Context: Although parents can be influential toward the sexual attitudes and behaviors of adolescents, fathers are significantly underrepresented in studies of parental influences on adolescent sexual practices and behaviors. Method: This mixed method study assessed the feasibility of implementing a HIV/STI (human immunodeficiency virus/sexually transmitted infection) risk reduction program for African American fathers and sons. Focus groups were conducted with 30 father–son pairs at a local barbershop. Adolescents ranged between 11 and 19 years old with a mean age of 14.71 years (SD = 2.14). Results: Fathers and sons were not in agreement about frequency of communication about sexual health issues. However, the majority of fathers and sons indicated they would attend a father–son HIV/STI risk reduction program together. Conclusion: This study supports the development of a HIV/STI risk reduction program for that can enhance sexual risk communication practices among African American fathers and sons.
Public housing residents have high intake of added sugars, which is associated with sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption in their social networks. In this feasibility study, we designed and tested a network-oriented intervention to decrease added sugar intake by encouraging reduced SSB consumption. We conducted a 6-month single-arm trial testing a small-group curriculum (9 sessions) that combined behavior change strategies to reduce added sugar intake by promoting SSB reduction with a peer outreach approach. We recruited and trained public housing residents to be “Peer Educators,” who then communicated information and made changes to reduce SSB with their network members. We calculated the median number of group sessions attended and determined the percentage of individuals satisfied with the program. We estimated added sugar intake using a 5-factor dietary screener and compared baseline and 6-month median values using Wilcoxon signed rank tests. We recruited 17 residents and 17 of their network members (n = 34). Mean age was 45.7 years, 79.4% were women, and 97.1% were African American. Median number of sessions attended was 9 (interquartile range: 4-9), and 88.2% were very satisfied with the program. Overall, baseline median added sugar intake was 38.0 tsp/day, which significantly declined to 17.2 tsp/day at 6 months ( P < .001). Residents and network members achieved similar results at 6 months (17.4 vs 16.9 tsp/day, respectively). In conclusion, our results demonstrate that a social network intervention aimed at reducing SSB consumption is feasible and can produce significant decreases in adult added sugar intake, which warrants further investigation in a randomized controlled trial.
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