Culture of Data 2024

Substance misuse and sexual health disparities emerge and persist through mutually reinforcing social and structural systems of oppression. Adolescents of color are more likely to be situated in a web of adverse social and structural contexts when compared to their White peers. To reduce adverse behavioral health outcomes and promote healthy development among adolescents of color in Denver Metro, CO, a focus on improving the contexts in which they live, learn, play, and grow is essential. Equally important is engaging adolescents of color to tell their story, using data, of how social and structural contexts play a role in the health outcomes of their friends, family, and community. A youth engaged approach allows for a deeper understanding of the pernicious and complex social contexts and relations of power experienced by youth of color that likely influence health. This presentation outlines the work of Youth to Youth Empowerment (Y2YE), a youth engaged mixed methods study to identify and examine associations among social and structural contexts with substance misuse and sexual risk taking among youth of color in Denver Metro, CO. This presentation will discuss the process for engaging youth in all aspects of the study, including complex multilevel and spatial quantitative analysis, advanced qualitative methods, and quantitative and qualitative data integration. Findings of this study will be used to inform strategies that reduce structural and social inequities to promote positive behavioral health outcomes among youth of color in Denver Metro, CO.