Reducing the risks of alcohol use among urban youth: three-year effects of a computer-based intervention with and without parent involvement.

Abstract

Objective-This study tested a CD-ROM intervention with and without a parent involvement component to reduce risk of alcohol use among an urban sample of early adolescents.Method-Youths (N = 514, mean age 11.5 years at recruitment) were assigned randomly by community site to receive the CD-ROM intervention, the CD-ROM plus parent intervention, or no intervention. All youths completed pretest, posttest and three annual follow-up measurements. After pretesting, youths and parents received their respective interventions.Results-Main effects of the intervention and for measurement occasion as well as interaction effects of the intervention by measurement occasion were seen for substance use and related outcomes. Over time, youths in all 3 groups reported increased use of alcohol, tobacco and marijuana; youths who received the interventions reported smaller increases than control youths. At 3-year follow-up, alcohol use was lower for CD-ROM plus parent intervention youths than for CD-ROM only youths, who, in turn, reported less use than controls. Cigarette use was lower for youths in either intervention group than in the control group at posttest and at 1-, 2-and 3-year follow-ups. Marijuana use was lower for youths in either intervention than for controls at 1-, 2-and 3-year follow-ups. Youths in both intervention groups outperformed control youths at posttest and at 1-and 3-year follow-ups on levels of negative and peer influence toward substance use. Finally, at the 3-year follow-up, youths in the CD-ROM plus parent intervention group reported more family involvement in their alcohol use prevention efforts than did youths in the CD-ROM group, who, in turn, reported more positive levels of family involvement than youths in the control group.Conclusions-Study findings modestly support the CD-ROM intervention with and without the parent intervention to reduce alcohol use risks among urban early adolescents.

Worldwide application of prevention science in adolescent health

“…Examples include enhanced education services for primarily low-income, very young children to improve their cognitive, language, and socialcognitive skills; [48][49][50] and interventions that strengthen parenting skills, parent-child communication, and affective relationships. These include universal (eg, the Strengthening Families Program for Parents and Youth 10-14 28,72,73 and the Computer-Based Intervention 54,55 ), selective (eg, the New Beginnings Program 56 ), and indicated programmes (eg, Functional Family Therapy 74 ). Across programmes, significant effects were identified in early childhood to late adolescence and include reduced child abuse and neglect, alcohol and other drug misuse, risky sexual activity, depression, and delinquency and crime, and greater educational attainment.…”

Developing a school-based drug prevention program to overcome barriers to effective program implementation: The CLIMATE schools: Alcohol module

“…Effective learning also requires that young people have the opportunity to personally interact with the material in a meaningful way which is relevant to their own lives [37]. Computer technology is an age appropriate tool which can be utilised to simulate real life situations involving characters and contexts to which young people can relate [53,54], which allows for this level of interacttion.…”

Gender-Specific Intervention to Reduce Underage Drinking Among Early Adolescent Girls: A Test of a Computer-Mediated, Mother-Daughter Program

“…Computer-mediated programs may overcome these and other obstacles to delivering family programs (Schinke et al, 2004). For adolescents, computer interventions may hold greater appeal than programs delivered face to face (Paperny, 2004).…”