Equitable Prevention Science and Participatory Co-Design of the HEROES Strength-Based Programs

Latinx populations are disproportionately impacted by health disparities and are underserved in formal mental health and health systems. Participatory co-design of prevention and health promotion programs may better attend to cultural and systemic factors impacting access and effectiveness. Participatory methodologies offer an opportunity for prevention science researchers to empower and follow the expertise of communities to shape prevention and health promotion programs. Using community-based participatory research (CBPR) puts an emphasis on the local context and priorities related to health equity, whereas implementing human-centered design (HCD) processes provides strategies for the generation and co-design of innovative solutions. In the current study, Latinx youth, youth mentors, and promotores de salud (lay health workers) engaged in the process of co-designing two strength-based caregiver and youth prevention programs through a six-step CBPR + HCD approach. In the first phase, Latinx adolescents collaborated with researchers to co-design a six-module participatory photography program. In the second phase, youth mentors and promotores collaborated with researchers to co-design a four-module family resilience program, incorporating mindfulness, restorative communication, and child-directed interaction skills. Participatory co-design is a promising approach to developing and refining culturally congruent, community-embedded programs, while centering community priorities and meeting the preferences and needs of Latinx communities. Implications for participatory and design frameworks to better address prevention and health promotion and future research are discussed.