“Everyone just keeps their eyes closed and their fingers crossed”: Sexual health communication among black parents and children in Nova Scotia, Canada

International Journal for Equity in Health

Clemon George²  Jacqueline C Gahagan¹  Antoinette N Davis¹ 

[1] Gender and Health Promotion Studies Unit, Health Promotion Division, School of Health and Human Performance, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada;CIHR New Investigator in the area of HIV/AIDS, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, ON, Canada

关键词: Communication;    Nova Scotia;    Qualitative research;    Parents;    Black youth;    Sexual health;   

Others  :  811727
DOI  :  10.1186/1475-9276-12-55

 received in 2012-10-17, accepted in 2013-07-04,  发布年份 2013

【 摘 要 】

Background

Black Canadian youth remain disproportionally affected by an array of social and health issues, including sexually transmitted infections. While research exists in support of the involvement of parents as a key means to prevent or modify harmful behaviours among youth, less is known about how parent–child communication can serve as a prevention intervention strategy within Black families in Canada. This study explores sexual health communication between Black parents and youth in Nova Scotia and identifies facilitators, obstacles and issues that families face in dialoguing about sexual health.

Methods

Focus groups and in-depth interview sessions were held with a diverse sample of parents of Black youth, health and education professionals, and Black youth in Nova Scotia, as part of a larger study aimed at exploring parent–child communication on sexual health and HIV. The research team worked in partnership with and received feedback from key informants and a community advisory committee throughout the various stages of this study. All sessions were audio-taped with permission and thematic analysis was carried out on the verbatim transcripts.

Results

Six key themes emerged from the data analysis in relation to parent–child communication within Black families in Nova Scotia: 1. the gendered nature of [sexual] health communication; 2. fear and uncertainty as obstacles; 3. open and honest dialogue from an early age as a facilitator; 4. media as both a catalyst and a barrier; 5. peers as a catalyst; and 6. time constraints as an obstacle.

Conclusions

The findings of this study reveal that parent–child communication regarding sexual health promotion within Black families in Nova Scotia remains varied and is heavily affected by a myriad of intersecting determinants of health faced by Black youth and their parents. Health promotion interventions aimed at fostering and supporting parent–child communication on sexual health must simultaneously target both parents and youth and further, such efforts must engage a high level of cultural competency in order to better meet the needs of this population.

【 授权许可】

   
2013 Davis et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

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