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...prevention
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www.ProjectCork.org
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Summer 2006
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Parent-centered intervention: A practical approach for preventing drug abuse in Hispanic adolescents. (review).
Tapia MI; Schwartz SJ; Prado G; Lopez B; Pantin H. Research on Social Work Practice16(2): 146-165, 2006. (112 refs.)
Objective: The objective of the present article is to review and discuss Familias Unidas, an empirically supported, family-based, culturally specific drug abuse and HIV prevention intervention for Hispanic immigrant adolescents and their families. Method: The authors focus on engagement and retention as well as on intervention delivery. Conclusions: The present article serves as a guide for social workers and mental health practitioners in carrying out effective family-based adolescent substance use and HIV preventive interventions. Recommendations for and challenges to implementing the intervention in practice-based settings are discussed. Copyright 2006, Sage Publications.
Prevention of deaths from harmful drinking in the United States: The potential effects of tax increases and advertising bans on young drinkers.
Hollingworth W; Ebel BE; McCarty CA; Garrison MM; Christakis DA; Rivara FP. Journal of Studies on Alcohol 67(2): 300-308, 2006. (39 refs.)
Objective: Harmful alcohol consumption is a leading cause of death in the United States. The majority of people who die from alcohol use begin drinking in their youth. In this study, we estimate the impact of interventions to reduce the prevalence of drinking among youth on subsequent drinking patterns and alcohol-attributable mortality. Method: We first estimated the effect of public health interventions to decrease harmful drinking among youth from literature reviews and used life table methods to estimate alcohol-attributable years of life lost by age 80 years among the cohort of approximately 4 million U.S. residents aged 20 in the year 2000. Then, from national survey data on transitions in drinking habits by age, we modeled the impact of interventions on alcohol-attributable mortality. Results: A tax increase and an advertising ban were the most effective interventions identified. In the absence of intervention, there would be 55,259 alcohol-attributable deaths over the lifetime of the cohort. A tax-based 17% increase in the price of alcohol of $1 per six pack of beer could reduce deaths from harmful drinking by 1,490, equivalent to 31,130 discounted years of potential life saved or 3.3% of current alcohol-attributable mortality. A complete ban on alcohol advertising would reduce deaths from harmful drinking by 7,609 and result in a 16.4% decrease in alcohol-related life-years lost. A partial advertising ban would result in a 4% reduction in alcohol-related life-years lost. Conclusions: Interventions to prevent harmful drinking by youth can result in reductions in adult mortality. Among interventions shown to be successful in reducing youthful drinking prevalence, advertising bans appear to have the greatest potential for premature mortality reduction. Copyright 2006, Alcohol Research Documentation, Inc. Used with permission.
Project Towards No Drug Abuse: Long-term substance use outcomes evaluation.
Sun W; Skara S; Sun P; Dent CW; Sussman S. Preventive Medicine 42(3): 188-192, 2006. (19 refs.)
Objectives. This paper presents up to 5 years post-program outcomes of Project Towards No Drug Abuse (Project TND), a drug abuse prevention program conducted in South California alternative high school system during years 1994-1999. Methods. The effects of a 9-session health motivation-social skills-decision-making curriculum were evaluated. Twenty-one schools recruited were randomly assigned to standard care (control), classroom only, or a classroom plus semester-long school-as-community component. Last 30-day use of cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, and hard drugs were assessed at three time intervals: short-term (year 1), middle-term (years 2 or 3), and long-term (years 4 or 5). Multilevel random coefficients modeling were employed to estimate the adjusted levels of substance use. Results. Among 1578 baseline subjects, follow-up data were available for 68% (year 1), 66% (years 2 or 3), and 46% (years 4 or 5) of subjects, respectively. Results revealed significant positive long-term program effects for hard drug use at year 4 or 5 for the two program interventions (P = 0.02). Conclusions. Project TND reduced hard drug use in the 46% who were successfully followed. It is the first program to demonstrate long-term self-reported behavioral effects on hard drug use among high-risk youth by using a school-based, limited-session model. Copyright 2006, Inst. For Cancer Prevention.
The evolution of drug policy in Vancouver, Canada: Strategies for preventing harm from psychoactive substance use.
