Using the Healthy Native Youth Implementation Toolbox to Provide Web-Based Adolescent Health Promotion Decision Support to American Indian and Alaska Native Communities: Implementation Study

Authors

• Amrita Sidhu
• Ross Shegog
• Stephanie Craig-Rushing
• Nicole Trevino
• Michelle Singer
• Cornelia Jessen
• Gwenda Gorman
• Sean Simpson
• Melissa Peskin
• Belinda Hernandez
• Christine Markham

Language

English

Publication Date

4-16-2025

Journal

JMIR Formative Research

DOI

10.2196/67885

PMID

40239201

PMCID

PMC12017605

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

4-16-2025

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

Abstract

Background: American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth experience numerous health inequities, including those in sexual, reproductive, and mental health. Implementation of culturally relevant, age-appropriate evidence-based programs may mitigate these inequities. However, numerous barriers limit the adoption and implementation of evidence-based adolescent health promotion programs in AI/AN communities.

Objective: This study examines user reach and engagement from 2022 to 2024 of web-based decision support (the Healthy Native Youth [HNY] website and the embedded HNY Implementation Toolbox), designed to increase the implementation of evidence-based adolescent health promotion programming in AI/AN communities.

Methods: Promotional strategies were designed for optimal geographic reach to Tribal organizations, opinion leaders, federal decision makers, and funders. Promotional channels included grassroots, community, and professional networks. We used Google Analytics to examine the uptake of the HNY website and HNY Implementation Toolbox from January 2022 to January 2024. The Toolbox provides culturally relevant tools and templates to help users navigate through 5 phases of program adoption and implementation: Gather, Choose, Prepare, Implement, and Grow. User reach was estimated by demographic characteristics and geographic location; user engagement was estimated by visit frequency and duration, bounce rates, and frequency of page and tool access.

Results: Over the study period, page views of the HNY website and HNY Toolbox increased 10-fold and 27-fold, respectively. Over the 2-year evaluation period since the Toolbox "go live" date, approximately 1 in 8 users of the HNY website visited the Toolbox. The majority of HNY website users were located in Washington (n=1515), California (n=1290), and Oregon (n=1019) and were aged between 18 and 24 (n=1559, 21.7%) and 25-34 (n=1676, 23.29%) years. Toolbox users were primarily located in California (n=1238), Washington (n=1142), and Oregon (n=986), mostly aged between 35 and 44 years (n=444, 35%). Both website and Toolbox users were primarily female, who accessed the site and Toolbox via desktop computers. The most frequently accessed phase pages within the Implementation Toolbox were Gather, Choose, Implement, and Prepare, as supported by bounce rates and average time on page. The most viewed phase was the "Gather" phase, with 3278 views. The most frequently downloaded tools within the Toolbox were Gather: Community Needs and Resource Assessment, with 136 downloads. The phases and tools accessed may have differed based on the user's goal or stage of implementation.

Conclusions: Findings indicate positive initial reach and engagement of the HNY website and HNY Implementation Toolbox among AI/AN educators that has consistently increased over the 2 years. The provision of web-based decision support that guides AI/AN users through the adoption, implementation, and maintenance of culturally relevant, age-appropriate, evidence-based adolescent health promotion programs in their communities may help increase the implementation of effective adolescent health promotion programs to ultimately increase health equity among AI/AN youth.

Keywords

Adolescent, Female, Humans, Male, Young Adult, Adolescent Health, Alaska Natives, Decision Support Techniques, Health Promotion, Internet, Adult, Health Plan Implementation, AI/AN, Alaska, Alaska native, American Indian, Google Analytics, Tribal organization, adolescent, culturally relevant program, decision support, decision support system, evidence-based health promotion, health inequities, implementation, mental health, native communities, reach, reproductive, sexual, toolbox, user engagement, youth

Published Open-Access

yes

Recommended Citation

Sidhu, Amrita; Shegog, Ross; Craig-Rushing, Stephanie; et al., "Using the Healthy Native Youth Implementation Toolbox to Provide Web-Based Adolescent Health Promotion Decision Support to American Indian and Alaska Native Communities: Implementation Study" (2025). Faculty, Staff and Student Publications. 1477.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/uthsph_docs/1477