Evidence-Based Preventive Interventions – Are they Inclusive of Diverse Populations and Do they Build a More Equitable Future for ALL Youth, Families and Communities?

Pamela Buckley, PhD
University of Colorado Boulder

Velma McBride Murry, PhD
Vanderbilt University

ABSTRACT:
Historically marginalized groups face health and social disparities, highlighting the need for equitable preventive interventions. This presentation synthesizes findings from two systematic reviews on representation, cultural tailoring, and subgroup analyses in prevention research. The first review (Buckley et al., 2023) examined 885 preventive programs for youth with evaluations published from 2010-2021 and found incomplete reporting: 77% of studies reported race (with samples predominantly White and Black/African American), 64% reported ethnicity (in which roughly one-third of participants were Hispanic/Latino), and 31% of studies collapsed across race or categorized race with ethnicity. Fewer than one-third of studies (29%) reported participants’ income status; among those that did, most participants came from low-income backgrounds. Of the 73% of studies that reported geographic location, 31% included participants from rural areas. The second review (Buckley et al., 2025) analyzed 292 rigorous experimental evaluations of youth preventive programs published between 2010–2023 and identified few culturally tailored interventions (31%) and limited subgroup testing—25% by race, 15% by ethnicity, and even fewer by economic disadvantage, gender, sexual orientation, geographic location, or nativity. When tested, effects often favored racial and ethnic minoritized groups, and subgroup reporting increased over time. However, concerns about selective reporting emerged, as very few studies preregistered their subgroup analyses. Advancing equity in prevention science will require improved reporting, prospectively registered subgroup testing, and greater investment in culturally grounded interventions. The presentation concludes with a proposed research project addressing these needs.