Conducting intervention research with culturally diverse, underserved, and often hard to reach populations in naturalistic or field settings presents investigators with a number of practical challenges. This article describes four special challenges and strategies for dealing with them that clients, service providers, and researchers experienced in conducting a prevention intervention to reduce substance use and sexual risky behaviors with low-income Latina young women. The challenges are (a) building community partnerships; (b) developing interventions that are acceptable and relevant; (c) promoting successful recruitment, participation, and retention of participants; and (d) developing a diverse, cohesive, and committed research team and effective managerial information support systems.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Aguilar-San Juan, K. (1994). Creating possibilities for success for Latino children in Massachusetts public schools. In S. Rivera (Ed.), The education of Latino students in Massachusetts: Issues, research, and policy implications (p. 12). Boston: Mauricio Gaston Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy at the University of Massachusetts, Boston.
2.
Alcalay, R. , Ghee, A., & Scrimshaw, S. (1993). Designing prenatal care messages for low-income Mexican women. Public Health Reports, 108(3), 354-362.
3.
Amaro, H. (1995). Love, sex, and power. Considering women’s realities in HIV prevention [Review]. American Psychologist, 50(6), 437-447.
4.
Beatty, L. A. (1994). Issues in drug abuse prevention intervention research with African Americans. NIDA Research Monograph, 139, 171-201.
5.
Covey, S. (1989). The 7 habits of highly effective people. New York: Simon & Schuster.
6.
Emory University School of Medicine . (1995). Cultural diversity in women’s reproductive health care. Atlanta, GA: Regional Training Center, Department of OBGYN.
7.
Grasso, P. G. (1996). Intervention research: GAO experiences. American Journal of Indian Medicine, 29(4), 362-366.
8.
Higgins, D. L. , O’Reilly, K., Tashima, N., Crain, C., Beeker, C., Goldbaum, G., Elifson, C. S., Galavotti, C., & Guenther Grey, C. (1996). Using formative research to lay the foundation for community level HIV prevention efforts: An example from the AIDS Community Demonstration Projects. Public Health Reports, 1, 28-35.
9.
La Greca, A. M. (1990). Issues in adherence with pediatric regimens. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 15(4), 423-436.
10.
LaMontagne, A. D. , & Needleman, C. (1996). Overcoming practical challenges in intervention research in occupational health and safety. American Journal of Indian Medicine, 29(4), 367-372.
11.
Leininger, M. (1994). Quality of life from a transcultural nursing perspective. Nursing Science Quarterly, 7(1), 22-28.
12.
Levenstein, C. (1996). Policy implications of intervention research: Research on the social context for intervention. American Journal of Indian Medicine, 29(4), 358-361.
13.
Lindenberg, C. S. , Alexander, E. M., Gendrop, S. C., Nencioli, M., & Williams, D. G. (1991). A review of the literature on cocaine abuse in pregnancy. Nursing Research, 40(2), 69-75.
14.
Lindenberg, C. S. , French, L., Solorzano, R. M., Galvis, C., & Pittman, K. (in press). Correlates and determinants of sexually transmitted diseases and teenage pregnancy among low-income Hispanic immigrant women. Journal of International Nursing Studies.
15.
Lindenberg, C. S. , Gendrop, S. C., Nencioli, M., & Adames, Z. (1994). Substance abuse among inner-city Hispanic women: Exploring resiliency. Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Neonatal Nursing, 23(7), 609-616.
16.
Lindenberg, C. S. , & Keith, A. B. (1993). Opiate abuse in pregnancy. Annual Review of Nursing Research, 11, 249-279.
17.
Lindenberg, C. S. , Krantz, M. S., Solorzano, R., Flanigan, G., & Pittman, K. (1997). Casebook: Women’s stories of risk and resilience. Unpublished manuscript, Emory University.
18.
Lindenberg, C. S. , Solorzano, R. M., Baer, D., Strickland, O., Galvis, C., & Pittman, K. (under review). Reducing substance abuse and risky sexual behaviors among young low-income Mexican-American women: Comparison of two interventions.
19.
Lindenberg, C. S. , Solorzano, R., Galvis, C., Strickland, D. M., & Darrow, V. (1999). Correlates of alcohol and drug use among low-income Hispanic childbearing-age women living in the USA. International Journal of Nursing Studies (36), 3-11.
20.
Lindenberg, C. S. , Solorzano, R. M., Krantz, M. S., Galvis, C., Baroni, G., & Strickland, O. (1998). Risk and resilience: Building protective factors. An intervention for preventing substance abuse and sexual risk-taking and for promoting strength and protection among young, low-income Hispanic women. American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing, 23(2), 99-104.
21.
Marcus, A. C. , Crane, L. A., Kaplan, C. P., Reading, A. E., Savage, E., Gunning, J., Bernstein, G., & Berek, J. S. (1992). Improving adherence to screening follow-up among women with abnormal Pap smears: Results from a large clinic-based trial of three intervention strategies. Medical Care, 30(3), 216-230.
22.
Marin, B. V. , & Flores, E. (1994). Acculturation, sexual behavior, and alcohol use among Latinas. International Journal of Addiction, 29(9), 1101-1114.
23.
Marin, B. V. , Perez, S. E., Marin, G., Sabogal, F., & Otero, S. R. (1990). Attitudes and behaviors of Hispanic smokers: Implications for cessation interventions. Health Education Quarterly, 17(3), 287-297.
24.
Marin, G. , & Marin, B. (1991). Research with Hispanic populations. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
25.
Needleman, C. , & Needleman, M. L. (1996). Qualitative methods for intervention research. American Journal of Indian Medicine, 29(4), 329-337.
26.
Phillips, L. R. , & Van Ort, S. (1995). Issues in conducting intervention research in long-term care settings. Nursing Outlook, 43(6), 249-253.
27.
Pletsch, P. K. , Howe, C., & Tenney, M. (1995). Recruitment of minority subjects for intervention research. Image: Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 27(3), 211-215.
28.
Scapocznik, J. , & Kurtines, W. M. (1993). Family psychology and cultural diversity: Opportunities for theory, research and application. American Psychologist, 48(4), 400-407.
29.
Schulte, P. A. , Goldenhar, L. M., & Connally, L. B. (1996). Intervention research: Science, skills, and strategies. American Journal of Indian Medicine, 29(4), 285-288.
30.
Sikkema, K. J. , Koob, J. J., Cargill, V. C., Kelly, J. A., Desiderato, L. L., Roffman, R. A., Norman, A. D., Shabazz, M., Copeland, C., Winett, R. A., & et al. (1995). Levels and predictors of HIV risk behavior among women in low-income public housing developments. Public Health Reports, 110(6), 707-713.
31.
Stein, R. E. , Bauman, L. J., & Ireys, H. T. (1991). Who enrolls in prevention trials? Discordance in perception of risk by professionals and participants. American Journal of Community Psychology, 19(4), 603-617.
32.
Wall, S. G. (1991). Epidemiology in developing countries—Some experiences from collaboration across disciplines and cultures. Scandinavian Journal of Social MedicineSuppl, 46, 25-32.
