P3.123: A Parent-Focused Intervention in Adolescent Health Education for Low-English-Proficiency Spanish-Speaking Families

Purpose/Objectives: Adolescence is a critical period for shaping lifelong health behaviors. Parents play a vital role in guiding teens through sensitive topics. However, many Latino parents face barriers like language obstacles and a lack of culturally relevant resources. There is a need for accessible, evidence-based resources to empower Latino parents in supporting their teens' well-being. To fill this need, we developed and implemented an adolescent health curriculum for Spanish-speaking parents at El Buen Samaritano, a community resource center for Latino families.

Design/Methods: Phase One:
Six 1-hour pre-pilot semi-structured parental interviews were conducted with simultaneous in-person interpretation. Interviews were recorded and transcribed.

Phase Two:
Based on insights from parental interviews, four 1-hour discussion/didactic-based workshops were developed in collaboration with El Buen and bilingual specialists in Adolescent Medicine. Topics include Communication/Development, Body Image, Depression/Suicide and Social Media. All workshops were developed, and content review for cultural relevance was performed, in English. After Spanish translation, workshops were re-reviewed by El Buen and other native Spanish speakers. Parents completed a pre-program and post-program survey as well as pre- and post- workshop surveys.

Results: Phase One: Needs Assessment
Participants underscored the desire for in-person workshops delivered in Spanish to improve confidence for addressing health topics with their teens. Topics of greatest concern included communication difficulties, social media, and mental health concerns including eating disorders.

Phase Two: Delivery
10 participants attended at least one workshop, and 10 parents attended 3 of the 4 workshops. Each session included a 20-minute didactic component followed by a 25-minute facilitated discussion. Effectiveness was evaluated using pre- and post-workshop surveys. Quantitative analysis indicated a statistically-significant increase in parental self-reported confidence in discussing adolescent health topics and identifying when professional intervention is warranted versus when home-based support is appropriate. Additionally, 100% of participants reported they would recommend the workshops to other parents.

Conclusion/Discussion: Spanish-speaking parents express a clear desire for accessible and culturally relevant settings in which to learn about adolescent health. This project demonstrates that in-person, Spanish-language workshops can serve as an effective tool for educating parents on key topics related to teenage development and mental health. Moreover, partnerships with trusted community organizations play a critical role in fostering participant engagement and ensuring an emotionally safe environment for open dialogue and learning.