Adaptation of an effective school-based sexual health promotion program for youth in Colombia

Given the disproportionate impact of HIV and STIs among youth in Latin America, there is a compelling need for effective sex education programs. In particular, Colombia lacks a nationally standardized youth sex education program, despite the fact that 15 to 24-year-olds accounted for the highest inc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social science & medicine (1982) 2019-02, Vol.222, p.207-215
Main Authors: Morales, Alexandra, Garcia-Montaño, Eileen, Barrios-Ortega, Cristian, Niebles-Charris, Janivys, Garcia-Roncallo, Paola, Abello-Luque, Daniella, Gomez-Lugo, Mayra, Saavedra, Diego Alejandro, Vallejo-Medina, Pablo, Espada, José Pedro, Lightfoot, Marguerita, Martínez, Omar
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation
Adolescent
Adolescent Behavior - ethnology
Adolescents
Age Factors
Cognitive-behavioral factors
Colombia
Communication
Communication skills
COMPAS
Cultural Competency
Developing Countries
Educational programs
Female
Health behavior
Health education
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Health promotion
Health Promotion - organization & administration
Health services
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus
Humans
Interest groups
Internationality
Intervention
Machismo
Male
Motivation
Pregnancy
Program Evaluation
Protection
Risk behavior
Risk reduction
Risk Reduction Behavior
Risk-Taking
School based intervention
School Health Services - organization & administration
Sex education
Sex Education - organization & administration
Sex Factors
Sexual behavior
Sexual Behavior - ethnology
Sexual Health
Sexual health promotion
Sexually transmitted diseases
Sexually Transmitted Diseases - prevention & control
Skills
Social cognitive theory
Social motivation
Social skills
Social Support
Socioeconomic Factors
Stakeholders
STD
Teams
Unplanned pregnancy
Welfare state
Young Adult
Youth
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Summary:Given the disproportionate impact of HIV and STIs among youth in Latin America, there is a compelling need for effective sex education programs. In particular, Colombia lacks a nationally standardized youth sex education program, despite the fact that 15 to 24-year-olds accounted for the highest incidence and prevalence rates of HIV and STIs in the nation. In an attempt to fill this void, our team adapted COMPAS, a Spanish school-based sexual health promotion intervention, for Colombian adolescents. Objective: This study describes the adaptation process that resulted in a modified version of COMPAS for youth in Colombia. Method: We employed a systematic cultural adaptation process utilizing a mixed methods approach, including intervention adaptation sessions with 100 young adolescents aged 15–19. The process included six steps: 1) consulting international researchers and community stakeholders; 2) capturing the lived experiences of a diverse sample of colombian youth; 3) identifying priorities and areas in need of improvement; 4) integrating the social cognitive theory, information-motivation-behavioral skills model, and an ecological framework for colombian youth; 5) adapting intervention content, activities, and materials; and 6) quantitative evaluation of COMPAS by Colombian youth. Results: The adapted intervention incorporates elements common to effective youth sex education interventions, including: a solid theoretical foundation, sexual communication skills and social support for protection, and guidance on how to utilize available cultural- and linguistic-appropriate services. In addition, the adapted intervention incorporates cultural and linguistic appropriate content, including an emphasis on tackling machismo to promote risk reduction behaviors. Conclusions: The systematic adaptation approach to sexual health intervention for youth can be employed by researchers and community stakeholders in low-resource settings for the promotion of health wellness, linkage to care, and STI and unplanned pregnancy prevention for youth. •Colombia lacks a national standardized sex education program for youth.•Study adapts an effective sexual health intervention to Colombian youth.•An international collaboration approach (Colombia, Spain and US) was taken.•Mixed methods describe the systematic cultural adaptation process.•Researchers in other low-resource settings may benefit from this helpful guide.
ISSN:0277-9536
1873-5347
DOI:10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.01.011