Culturally competent substance abuse prevention research among rural Native American communities.

A study examined the process of evaluating family-oriented substance abuse prevention efforts in three Native American communities. In general, the Native communities exhibited a lack of commitment to academic evaluation research due to concerns over who would gain from such research, how much value was placed on Indian opinions, the level of intrusion involved, whether the research was an attempt to assimilate Indians into the larger society, and the use of non-Native staff. Socializing at community events, dinners, and powwows was effective for recruiting families, gathering feedback, and gathering knowledge of the family and community situations and viewpoints about substance abuse prevention. The use of local people to contact families, schedule interviews, and gather community information for the interviewer was key to the study's success. Participants favored short and direct questions. Since persons other than biological parents are often involved in Native American child care, researchers need to identify the appropriate child caretakers in family-oriented prevention research. A desire was expressed for more culturally relevant questions. Questions that pertained to negative behavior by child caregivers were seen as disrespectful of their elder status. Researchers must understand and cope with time demands and scheduling problems that accompany research among Native Americans. Videotaped interviews should be conducted with tribal elders first to encourage others to permit videotaping. (Contains 59 references.) (TD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Culturally Competent Substance Abuse Prevention Research Among Rural Native American Communities Jerry Stubben U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OffiCe f Educational Research and Improvement EDUáATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. Substance abuse is seen as the major contributing factor to the disarray of many rural Indian communities.' The majority of rural Native American communities exist either within the boundaries of tribal trust lands, commonly referred to as reservations, or in close proximity to reservations; these communities are often made up of members from a common tribal population. These tribal-specific populations are very diverse in terms of cultural norms, language, and, as studies have found, in their degree of illegal drug use (Beauvais and LaBoueff 1985; May 1992; Oetting et al. 1983). Yet, some common drug use patterns have appeared among rural Native American populations. Although alcohol abuse remains a predominant factor in rural Native American communities among both adults and young people, an increase in the use of marijuana and inhalants by youth has become evident. There is also some evidence that multidrug use among Indian youth is increasing, perhaps due to the increased availability of drugs such as cocaine, crack, and acid among reservation populations (Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health (DGPAH) 1992; Jumper-Thurman 1992). Some tribal members feel that the influx of outsiders to tribal casinos has made such drugs more available to their members. Data on such tribal concerns and rural Indian drug use in general are very limited, and what does exist is often specific to one or two tribes with little or no generalizability to other rural Indian populations. An increase in such research is definitely needed. Although substance abuse treatment programs without question offer an avenue for successful rehabilitation and sobriety for Native Americans, especially programs with a high degree of cultural competence with regard to Indian culture, spirituality, and values (Stubben 1992a), no (treatment or rehabilitation is a substitute for substance abuse prevention ,within a Native American community. Substance abuse prevention in 6,1" .Native American communities, whether reservation, rural, or urban, is