Clinical trial NCT06886204: Youth Participatory Action Research to Prevent Community Violence Among Black Youth
Official title: Youth Participatory Action Research to Prevent Community Violence Among Black Youth
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Community Violence
Keywords: Youth Participatory Action Research
Youth Empowered Advocating for Health
Community violence
Lead sponsor: Emory University
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
First posted: 2025-03-20
Enrollment: 360
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 12
Maximum age (years): 17
Standard ages: CHILD
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Brief summary: This behavioral intervention study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Youth Empowered Advocating for Health (YEAH) on youth prosocial behavior and aggressive behavior and assess racial identity and future orientation as mediators of prevention effects.

Detailed description: Structural determinants of violence such as residential segregation, concentrated poverty, and limited access to education and employment, disproportionately affect Black youth. This group subsequently faces the highest rates of violence exposure and related injuries, with homicide being a leading cause of death. In addition, the consequences of violence exposure include academic decline, psychological issues, and chronic health conditions.

It is important to address the long-lasting effects of structural violence among Black youth including emotional distress and eroding family and community ties. Current violence prevention methods often overlook the impact of structural violence.

The proposed solution is a Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) intervention, called Youth Empowered Advocating for Health (YEAH), which aims to empower Black youth and improve their outcomes. The YEAH program, developed over ten years in partnership with youth, focuses on empowering youth to explore topics of concern in their community and generate solutions. This study will evaluate YEAH's effectiveness in reducing community violence in Metro Atlanta, emphasizing community healing and empowerment as well as narrative change as vital strategies for prevention.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Identify their race or ethnicity as Black or African American
* Speak English
* Able to understand the project and give full consent to participate if eligible
* Have a parent or guardian provide consent for them to participate
* Member of Boys and Girls Clubs or other Youth Serving Organization (YEAH immediate intervention and delayed intervention groups)

Exclusion Criteria:

* Non-English speakers

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change in prosocial behavior: Multidimensional Well-being Assessment Scale
timeFrame: Baseline, Week 8, Month 3
measure: Change in aggressive behavior: California Healthy Kids Survey adaptation
timeFrame: Baseline, Week 8, Month 3
measure: Change in community violence exposure: Community Experiences Questionnaire
timeFrame: Baseline, Week 8, Month 3
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Racial identity: multidimensional inventory of Black identity-teen (MIBI-T)score
timeFrame: Baseline, Week 8, Month 3
measure: Future orientation: Hemingway Measure of Adolescent Connectedness
timeFrame: Baseline, Month 3
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Atlanta
country: United States
facility: Emory University
state: Georgia
city: Atlanta
country: United States
facility: Boys & Girls Club of Metro Atlanta
state: Georgia
Study officials:
affiliation: Emory University
name: Briana Wood-Jaeger, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: