Promoting Resilience with the ¡Unidos Se Puede! Program: An Example of Translational Research for Latino Families

• Published in: Family relations Vol. 66; no. 4; pp. 712 - 728
• Main Author: Cox, Ronald B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, USA Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.10.2017; National Council on Family Relations
• Subjects: Academic achievement; Acculturation; Action research; Adolescents; Behavior Problems; Bilingualism; Child & adolescent psychiatry; Children; Children & youth; Community based action research; Community research; Community-based programs; Complexity; Cultural differences; Cultural heritage; early adolescent; Families & family life; Feasibility; Hispanic Americans; Immigrants; Immigration; Intervention; Latin American cultural groups; Latino; Noncitizens; parent involvement; Parent Participation; Parents & parenting; Participatory research; Peer relationships; Population growth; Prevention programs; Psychology; Resilience; Teenagers; TRANSLATING GUIDELINES TO PRACTICE; translational research; Usefulness; Youth; United States > US
• ISSN: 0197-6664; 1741-3729; 0197-6664
• DOI: 10.1111/fare.12265

Objective: To illustrate the use of T3 translational research in the development of a culturally appropriate intervention targeting Latino immigrant youth and their families. Background: Demographers estimate that 88% of U.S. population growth over the next 50years will be from immigrants and their offspring. Much of this growth will come from individuals of Latino heritage. One reason for the lag in developing effective interventions for this rapidly expanding population is the inherent complexity that accompanies working with immigrant populations. In T3 translational research, much of this complexity is managed by generating research closer to the actual setting of practice. Investigators adopt a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach that incorporates practitioners, community stakeholders, and members of the target population to explore ways of applying recommendations from research for use in real-world settings. Method: We followed the development of the ¡Unidos Se Puede! (United We Can!) program to illustrate the process of T3 translational research with a Latino immigrant population. Results: Initial program impact indicated a 29% increase in grade point average from Time 1 to Time 2, and absences and tardiness were reduced. Conclusion: The feasibility and acceptance of ¡Unidos Se Puede! implemented with Latino parents and youth offers evidence of usefulness of CBPR to address the complexity of translational research with immigrant populations. Implications: There is an urgent need for T3 translational research that develops novel prevention approaches to help immigrant parents raise healthy and thriving children.