Systematic review of family-based interventions integrating cultural and family resilience components to improve Black adolescent health outcomes

Past reviews have shown that culturally salient resilience interventions buffer the negative effects of racial discrimination on psychological and behavioral outcomes among Black youth. However, these prior reviews neglect to integrate trials targeting physical health and/or health-promoting outcomes, synthesize trials based on methodological rigor, or systematically assess efficacy or resilience intervention components. This systematic review expands on past research by (1) providing an up to-date literature review on family-based cultural resilience interventions across a range of health-related outcomes (physical health, health behaviors, health risk-taking behaviors, and psychological), (2) evaluating the rigor of these interventions, (3) analyzing the efficacy of rigorous interventions, and (4) describing the resilience intervention components of rigorous interventions. Using the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search was conducted from 1992 to 2022. Studies were included if they were family-based resilience interventions targeting health-related outcomes among Black adolescents ages 10-17 years. Fifteen studies met inclusion criteria, 10 of which were not included in past reviews. Overall, 10 trials demonstrated high methodological rigor, 9 of which were efficacious. Most rigorous, efficacious trials targeted health risk-taking behaviors outcomes (~66%), whereas none targeted health promotion behaviors (physical activity, diet). Resilience components of rigorous efficacious interventions included racial socialization (racial coping, cultural pride) and family resilience (communication, routine), with fewer integrating racial identity (self-concept, role models) and cultural assets (spirituality, communalism). These findings suggest the need to replicate existing rigorous strengths-based resilience interventions and address broader outcomes, including health-promoting behaviors, in the future.