Abstract

JALLOH, Chelsea et al. Evaluation of the educational booklet Abre los ojos (Open your eyes) for homeless youth in Medellín. Rev. Fac. Nac. Salud Pública [online]. 2012, vol.30, n.3, pp.282-290. ISSN 0120-386X.

OBJECTIVE: Conduct a process evaluation of a health education resource (pamphlet), Abre los Ojos, designed for street-involved youth in Medellín. The primary foci of the evaluation were the process of developing the resource and youth's subsequent perception of the resource. METHODOLOGY: Drawing upon both qualitative and quantitative data, a process evaluation was undertaken. Ninety four street-involved youth between the ages of 14-24 years completed surveys about the resource. These semi-structured interviews were key for the information about youth perception of the resource. In addition to individual interviews, prior to resource creation, a series of focus groups were integral for the development of the resource. RESULTS: The process of consulting with the target population through the focus groups was effective in obtaining their ideas and feedback about what type of content they would like to see in a health education resource, and how they wanted that content presented. After distribution, participants described that Abre los Ojos contained information that was valuable and relevant to their experiences. While not a primary focus of this evaluation, the individual interviews were also able to provide some preliminary insight into whether Abre los Ojos was an effective means for participants to increase their knowledge of content included in the resource. CONCLUSION: The collaborative process of jointly developing the resource content in partnership with the youth proved very worthwhile. While our research team chose to include information about HIV, through focus group dialogue, the youth themselves determined the additional content themes (piercings, use of solvents, and description of life on the street). The resulting resource was well-received by members of the street-involved population who had not been involved in its design.

Keywords : homeless youth; HIV/Aids; health education resource; process evaluation; public health.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )