Girl World: a primary prevention program for Mexican American girls
Kelly, P.J.; Bobo, T.J.; McLachlan, K.; Avery, S.; Burge, S.K.
Health promotion practice 7(2): 174-179
2006
ISSN/ISBN: 1524-8399 PMID: 16585139 DOI: 10.1177/1524839905281306Document Number: 201876
Theories about women's health have not traditionally been extended to include the healthy development of young women. This article applies a women's health perspective to the implementation and evaluation processes of a gender-specific primary prevention program that worked with 9- to 14-year-old Hispanic girls in a low-income community. Although community-based after-school programs can be an important venue for education and girls' development, long-term effects are elusive to evaluate. The authors used ethnographic techniques to learn more about girls and their interactions with the program and to assess short-term program impact. Three themes were found: Program environment can contribute to girls' expression and behavior, issues of struggling families can slide girls into early adulthood, and mentoring can benefit both girls and adult women. Community-based primary prevention programs, although an essential part of a social safety net available to low-income girls, provide researchers with a unique set of evaluation challenges.