Kudos to Rosa Gonzalez-Guarda and her entire team for the submission of their proposal to The Rita & Alex Hillman Foundation entitled: “A SMARTPHONE APPLICATION TO PREVENT INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE AMONG YOUNG ADULT LATINO IMMIGRANTS”. This proposal requests funding for a 1-year period with a start date of Dec. 1, 2017.

The proposed project will develop and conduct a formative evaluation of a smartphone app—Culturaciόn: Cultura y Relaciones Intimás (Culture and Intimate Relationships)—that addresses the risks and protective factors associated with IPV among Latinos through five modules: previous trauma, relationship cultural stress, partner communication, cultural norms, and community support.

Goal 1 (Phase 1): Develop a smartphone app (Culturaciόn) based on input from community partners experienced in culturally-specific services, young adult Latino immigrants ages 18 through 29 (end users), and evidence related to risk and protective factors associated with IPV among Latino immigrants.

Objective 1.1: We will conduct four focus groups with diverse stakeholders representing community-based organizations that serve the Latino population throughout the United States to identify important app features. Each focus group will include 6 to 8 participants, and will be conducted using an online platform (e.g., Adobe Connect). This will allow participants to interact with the moderators and one another, while simultaneously allowing for geographical diversity in participation.  

Objective 1.2: Develop a prototype of the smartphone application based on input about content from our focus groups, best-practices in app design, and evidence-based practices in IPV prevention.

Goal 2 (Phase 2): Conduct a formative evaluation of the smartphone app (Culturaciόn) by piloting the app with 20 young adult Latino immigrants.

Objective 2.1: Conduct 20 interviews with young adult Latino immigrants to assess the acceptability and usability of the application after having at least a week to use it. The Concurrent Talk Aloud Protocol will be used to encourage users to share their experiences, impression, and recommendations for revisions while using the app.15,16 These interviews will also be conducted using an online platform to allow for geographical diversity in participation.

Objective 2.2: Revise the smartphone app prototype based on recommendations from young adult Latino immigrants to make the Culturaciόn app ready for future dissemination and testing.