INHALANT USE AMONG RURAL CHILDREN: A MULTICULTURAL STUDY

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The prevalence of inhalant use among pre-adolescents in rural ethnic minority and non-minority communities will be examined as well as information on how family, peer, school, community and cultural factors may correlate with inception of inhalant use. The project is multi-dimensional, multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural (American Indian, Mexican- American, African American, Asian American and non-minority) and uses multiple methodologies for achieving its goals. An innovative aspect of this project is that data will be collected both from children, parents and other adults in rural communities where inhalant use has been found to be relatively high (Mexican American, American Indian and non minority) as well as in communities where inhalant use has generally been found to be low (African American and Asian American). Thus, examination of individual risk and protective factors as well as cultural beliefs and practices that may be related to initiation of inhalant use will be possible. The Community Readiness Model posits that community efforts must match the community's level of readiness to deal with the problem in order to be effective. This model will guide development of appropriate resources for communities to utilize at each stage of community readiness. The project has seven interrelated studies: (I) Assessment of Community Readiness in rural and minority communities and Community Readiness workshops to develop culturally appropriate strategies for prevention; (II) Analyses of existing data on inhalant use and correlates among 7th-12th graders; (III) Focus groups with parents and other adults to gather information on parenting styles, cultural values and attitudes, and knowledge of inhalant use issues; (IV, V & VI) Survey to gather information on prevalence and correlates of inhalant use of 4th-8th graders in rural communities with populations of the following ethnicities: (IV) Mexican American, African American and non-minority; (V) non-reservation American Indian; and (VI) Asian American; and (VII) Compilation and evaluation of existing inhalant prevention materials; testing of acceptability and appropriateness of these materials in high risk rural communities; and development of materials where needed. We will then utilize findings of this project to develop a compendium of inhalant prevention resources, materials and strategies appropriate for use in rural and ethnic minority communities based on each community's stage of readiness to address the issue.