Integrating Cultural and Family Resilience Into Health Promotion Programs With Black Families

Growing evidence shows that cultural and family resilience resources may serve as a protective buffer of the deleterious impacts of racial stress on psychosocial and health-related outcomes among Black adolescents. Thus, we sought feedback from Black adolescents and parents on their use of resilience resources to cope with stress. Specifically, Black facilitators conducted qualitative in-depth interviews with 16 Black adolescents and parents (adolescents: ~63% male, M age = 15 ± 2.45, M BMI percentile 97.0 ± 3.31; parents: 100% female, M age = 49.19 ± 9.19, M BMI = 39.76 ± 6.84) to assess their experience with cultural and family resilience and to gather recommendations for integrating these resources into future resilience-based health promotion trials. Findings showed that families endorsed leaning on the core resilience resources of racial socialization (egalitarianism, preparation for racial bias, racial coping, cultural pride), racial identity (positive affirmations, Black history), cultural assets (spirituality, kinship, traditions around food), and family resilience (family meals, family bonding) to cope with stress. Families provided insightful recommendations of culturally relevant curriculum to integrate into future trials, including engaging in discussions and activities focused on family traditions and values of managing stress, racial coping skills, positive affirmations about Black identity, leaning on social support, and preparing for experiences of racial bias. Findings highlighted the value of core resilience resources as a critical buffer to stress among families. Participant insights guided the curriculum development for future resilience-based health promotion programs with Black families.