Cuidate

Guide to Effective Programs
for Children and Youth

¡CUÍDATE!

THE LATINO YOUTH HEALTH PROMOTION PROGRAM

OVERVIEW

¡Cuídate! is an HIV risk-reduction curriculum designed for Latino adolescents. In a random assignment study, students assigned to take part in the ¡Cuídate! intervention were compared with students assigned to a control health-promotion intervention. During the 12-month follow-up period, subjects assigned to the ¡Cuídate! intervention were less likely to report having had sexual intercourse than were subjects assigned to the control intervention. ¡Cuídate! subjects were also less likely to report sex with multiple partners, more likely to report using condoms consistently, and less likely to report unprotected sex. No overall impacts were found on condom use at last sex or proportion of days of protected sex. The intervention was particularly successful with Spanish speakers. Among Spanish speakers, ¡Cuídate! subjects were nearly five times as likely to have used a condom at last intercourse, compared with control subjects.

DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM

Target population: Latino adolescents

¡Cuídate! (Spanish for “Take Care of Yourself”) is an adaptation of the Be Proud! Be Responsible! curriculum for African American adolescents. Based on social cognitive theory, ¡Cuídate! includes eight hours of instruction and focuses on increasing HIV/AIDS-related knowledge and weakening problematic attitudes toward risky sexual behavior. The incorporates salient aspects of Latino culture, such as the importance of family and gender-role expectations. Abstinence and condom use are presented as culturally acceptable and effective ways to prevent STDs, including HIV. Intervention activities include small-group discussions, videos, interactive exercises, and skill-building activities.

EVALUATION(S) OF PROGRAM

Villarruel, A. M., Jemmott, J. B., & Jemmott, L. S. (2006). A Randomized Controlled Trial Testing an HIV Prevention Intervention for Latino Youth. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 160, 772-777.

Evaluated population: 553 Latino adolescents living in northeast Philadelphia served as the study sample for this investigation. Most subjects (85%) were Puerto Rican and nearly half (45%) were born outside the mainland United States. The majority of subjects were students in grades 8 through 11.

Approach: Subjects were recruited from three high schools and community-based organizations. Non-Latino subjects were not excluded from participation but were excluded from analyses. Subjects were randomly assigned to either the treatment group or the control group. Treatment subjects took part in the ¡Cuídate! intervention over the course of two consecutive Saturdays. Control subjects took part in a health-promotion intervention that was similar to ¡Cuídate! in organization, format, length, and delivery mode. The health-promotion intervention focused on behaviors related to significant health issues affecting Latinos.

Both the ¡Cuídate! intervention and the health-promotion intervention were facilitated by bilingual Latino adults, the majority of whom were Puerto Rican. All facilitators received 2.5 days of training on the intervention they were assigned to lead.

All subjects were surveyed before the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and 3, 6, and 12 months later. Surveys measured sexual activity and condom use and were available in English and Spanish.

Results: During the 12-month follow-up period, subjects assigned to the ¡Cuídate! intervention were less likely to report having had sexual intercourse than were subjects assigned to the control intervention. ¡Cuídate! subjects were also less likely to report sex with multiple partners, more likely to report using condoms consistently, and less likely to report unprotected sex. No overall impacts were found on condom use at last sex or proportion of days of protected sex. The intervention was particularly successful with Spanish speakers. Among Spanish speakers, ¡Cuídate! subjects were nearly five times as likely to have used a condom at last intercourse, compared with control subjects. The intervention also achieved success with sexually inexperienced students. Among students who entered the program having not had sex, ¡Cuídate! subjects participated in significantly fewer acts of unprotected sex than did control subjects.

SOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION

The original Be Proud! Be Responsible! curriculum (upon which ¡Cuídate! is based) is available for purchase at:

http://www.selectmedia.org/curriculum.asp?curid=4

References:

Program categorized in this guide according to the following:

Evaluated participant ages: 13-18

Evaluated participant grades: 8-11

Program age ranges in the guide: Adolescence, Youth

Program components: Clinic-Based, Provider-Based, or Miscellaneous

Measured outcomes: Reproductive Health

Program information last updated 9/19/07