MacPherson D; Mulla Z; Richardson L. International Journal of Drug Policy 17(2): 127-132, 2006. (3 refs.)
In December of 2000, the City of Vancouver released its Four Pillars Drug Strategy in response to a serious public health crisis driven by illicit drug use in Vancouver. Following initial actions in the area of harm reduction and enforcement, in June 2005 the City of Vancouver developed its draft prevention plan titled "Preventing Harm from Psychoactive Substance Use". The plan is based on a synthesis of international research and evaluation, examples of successful programs from other jurisdictions, and a community dialogue process. Its recommendations fall under five key prevention priorities, including reducing risk factors and increasing protective factors across the life course, community centred interventions, addressing impacts on communities, legislative and public policy change and regulated markets. Together, these prevention priorities form an integrated plan to prevent harm from substance use. This article provides a description of the process leading to the development of the plan and seeks to articulate its key strategies. Copyright 2006, Elsevier Science.
Neurocognitive skills moderate urban male adolescents' responses to preventive intervention materials. (review).
Fishbein DH; Hyde C; Eldreth D; Paschall MJ; Hubal R; Das A et al. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 82(1): 47-60, 2006. (123 refs.)
The present experiment was designed to determine whether individual variation in neurobiological mechanisms associated with substance abuse risk moderated effects of a brief preventive intervention on social competency skills. This study was conducted in collaboration with the ongoing preventive intervention study at Johns Hopkins University Prevention Intervention Research Center (JHU PIRC) within the Baltimore City Public Schools. A subsample (N = 120) of male 9th grade students was recruited from the larger JHU study population. Approximately half of the participants had a current or lifetime diagnosis of CD while the other half had no diagnosis of CD or other reported problem behaviors. Measures of executive cognitive function (ECF), emotional perception and intelligence were administered. In a later session, participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental or control group. The experimental group underwent a facilitated session using excerpted materials from a model preventive intervention, Positive Adolescent Choices Training (PACT), and controls received no intervention. Outcomes (i.e., social competency skills) were assessed using virtual reality vignettes involving behavioral choices as well as three social cognition questionnaires. Poor cognitive and emotional performance and a diagnosis of CD predicted less favorable change in social competency skills in response to the prevention curriculum. This study provides evidence for the moderating effects of neurocognitive and emotional regulatory functions on ability of urban male Youth to respond to preventive intervention materials. Copyright 2006, Elsevier Science.
Reducing the risk of HIV infection associated with illicit drug use.
American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Pediatric AIDS. Pediatrics 117(2): 566-571, 2006. (48 refs.)
Substance abuse, specifically the use of illicit drugs that are administered intravenously, continues to play a role in the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) among adolescents and young adults (youth). Risks of HIV-1 infection may result from direct exposure to contaminated blood through sharing of injection drug equipment and from unsafe sexual practices (while under the influence of drugs and/or in exchange for drugs). Reducing the risk of HIV-1 infection that is associated with illicit drug use requires prevention education and prompt engagement in treatment. Providing patients with education, instruction on decontamination of used injection drug equipment, improved access to sterile syringes and needles, and postexposure prophylaxis may decrease their risk of acquiring HIV-1 infection. Pediatricians should assess risk behaviors as part of every health care encounter, including queries about tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use. The risks and benefits of postexposure prophylaxis with antiretroviral drugs should be considered for youth with a single recent (within 72 hours) high-risk exposure to HIV-1 through sharing needles/syringes with an HIV-1-infected individual or having unprotected intercourse with an individual who engages in injection drug use. Such prophylaxis must be accompanied by risk-reduction counseling, appropriate referrals for treatment, and evaluation for pregnancy and associated sexually transmitted infections. There is an urgent need for more substance-abuse prevention and treatment programs, legislation that facilitates unencumbered access to sterile syringes, and expedient availability of reproductive health care services for sexually active youth, including voluntary HIV-1 counseling and testing. Copyright 2006, American Academy of Pediatrics.
Youth smoking prevention and tobacco industry revenue.
Healton C; Farrelly MC; Weitzenkamp D; Lindsey D; Haviland ML. Tobacco Control 15(2): 103-106, 2006. (17 refs.)
