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. 2008 Winter;2(4):307-13.
doi: 10.1353/cpr.0.0042.

Participatory drug prevention research in rural Hawai'i with native Hawaiian middle school students

Susana Helm  1 , Scott K Okamoto, Howard Medeiros, Coralee I H Chin, K Nahe Kawano, Ka Ohinani Po A-Kekuawela, Larisa H Nebre, F Petelo Sele
Affiliations

Participatory drug prevention research in rural Hawai'i with native Hawaiian middle school students

Susana Helm et al. Prog Community Health Partnersh. 2008 Winter.

Abstract

Background/objectives: This paper describes a prevention study focused on the drug use scenarios encountered by Native Hawaiian youth. Priorities from communities on the Big Island of Hawai;i helped to shape the qualitative data collection and analysis of middle school students participating in the study.

Methods: Forty-seven youth from five different schools were interviewed in small, gender-specific focus groups during lunch hour or after school.

Results: The findings indicated that youth were exposed to drug offers that were direct-relational or indirect-contextual in nature. Direct-relational offers were didactic exchanges where drugs or alcohol were offered from one individual to another (e.g., "Do you want some beer?"). Indirect-contextual offers reflected complex exchanges among individuals, where drugs or alcohol were involved, but not offered directly (e.g., "Do you want to hang out with us?").

Conclusions: Implications are discussed regarding drug prevention research and programs that highlight indirect-contextual drug offers that are place based and culturally grounded.

Keywords: Community; Hawaiian; alcohol; drugs; prevention; rural; youth.

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