SEXUAL HEALTH BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS FOR LATINO ADOLESCENTS IN THE UNITED STATES: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

The purpose of this thesis is to review the literature on behavioral interventions for sexual health promotion that target Latino adolescent in the United States. A systematic review of the literature was conducted using five online databases to identify sexual health behavior interventions in Latino adolescents. Articles were included if they were published between 1993 and 2008, and provided measureable objectives of increasing knowledge; changing attitudes or intentions; or decreasing risky behavior, STD infections and/or pregnancy. The interventions are analyzed for use of a theoretical framework, content, methodology, assessment of measured outcomes, and effectiveness. Additionally, the interventions are classified using the Social Ecological model as a framework to identify the levels (i.e., the individual, interpersonal, community levels) at which they influence health behavior. Fifty three articles were identified, but only 11 are included in the review. Interventions were found to have fundamental similarities and differences between their targeted populations, objectives, theoretical frameworks, content, intervention designs, duration and intensity, participation and attrition rates, mode of outcome assessment, measured outcomes, effects, methodological quality, and limitations. With the exception of two interventions, all studies integrated the established criteria for methodological quality. The most frequently reported limitation was the concern for representativeness of the intervention sample to the United States Latino adolescent population, and insufficient time for follow-up evaluation. The findings from this literature review suggest that among the behavioral interventions targeting Latino adolescents, very few have addressed adolescent sexual health. In the reviewed interventions, the most common intervention objective was the prevention or reduction of sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS, focusing on changing behaviors at the individual and the interpersonal levels. Major strengths and weaknesses are discussed about the Latino adolescent sexual health research agenda. Furthermore, the needs are identified in the Latino adolescent sexual health promotion from a social ecological perspective. Adolescent sexual health among United States Latinos is a fairly new field of research with multiple problems of great need and of much public health significance. More research is needed in producing new or validating existing, age-specific, and culturally-sensitive sexual health interventions for Latino adolescents in the United States