Objective. Because racial and ethnic minoritized groups disproportionately represented essential workers and lacked equitable access to resources that mitigated exposure and mortality risk, the COVID-19 pandemic brought disparities to the forefront of public health, exacerbating existing discrepancies. These inequities highlight a pressing need for the prevention science field to investigate whether interventions promote equitable well-being, which served as the impetus for this study. We examined 885 programs with evaluations published from 2010-2021 and recorded in the Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development registry of preventive interventions. Methods. Focusing on race and ethnicity but also tracking reporting of gender, location, and economic disadvantage, we conducted a descriptive analysis on the prevalence of culturally tailored interventions (i.e., those developed for specific populations) and reporting of sample characteristics. In addition, inferential analyses examined reporting time trends, as well as the relationship between study quality (i.e., methodological soundness, beneficial effects) and culturally tailored programs, and racial ethnic enrollment. Results. Most studies were conducted in the U.S. (n=583). Two percent of programs were developed for Black or African American youth and four percent targeted Hispanic or Latino populations. For the 77% of studies that reported race, most enrollees were White (35%) followed by Black or African American (28%), and 31% were collapsed across racial categories or categorized with ethnicity, thus ignoring the intersectionality of race and ethnicity. In the 64% of studies that reported ethnicity, 32% of enrollees identified as Hispanic or Latino. Reporting did not improve over time, and there was no relationship between high quality evaluations and programs developed for racial ethnic minority groups, or samples with high proportions of racial ethnic enrollees. Conclusions. Research gaps on racial and ethnic groups identified in this study indicate the need for improved representation and clear reporting to reduce disparities and improve the utility of preventive interventions.

Individuals who are Asian or Asian American, Black or African American, Native American or American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and Hispanic or Latino (i.e., presently considered racial ethnic minoritized groups in the USA) lacked equal access to resources for mitigating risk during COVID-19, which highlighted public health disparities and exacerbated inequities rooted in structural racism that have contributed to many injustices, such as failing public school systems and unsafe neighborhoods. Minoritized groups are also vulnerable to climate change wherein the most severe harms disproportionately fall upon underserved communities. While systemic changes are needed to address these pervasive syndemic conditions, immediate efforts involve examining strategies to promote equitable health and well-being-which served as the impetus for this study. We conducted a descriptive analysis on the prevalence of culturally tailored interventions and reporting of sample characteristics among 885 programs with evaluations published from 2010 to 2021 and recorded in the Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development registry. Inferential analyses also examined (1) reporting time trends and (2) the relationship between study quality (i.e., strong methods, beneficial effects) and culturally tailored programs and racial ethnic enrollment. Two percent of programs were developed for Black or African American youth, and 4% targeted Hispanic or Latino populations. For the 77% of studies that reported race, most enrollees were White (35%) followed by Black or African American (28%), and 31% collapsed across race or categorized race with ethnicity. In the 64% of studies that reported ethnicity, 32% of enrollees were Hispanic or Latino. Reporting has not improved, and there was no relationship between high-quality studies and programs developed for racial ethnic youth, or samples with high proportions of racial ethnic enrollees. Research gaps on racial ethnic groups call for clear reporting and better representation to reduce disparities and improve the utility of interventions. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11121-023-01564-8.

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