Cancer Risk Reduction Among Native American Adolescents

We will develop and test interactive software for delivering health behavior intervention tohigh-risk American youth, defined as adolescents aged 10 and 11 years from households with familyincomes below the Federal poverty line. Based on focus group data obtained expressly for this study,written and software interventions for health behavior intervention will be developed for nonschoolsettings. Foci for interventions are the prevention of tobacco, alcohol, and drug use and the appropriatecontrol of anger among target high-risk youth. Once developed, the interactive microcomputer softwarewill undergo field testing in a randomized trial with a sample of high-risk youths in nonschool settingswithin New York City. The ability of the software to effectively and efficiently deliver health behaviorintervention content will be examined by comparing the software curriculum with a conventionalintervention curriculum. Of interest to the comparison will be outcome variables on high-risk youthsubjects measured before and after intervention delivery and process variables measured duringintervention. Data from Phase I will form the basis of a Phase II proposal to expand and carefullyevaluate interactive software for health behavior intervention among high-risk youth in nonschoolsettings. If found effective and efficient, software produced in Phase II will be disseminated nationallyto relevant community organizations to reach the greatest number of high risk youths at the lowestpossible cost.