Session: Alternative Research Designs for Evaluating Prevention Interventions with Indigenous Populations (Society for Prevention Research 27th Annual Meeting)

SESSION INTRODUCTION: While randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are considered the “gold standard” of research designs, there have been critiques as to the appropriateness of these designs in evaluating interventions for Indigenous populations (Whitbeck, Walls, & Welch, 2012). The goal of this symposium is to describe the development and evaluation of three Native-specific, culturally grounded interventions using non-traditional RCT research designs. Highlighting efforts across two states (Alaska and Hawai‘i), this symposium brings together researchers and community members from multiple research teams and institutions who have actively been pursuing indigenous prevention science over several decades.

The first presentation, “Enhancing Power and Rigor in a Test of the Efficacy and Mechanisms of Change of the Qungasvik (Tools for Life) Intervention through an Innovative Research to Service Partnership in Rural Alaska”, describes the development and evaluation of Qungasvik, a culturally grounded, suicide and substance abuse prevention intervention for Yup’ik Alaska Native youth. The presentation focuses on the use of interrupted time-series and dynamic wait-listed control group designs to evaluate the community-based curriculum. The studies described in this presentation position the intervention to be the first evidence-based practice for rural, Alaska Native populations.

The second presentation, “The Evaluation of the Ho‘ouna Pono Drug Prevention Curriculum: Two-Year Longitudinal Findings “, describes the findings of an efficacy trial of a culturally grounded, school-based prevention curriculum for rural Hawaiian youth (Ho‘ouna Pono). Using a dynamic wait-listed control group design, the preliminary findings were consistent with past pilot evaluation research of the curriculum, which found that the curriculum promoted youths’ consideration of the consequences of accepting drug offers, such as negative reactions from cousins, and the use of non-confrontational drug resistance strategies, such as redirecting the conversation away from drug use.

The third presentation, “Development and Testing of a Culturally-Grounded Intervention to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease in Native Hawaiians”, describes the development and evaluation of a hula-based preventive intervention for hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Building upon promising pilot findings, the presentation focuses on the application of a waitlisted RCT design to evaluate the curriculum and presents 6-month follow-up findings.

Strengths and limitations of alternative research designs with Indigenous populations will be discussed in this symposium. This symposium will attract researchers with an interest in the development and testing of empirically-based, Native-specific prevention interventions.