Flint Fathers and Sons Evaluation Project
PI - Cleopatra Caldwell
University of Michigan
The purpose of this project is to evaluate the effectiveness of an innovative, theoretically-based preventive intervention designed to enhance mediating (i.e., parental monitoring, parent-child communication, parental role modeling) and moderating (i.e., racial identity, racial socialization, social support, self-efficacy) factors in reducing or preventing substance use and violent behavior among non-resident African American fathers and their preadolescent sons. The intervention is also designed to prevent early sexual initiation among sons and to examine the effectiveness of increasing the quality of father-son relationships (i.e., father involvement, father-son closeness) and promoting positive health behaviors (i.e., physical activity) as strategies for preventing youth problem behaviors. This culturally-based intervention was developed using a community-based participatory approach involving collaboration between several community-based organizations in Flint, MI, the Genesee County Health Department, the University of Michigan School of Public Health, and non-resident African American fathers and sons who participated in focus groups and pilot tests of the intervention. One hundred fifty intervention and 150 comparison group families will be recruited into the study. To date, 94 families have participated in the project. The significance of this study is that it involves urban non-resident African American fathers more fully in the lives of their preadolescent sons who are at risk for experiencing a number of negative health outcomes. The family environment is vital to the health and well-being of adolescents. Yet, most projects do not include family members in youth preventive interventions. Involving parents is advantageous for several reasons, including developing parenting skills helpful to the adolescent and gaining insights about the program which will allow them to support the child long after the intervention ends. Thus, influencing the attitudes and behaviors of parents, especially non-resident African American fathers, is an important step towards sustainability of positive intervention effects for the child.
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Page last modified: September 28, 2006
Content source: Office of the Chief Science Officer (OCSO)
