The Strong African American Families Program: Prevention of youths' high-risk behavior and a test of a model of change.

Abstract

In this study, the efficacy of the Strong African American Families Program (SAAF) was tested. The trial, which included 332 families, indicated that families who participated in SAAF experienced increases over time in regulated, communicative parenting; increases in targeted parenting behaviors, according to youths' reports; and low rates of high-risk behavior initiation among youths. Changes in regulated, communicative parenting mediated the intervention's impact on youths' recognition of changes in parenting, which in turn was linked to changes in youths' high-risk behavior.