Centering culture in an mHealth adaptation of an alcohol-exposed pregnancy prevention program for American Indian Youth

Abstract

Native WYSE CHOICES adapted an Alcohol Exposed Pregnancy (AEP) prevention curriculum for mobile health delivery for young urban American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) women. This qualitative study explored the relevance of culture in adapting a health intervention with a national sample of urban AIAN youth. In total, the team conducted 29 interviews across three iterative rounds. Participants expressed interest in receiving culturally informed health interventions, were open to cultural elements from other AIAN tribes, and highlighted the importance of culture in their lives. The study underscores why community voices are central in tailoring health interventions for this population.

Keywords:

• Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)
• American Indian youth
• CHOICES
• Alcohol exposed pregnancy (AEP)
• mHealth

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to our community partners and Urban Community Advisory Board for their collaboration and guidance in this endeavour. Their partnership has been immense in continuing our project during the dynamic nature of pandemic.

Disclosure statement

For all authors, there are no conflicts of interest to report.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse under Grant (R01AA025603; Kaufman & Sarche, MPI). Ms. Boland’s work was also supported by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health under Grant (T42OH009229; Newman, PI).