Objectives: Epidemiological surveys make it clear that youth smoking contributes to both current and future tobacco industry revenue: over 80% of adult smokers reportedly began smoking before age 18. This paper estimates annual and lifetime revenue from youth smoking, and highlights the association between declines in youth smoking and declines in tobacco Main outcome measures: This paper reports the amount of tobacco industry revenue generated by youth smoking at two points in time (1997 and 2002), and describes the distribution of youth generated tobacco income among the major tobacco companies. The authors project the amount of tobacco industry revenue that will be generated by members of two cohorts (the high school senior classes of 1997 and 2002) over the course of their lifetimes. Results: In 1997, youth consumed 890 million cigarette packs, generating $737 million in annual industry revenue. By 2002, consumption dropped to 541 million packs and revenue increased to nearly $1.2 billion. Fifty eight per cent of youth generated revenue goes to Philip Morris USA, 18% to Lorillard, and 12% to RJ Reynolds. The authors project that, over the course of their lives, the 1997 high school senior class will smoke 12.4 billion packs of cigarettes, generating $27.3 billion in revenue. The 2002 high school senior class is projected to smoke 10.4 billion packs, generating $22.9 billion in revenue over the course of their lives. Conclusions: Cigarette price increases from 1997 to 2002 have resulted in greater revenue for the tobacco industry, despite declines in youth smoking prevalence. However, in the absence of further cigarette price increases, declines in youth smoking are projected to lead ultimately to a loss of approximately $4 billion in future tobacco industry revenue from a single high school cohort. Copyright 2006, BMJ Publishing Group.
Follow-up comparisons of intervention and comparison schools in a state tobacco prevention and control initiative.
Gingiss P; Boerm M; Roberts-Gray C. Journal of School Health 76(3): 98-103, 2006. (29 refs.)
This study provides information about prevention and control practices in intervention and comparison secondary schools 2 years after the start-up of the Texas Tobacco Prevention Initiative. The intervention, which was funded through the Texas Department of State Health Services, consisted of guidance, training, technical assistance, and reimbursement of approximately $2000 per year for program expenses. Self-administered written surveys for Principals and Health Coordinators, based on the School Health Education Profile Tobacco Module, were designed for periodic assessment of the status of school programs. Surveys were sent in 2002 to intervention (n = 74) and comparison (n = 60) schools. Response to the Principal Survey was received from 109 (81%) schools, and response to the Health Coordinator Survey was received from 84 (63%) schools. Survey analysis showed that intervention schools more frequently (p <= 5.05) reported: (1) being extremely or moderately active in student cessation support, teacher training, policy development, family involvement, and assessment of the prevention program; (2) using recommended curricula, offering more tobacco-related lessons, involving more teachers, and using more recommended teaching methods such as role-playing, simulations or practice, and peer educators; and (3) having more interest in staff development and more,funding to purchase release time. Similarities across schools are provided, as well as recommendations for future planning. Copyright 2006, American School Health Association.
Heads UP! A nested intervention with freshmen male college students and the broader campus community to promote responsible drinking.
LaBrie JW; Pedersen ER; Lamb TF; Bove L.Journal of American College Health 54(5): 301-304, 2006. (16 refs.)
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism developed several guidelines for effective interventions in dealing with problematic college student drinking, including targeted individual interventions paired with broader campus community involvement. The project Heads UP! combines these suggestions in an effort to intervene with high-risk first-year male college students. The objective of the program is to reduce campus alcohol-related negative events and prevent these high-risk students from developing dangerous drinking patterns throughout college. The project provides an environment that supports students in actively following the goals outlined by the intervention, and it actively impacts the overall campus by helping students make responsible drinking decisions. Promising results are forthcoming, and the authors encourage other universities to design and adopt similar campus-supported programs nested within the broader campus community that target high-risk populations on campus. Copyright 2006, American College Health Association.
Community coalition project directors: What makes them effective leaders?
Alexander MP; Zakocs RC; Earp JAL; French E. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice 12(2): 201-209, 2006. (19 refs.)
