 5. Increase Knowledge, Attitudes, Behaviors, and Intentions. Pre-post intervention questionnaires will be given to all students who participated to determine change in knowledge, attitude, and behavior intentions scores to prevent initiation, promote quitting, and eliminate exposure to second hand smoke. 6. Increase Policy and Interventions among Tribal Leaders and Community Health Representatives. Peer Health Educators will present to 20 Tribal Leaders and Community Health Representatives at Tribal Council meetings, Indian Health Clinics, and other AI agencies/organizations to increase change in commercial tobacco policies and adoption of existing tobacco prevention/cessation programs. 7. Disseminate Media Messages. Disseminate to all local northern CA tribes and Indian Health Clinics with DVDs, TV Airways, and the Internet with YouTube links, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Tabulations will provide the number of DVDs provided and the number of views with TV Airways and via online analytics for Internet. Additionally, we will encourage viewers to comment after viewing and code with themes. 6. Process Evaluation. Evaluate the process of Peer Health Educators. The intent of this pilot is to provide future expansions of this program throughout CA with culturally specific mass media communications created by AI young adults to educate their peers. The community partners for collaboration include the Northern California Indian Development Council (NCIDC), several American Indian Education Centers, Indian health clinics, community organizations, and other tribal councils. USC’s collaboration with AI community partners will allow USC to evaluate the process of the peer led media campaign and outcomes for this project. This provides prevention interventions for this underserved population while enhancing the community’s capacity at every step of the process. |
