Michael L. Hecht

Culturally Grounded Substance Use Prevention: An Evaluation of the keepin' it R.E.A.L. Curriculum

This paper reports on the evaluation of a culturally grounded prevention intervention targeting substance use among urban middle-school students. The curriculum consists of 10 lessons promoting antidrug norms and teaching resistance and other social skills, reinforced by booster activities and a media campaign. Three versions were delivered: Mexican American, combined African American and European American, and Multicultural. Thirty-five middle schools were randomly assigned to 1 of the 3 versions or the control. Students completed baseline and follow-up questionnaires over a 2-year period (total 6,035 respondents). Analyses utilizing a generalized estimating equations approach assessed the overall effectiveness of cultural grounding and the cultural matching hypothesis. Support was found for the interventions overall effectiveness, with statistically significant effects on gateway drug use as well as norms, attitudes, and resistance strategies but with little support for the cultural matching hypothesis. Specific contrasts found the Mexican American and Multicultural versions impacted the most outcomes.

Ethnic Labels and Ethnic Identity as Predictors of Drug Use among Middle School Students in the Southwest

This article explores differences in the self-reported drug use and exposure to drugs of an ethnically diverse group of 408 seventh-grade students from a large city in the southwest. We contrast the explanatory power of ethnic labels (African American, non-Hispanic White, Mexican American, and mixed ethnicity) and two dimensions of ethnic identity in predicting drug use. One dimension focuses on perceived ethnically consistent behavior, speech, and looks, while the other gauges a sense of ethnic pride. Ethnic labels were found to be somewhat useful in identifying differences in drug use, but the two ethnic identity measures, by themselves, did not generally help to explain differences in drug use. In conjunction, however, ethnic labels and ethnic identity measures explained far more of the differences in drug use than either did alone. The findings indicate that the two dimensions of ethnic identity predict drug outcomes in opposite ways, and these relations are different for minority students and non-Hispanic White students. Generally, African American, Mexican American, and mixed-ethnicity students with a strong sense of ethnic pride reported less drug use and exposure, while ethnically proud White students reported more. Ethnic minority students who viewed their behavior, speech, and looks as consistent with their ethnic group reported more drug use and exposure, while their White counterparts reported less. These findings are discussed, and recommendations for future research are provided.

Influences of Personal, Injunctive, and Descriptive Norms on Early Adolescent Substance use

Social norms play an important role in adolescent substance use. Norm focus theory (Cialdini, Reno, & Kallgren, 1990) distinguishes three types of norms: injunctive, descriptive, and personal. This study examines the relative influences of these three norms, as well as the moderating effects of gender and ethnicity, on the concurrent substance use of 2,245 Mexican or Mexican-American students, 676 students of other Latino or multiethnic Latino origin, 756 non-Hispanic White students, and 353 African- American students. Personal norms appear to be the strongest significant predictor of substance use. Descriptive, parental injunctive, and friend injunctive norms also demonstrate significant, though weaker influences. Controlling for intentions reduces the predictive ability of each type of norm, especially personal norms. Gender moderates the relationship between norms and substance use with the relationships generally stronger for males. Personal norms act as stronger predictors of some types of substance use for Mexican/Mexican Americans.

Elaborating the communication theory of identity: Identity gaps and communication outcomes

The Communication Theory of Identity identifies four frames of identity and their interpenetration. This article articulates identity gaps as a way to study interpenetration and selected two of the gaps, between personal and relational frames and between personal and enacted identities, for the study. A survey was administered and, as hypothesized, significant negative correlations were observed between the identity gaps and three communication outcomes. Possible causal directions were suggested by post hoc analyses. The results support the theory and suggest the utility of identity gaps as a means for understanding the role of identity in social relationships.

Ethnicity and Ethnic Identity as Predictors of Drug Norms and Drug Use Among Preadolescents in the US Southwest

This article reports the results of research exploring how ethnicity and ethnic identity may “protect” adolescents against drug use and help them form antidrug use norms. This study was conducted in 1998 and is based on a sample of 4364 mostly Mexican American seventh graders residing in a large southwestern city of diverse acculturation statuses. It aims at testing existing findings by conducting the research within the unique geographic and ethnic context of the Southwest region of the United States. This research examines how strength of ethnic identity plays a distinctive role in drug use behavior among the various ethnic groups represented in the sample: Mexican Americans, other Latinos, American Indians, African Americans, non-Hispanic Whites, and those of mixed ethnic backgrounds. Positive ethnic identity (i.e., strong ethnic affiliation, attachment, and pride) was associated with less substance use and stronger antidrug norms in the sample overall. Unexpectedly, the apparently protective effects of positive ethnic identity were generally stronger for non-Hispanic White respondents (a numerical minority group in this sample) than for members of ethnic minority groups. Implications for prevention programs tailored for Mexican/Mexican American students are discussed.