Objective: Effective leaders, both voluntary and paid, facilitate successful coalitions. The attributes that characterize effective project directors, however, are unclear. Our aim was to identify characteristics of effective project directors leading community coalitions. Methods: The study examined 13 project directors who led eight community-based coalitions established to combat substance abuse. We inductively identified common characteristics and leadership effectiveness of the project directors by abstracting data from detailed ethnographic studies of these coalitions. We assessed the validity of leadership effectiveness by comparing data abstracted from ethnographic studies with two independent ratings. We then employed a cross-case comparison strategy for analyzing patterns among the common characteristics identified and leadership effectiveness. Six characteristics emerged among the project directors studied: status with community (insider vs outsider); shared leadership; bridge building skills; substance abuse expertise; vision; and management style. Results and Conclusions: Shared leadership, bridge building skills, and insider status were consistently related to leadership effectiveness. Less support was found for substance abuse expertise or vision. When hiring project directors, coalition leaders may consider assessing whether candidates are "insiders" within the community and demonstrate shared leadership and bridge building skills. Copyright 2006, Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins
Project Towards No Drug Abuse: Long-term substance use outcomes evaluation.
Sun W; Skara S; Sun P; Dent CW; Sussman S. Preventive Medicine 42(3): 188-192, 2006. (19 refs.)
Objectives. This paper presents up to 5 years post-program outcomes of Project Towards No Drug Abuse (Project TND), a drug abuse prevention program conducted in South California alternative high school system during years 1994-1999. Methods. The effects of a 9-session health motivation-social skills-decision-making curriculum were evaluated. Twenty-one schools recruited were randomly assigned to standard care (control), classroom only, or a classroom plus semester-long school-as-community component. Last 30-day use of cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, and hard drugs were assessed at three time intervals: short-term (year 1), middle-term (years 2 or 3), and long-term (years 4 or 5). Multilevel random coefficients modeling were employed to estimate the adjusted levels of substance use. Results. Among 1578 baseline subjects, follow-up data were available for 68% (year 1), 66% (years 2 or 3), and 46% (years 4 or 5) of subjects, respectively. Results revealed significant positive long-term program effects for hard drug use at year 4 or 5 for the two program interventions (P = 0.02). Conclusions. Project TND reduced hard drug use in the 46% who were successfully followed. It is the first program to demonstrate long-term self-reported behavioral effects on hard drug use among high-risk youth by using a school-based, limited-session model. Copyright 2006, Institute for Cancer Prevention.
Parent-centered intervention: A practical approach for preventing drug abuse in Hispanic adolescents. (review).
Tapia MI; Schwartz SJ; Prado G; Lopez B; Pantin H. Research on Social Work Practice 16(2): 146-165, 2006. (112 refs.)
Objective: The objective of the present article is to review and discuss Familias Unidas, an empirically supported, family-based, culturally specific drug abuse and HIV prevention intervention for Hispanic immigrant adolescents and their families. Method: The authors focus on engagement and retention as well as on intervention delivery. Conclusions: The present article serves as a guide for social workers and mental health practitioners in carrying out effective family-based adolescent substance use and HIV preventive interventions. Recommendations for and challenges to implementing the intervention in practice-based settings are discussed. Copyright 2006, Sage Publications.
Prevention of deaths from harmful drinking in the United States: The potential effects of tax increases and advertising bans on young drinkers.
Hollingworth W; Ebel BE; McCarty CA; Garrison MM; Christakis DA; Rivara FP. Journal of Studies on Alcohol 67(2): 300-308, 2006. (39 refs.)
Objective: Harmful alcohol consumption is a leading cause of death in the United States. The majority of people who die from alcohol use begin drinking in their youth. In this study, we estimate the impact of interventions to reduce the prevalence of drinking among youth on subsequent drinking patterns and alcohol-attributable mortality. Method: We first estimated the effect of public health interventions to decrease harmful drinking among youth from literature reviews and used life table methods to estimate alcohol-attributable years of life lost by age 80 years among the cohort of approximately 4 million U.S. residents aged 20 in the year 2000. Then, from national survey data on transitions in drinking habits by age, we modeled the impact of interventions on alcohol-attributable mortality. Results: A tax increase and an advertising ban were the most effective interventions identified. In the absence of intervention, there would be 55,259 alcohol-attributable deaths over the lifetime of the cohort. A tax-based 17% increase in the price of alcohol of $1 per six pack of beer could reduce deaths from harmful drinking by 1,490, equivalent to 31,130 discounted years of potential life saved or 3.3% of current alcohol-attributable mortality. A complete ban on alcohol advertising would reduce deaths from harmful drinking by 7,609 and result in a 16.4% decrease in alcohol-related life-years lost. A partial advertising ban would result in a 4% reduction in alcohol-related life-years lost. Conclusions: Interventions to prevent harmful drinking by youth can result in reductions in adult mortality. Among interventions shown to be successful in reducing youthful drinking prevalence, advertising bans appear to have the greatest potential for premature mortality reduction. Copyright 2006, Alcohol Research Documentation, Inc. Used with permission.
