Adelante Ambassadors: Using Digital Media to Facilitate Community Engagement and Risk-Prevention for Latino Youth

Digital and social media are now widely used to promote engagement in health programs and improve health behaviors across a variety of age groups and domains. However, limited research exists on applying culturally relevant, new media interventions specific to Latino immigrant youth. This paper desc...

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Main Authors: Nicole Barrett, Ricardo Villalba, Elizabeth Andrade, Allison Beltran, W. Douglas Evans
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University Library System, University of Pittsburgh 2017-12-01
Series:Journal of Youth Development
Subjects:
Online Access:http://jyd.pitt.edu/ojs/jyd/article/view/513
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spelling doaj-fc9222bd8a594c83be0e3f74470976ed2020-11-25T01:56:25ZengUniversity Library System, University of PittsburghJournal of Youth Development2325-40172017-12-011248110610.5195/jyd.2017.513473Adelante Ambassadors: Using Digital Media to Facilitate Community Engagement and Risk-Prevention for Latino YouthNicole Barrett0Ricardo Villalba1Elizabeth Andrade2Allison Beltran3W. Douglas Evans4The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public HealthMaryland Multicultural Youth CentersThe George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public HealthThe George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public HealthThe George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public HealthDigital and social media are now widely used to promote engagement in health programs and improve health behaviors across a variety of age groups and domains. However, limited research exists on applying culturally relevant, new media interventions specific to Latino immigrant youth. This paper describes the pilot Adelante Youth Ambassador program for Latino immigrant youth, which used digital media and community-based participatory research to build positive youth development (PYD) assets as a prevention mechanism to reduce co-occurring health risks of substance use, sexual risk, and interpersonal violence. We worked collaboratively with adolescents to create video content as a conduit for Adelante-branded messages to be disseminated on the program’s social media platforms. Using an active audience engagement methodology, youth participants informed the development of prevention messages, scripts for the videos, and acted in videos. Participants disseminated content to their social media networks and engaged peers in dialogue about topics addressed in the videos. Using pre and post tests, we evaluated changes in PYD assets (Civic Action Competence, Confidence, Connection to Community, and Connection to Peers) and skills related to digital media use, communication, and advocacy. The program used innovative branding and social media strategies to engage Latino youth in health risk prevention.http://jyd.pitt.edu/ojs/jyd/article/view/513youthadolescentspositive youth developmentlatinosimmigrantshispanicsuser-generated contentsocial mediaprevention
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Nicole Barrett
Ricardo Villalba
Elizabeth Andrade
Allison Beltran
W. Douglas Evans
spellingShingle Nicole Barrett
Ricardo Villalba
Elizabeth Andrade
Allison Beltran
W. Douglas Evans
Adelante Ambassadors: Using Digital Media to Facilitate Community Engagement and Risk-Prevention for Latino Youth
Journal of Youth Development
youth
adolescents
positive youth development
latinos
immigrants
hispanics
user-generated content
social media
prevention
author_facet Nicole Barrett
Ricardo Villalba
Elizabeth Andrade
Allison Beltran
W. Douglas Evans
author_sort Nicole Barrett
title Adelante Ambassadors: Using Digital Media to Facilitate Community Engagement and Risk-Prevention for Latino Youth
title_short Adelante Ambassadors: Using Digital Media to Facilitate Community Engagement and Risk-Prevention for Latino Youth
title_full Adelante Ambassadors: Using Digital Media to Facilitate Community Engagement and Risk-Prevention for Latino Youth
title_fullStr Adelante Ambassadors: Using Digital Media to Facilitate Community Engagement and Risk-Prevention for Latino Youth
title_full_unstemmed Adelante Ambassadors: Using Digital Media to Facilitate Community Engagement and Risk-Prevention for Latino Youth
title_sort adelante ambassadors: using digital media to facilitate community engagement and risk-prevention for latino youth
publisher University Library System, University of Pittsburgh
series Journal of Youth Development
issn 2325-4017
publishDate 2017-12-01
description Digital and social media are now widely used to promote engagement in health programs and improve health behaviors across a variety of age groups and domains. However, limited research exists on applying culturally relevant, new media interventions specific to Latino immigrant youth. This paper describes the pilot Adelante Youth Ambassador program for Latino immigrant youth, which used digital media and community-based participatory research to build positive youth development (PYD) assets as a prevention mechanism to reduce co-occurring health risks of substance use, sexual risk, and interpersonal violence. We worked collaboratively with adolescents to create video content as a conduit for Adelante-branded messages to be disseminated on the program’s social media platforms. Using an active audience engagement methodology, youth participants informed the development of prevention messages, scripts for the videos, and acted in videos. Participants disseminated content to their social media networks and engaged peers in dialogue about topics addressed in the videos. Using pre and post tests, we evaluated changes in PYD assets (Civic Action Competence, Confidence, Connection to Community, and Connection to Peers) and skills related to digital media use, communication, and advocacy. The program used innovative branding and social media strategies to engage Latino youth in health risk prevention.
topic youth
adolescents
positive youth development
latinos
immigrants
hispanics
user-generated content
social media
prevention
url http://jyd.pitt.edu/ojs/jyd/article/view/513
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