Hispanic Cultural Norms for Health-Seeking Behaviors in the Face of Symptoms

This study examines factors that contribute to the delayed use of medical care among Hispanics when chronic disease–related symptoms (warning signs) occur. As an adjunct to a larger project funded by the National Cancer Institute, this study accessed a population of primarily Hispanic, mostly male employees at public work sites in two Arizona counties. Through focus groups and a survey of employees, a model describing the factors underlying health care use was tested. Seriousness of symptoms has the most effect on visits to doctor, with more serious symptoms leading to prompter visits. Faith in God and seriousness of symptoms both are related to the search for a doctor one can trust. Also, a cluster of variables describing past bad experiences, practical barriers, and emotional avoidance are related to the desire to get advice or medical help from someone who is close; these influence the search for a trusted doctor, which in turn leads to prompter visits to doctor.

Disclosure of sexual abuse by children and adolescents

Abstract Sexual abuse is a socially significant, largely covert social problem. Abused children and adolescents often hide their experiences from others. Therefore, examining the disclosure processes of sexual abuse is essential. The Communication Management of Privacy Theory was used to examine child and adolescent disclosures of sexual abuse. Thirty‐eight face‐to‐face interviews were conducted with abused children and adolescents ages eight to 18 who willing disclosed their abuse. Qualitative analyses revealed that these children and adolescents used boundary access rules such as tacit permission, selecting the circumstances, and incremental disclosure as a basis for revealing their experiences. They also used boundary protection rules to preserve their privacy borders through evaluating target characteristics, and anticipating ramifications of disclosure about abuse. These findings may inform strategies parents and others might use to facilitate children and adolescents to reveal sexual abuse.

A Model of Effects of Narrative as Culture-Centric Health Promotion

Health promotion interventions designed for specific cultural groups often are designed to address cultural values through culturally adapted messages. Recent trends in health promotion incorporate narrative theory, locating culture within the narratives of cultural members, and suggesting that narrative may provide a central, grounded medium for expressing and shaping health behavior. We suggest that culturally grounded narratives are a natural choice for identifying and shaping health messages for specific audiences. A Model of Culture-Centric Narratives in Health Promotion is proposed based on previous persuasion and health promotion research. This model may be used to guide the development and testing of the narrative characteristics and psychosocial mediators of behavior change in a broad range of health interventions. Implications, boundaries, and limitations of the model are discussed.

An Afro‐American perspective on interethnic communication

This paper reports the results of four studies examining how Afro‐Americans perceive interethnic communication with whites. Using an interpretive, cultural perspective, Afro‐American descriptions of satisfying and dissatisfying conversations were obtained through open‐ended questionnaires and interviews. Qualitative and quantitative analyses identified 7 issues Afro‐Americans perceive as salient to their interethnic communication satisfaction: negative stereotyping, acceptance, expressiveness, authenticity, understanding, goal attainment, and powerlessness. This analysis also identified 5 conversational improvement strategies (assertiveness, open‐mindedness, avoidance, interaction management, other‐orientation) Afro‐Americans believe that they or their conversational partner can use to improve the quality of communication. These issues and improvement strategies are taken to reflect an implicit, Afro‐American theory of communication which is independent of age, sex, family income, geography, and ethnic id...

The Principle of Cultural Grounding in School-Based Substance Abuse Prevention The Drug Resistance Strategies Project

Culture plays an important role in all health message design, and school-based substance abuse prevention is no exception. Because most adolescent substance abuse prevention programs in the United States are delivered in schools, this is particularly important given the diversity of the students. Unfortunately, there is little theory to guide these programs and fewer programs that successfully achieve cultural competence. Using communication accommodation theory as a framework, this article articulates the principle of cultural grounding using the Drug Resistance Strategies Project as an exemplar. The article then describes a line of research describing youth, ethnic, and gender cultures leading to the development and evaluation of the keepin’ it REAL curriculum. Results demonstrate the efficacy of a multicultural approach to prevention in controlling the onset of adolescent drug use.