The Effects of Familias Undias on Substance Use, HIV Sexual Risk Behaviors, and Family Functioning on Hispanic Youth and Their Families: Results from an Effectiveness Study

Familias Unidas is a Hispanic-specific, family-based preventive intervention found to be efficacious in preventing and reducing substance use and HIV sexual risk behaviors in multiple randomized clinical trials. The purpose of this study is to report on preliminary findings from an ongoing effectiveness study of Familias Unidas. Seven hundred and seventy six Hispanic youth recruited from Miami-Dade County Public Schools and their primary caregivers were randomized to either Familias Unidas, the experimental condition (n = 376) or a Community Practice/Standard of Care  control condition (n = 370). Both parents and youth were assessed at baseline, 6-months post baseline (which coincided with approximately 3-months post-intervention), 18-months, and 30-months post baseline.

School counselors were trained to deliver the intervention to families randomized to the experimental condition. Analyses of process data show that, on average, school counselors delivered the intervention with fidelity (average fidelity rating = 4.2; SD = 0.6 on a 0 – 6 point Likert Scale). Process data also show that 77% of parents randomized to Familias Unidas engaged in the intervention, and, on average, those who engaged attended approximately two-thirds of the intervention sessions. Preliminary analyses of outcome data show that, there was a condition * time effect [F(1, 692) = 6.3, p < .015)] for family communication, with family communication improving only for families randomized to Familias Unidas. Familias Unidas also had an impact on current substance use rates (X²(1) = 3.9 = p < .05). Preliminary analyses also suggest that these effects were stronger for females than for males. The implications of these findings and a discussion of how to move an effective, family-based preventive intervention to scale will also be presented.