Strengthening Healthy Relationships Among Apsaalooke Youth

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This pilot project proposes to build upon these cultural strengths, including the clan system, to test the feasibility of a translational research intervention to promote healthy relationships and prevent dating violence among Apsáalooke youth. Community Advisory Board members identified 5th grade as an important age to establish healthy dating norms. The feasibility study includes a one-group pre/post intervention that includes 10-hour long sessions with youth to promote healthy relationship knowledge, volition, and communication skills. Elders and near-peer (young adults) will assist during these sessions sharing advice and serving as role models for youth. In addition, to promote the connectedness between youth and their community, there are 3 monthly clan feeds.

Detailed Description
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This project builds upon long-standing community-based participatory research partnerships between Montana State University and the Crow Nation. Through these partnerships, Apsáalooke community members prioritized healthy relationships among youth as a critical area for intervention. Through interviews and focus groups with Apsaalooke community members a strength-based strategy to promote healthy relationships among youth has emerged. This pilot project proposes to build upon these cultural strengths, including the clan system, to test the feasibility of a translational research intervention to promote healthy relationships and prevent dating violence among Apsáalooke youth. Community Advisory Board members identified 5th grade as an important age to establish healthy dating norms. The feasibility study includes a one-group pre/post intervention that includes 10-hour long sessions with youth to promote healthy relationship knowledge, volition, and communication skills. Elders and near-peer (young adults) will assist during these sessions sharing advice and serving as role models for youth. In addition, to promote the connectedness between youth and their community, there are 3 monthly clan feeds. Using a participatory approach, our project will accomplish the following aims: 1. Using a participatory research approach, finish adapting and localizing the curriculum. 2. Test the feasibility of pilot intervention among Apsáalooke youth and their families. 3. Refine pilot intervention and design an appropriate translational intervention (R01) for promoting healthy relationship skills among Apsáalooke youth.

Official Title
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Strengthening Healthy Relationships Among Apsaalooke Youth

Conditions
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Violence in Adolescence

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Healthy Relationship


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Youth residing on or near the Crow Reservation 5th grade Exclusion Criteria: Those without parental consent

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 10 Years
Maximum Age: 13 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Interventional Model Description: The feasibility study includes a one-group pre/post intervention that includes 10-hour long sessions with youth to promote healthy relationship knowledge, volition, and communication skills. Elders and near-peer (young adults) will assist during these sessions sharing advice and serving as role models for youth. In addition, to promote the connectedness between youth and their community, there are 3 monthly clan feeds.
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Intervention Group<br>The feasibility study includes a one-group pre/post intervention that includes 10-hour long sessions with youth to promote healthy relationship knowledge, volition, and communication skills. Elders and near-peer (young adults) will assist during these sessions sharing advice and serving as role models for youth. In addition, to promote the connectedness between youth and their community, there are 3 monthly clan feeds. | Behavioral: Healthy Relationship<br>* The feasibility study includes a one-group pre/post intervention that includes 10-hour long sessions with youth to promote healthy relationship knowledge, volition, and communication skills. Elders and near-peer (young adults) will assist during these sessions sharing advice and serving as role models for youth. In addition, to promote the connectedness between youth and their community, there are 3 monthly clan feeds.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in Healthy Relationship Knowledge | Using 7 true/false items that test knowledge, we will evaluate each item individually and as a combined score ranging from 0-7. Patterns of non-response will be examined. We will compare treating them as incorrect versus removing them and re-weighting the answered questions. | up to 3 months | 
| Change in Volition | A central concept to curriculum,21 volition, will be measured using the statement, I stand up for what I believe. Youth will be asked to rate their agreement with the statement using a 4-point Likert scale. | up to 3 months | 
| Change in Self-efficacy to resist peer pressure: | This scale focuses on peer pressure with youth providing ratings that range from 1 (definitely would not do this) to 4 (definitely would do this). Scales are reverse coded so that the higher numbers reflect greater self-efficacy based on a mean score across items. Three-item, 4-point Likert scale (Cronbach's α = .85).23 | up to 3 months | 
| Change in Communication, Decision Making and Problem-Solving scale (CDP-Child Version | This scale includes three items that make up the Problem-Solving Skills subscale, 4 items that make up the Decision-Making Skills subscale, and 4 items that make up the Communication Skills subscale. Response options include a 5-point Likert scale with total scores across all subscales ranging from 11 to 55 (Cronbach's α = 0.87).61 Higher scores indicate better communication, decision-making, and problem-solving skills. Subscale scores range from 1 to 5 and are derived by summing items for each subscale and then dividing by the number of items for that subscale. | up to 3 months |