Project Towards No Drug Abuse: Long-term substance use outcomes evaluation.
Sun W; Skara S; Sun P; Dent CW; Sussman S. Preventive Medicine 42(3): 188-192, 2006. (19 refs.)
Objectives. This paper presents up to 5 years post-program outcomes of Project Towards No Drug Abuse (Project TND), a drug abuse prevention program conducted in South California alternative high school system during years 1994-1999. Methods. The effects of a 9-session health motivation-social skills-decision-making curriculum were evaluated. Twenty-one schools recruited were randomly assigned to standard care (control), classroom only, or a classroom plus semester-long school-as-community component. Last 30-day use of cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, and hard drugs were assessed at three time intervals: short-term (year 1), middle-term (years 2 or 3), and long-term (years 4 or 5). Multilevel random coefficients modeling were employed to estimate the adjusted levels of substance use. Results. Among 1578 baseline subjects, follow-up data were available for 68% (year 1), 66% (years 2 or 3), and 46% (years 4 or 5) of subjects, respectively. Results revealed significant positive long-term program effects for hard drug use at year 4 or 5 for the two program interventions (P = 0.02). Conclusions. Project TND reduced hard drug use in the 46% who were successfully followed. It is the first program to demonstrate long-term self-reported behavioral effects on hard drug use among high-risk youth by using a school-based, limited-session model. Copyright 2006, Inst. For Cancer Prevention.
The evolution of drug policy in Vancouver, Canada: Strategies for preventing harm from psychoactive substance use.
MacPherson D; Mulla Z; Richardson L. International Journal of Drug Policy 17(2): 127-132, 2006. (3 refs.)
In December of 2000, the City of Vancouver released its Four Pillars Drug Strategy in response to a serious public health crisis driven by illicit drug use in Vancouver. Following initial actions in the area of harm reduction and enforcement, in June 2005 the City of Vancouver developed its draft prevention plan titled "Preventing Harm from Psychoactive Substance Use". The plan is based on a synthesis of international research and evaluation, examples of successful programs from other jurisdictions, and a community dialogue process. Its recommendations fall under five key prevention priorities, including reducing risk factors and increasing protective factors across the life course, community centred interventions, addressing impacts on communities, legislative and public policy change and regulated markets. Together, these prevention priorities form an integrated plan to prevent harm from substance use. This article provides a description of the process leading to the development of the plan and seeks to articulate its key strategies. Copyright 2006, Elsevier Science.
Neurocognitive skills moderate urban male adolescents' responses to preventive intervention materials. (review).
Fishbein DH; Hyde C; Eldreth D; Paschall MJ; Hubal R; Das A et al. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 82(1): 47-60, 2006. (123 refs.)
The present experiment was designed to determine whether individual variation in neurobiological mechanisms associated with substance abuse risk moderated effects of a brief preventive intervention on social competency skills. This study was conducted in collaboration with the ongoing preventive intervention study at Johns Hopkins University Prevention Intervention Research Center (JHU PIRC) within the Baltimore City Public Schools. A subsample (N = 120) of male 9th grade students was recruited from the larger JHU study population. Approximately half of the participants had a current or lifetime diagnosis of CD while the other half had no diagnosis of CD or other reported problem behaviors. Measures of executive cognitive function (ECF), emotional perception and intelligence were administered. In a later session, participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental or control group. The experimental group underwent a facilitated session using excerpted materials from a model preventive intervention, Positive Adolescent Choices Training (PACT), and controls received no intervention. Outcomes (i.e., social competency skills) were assessed using virtual reality vignettes involving behavioral choices as well as three social cognition questionnaires. Poor cognitive and emotional performance and a diagnosis of CD predicted less favorable change in social competency skills in response to the prevention curriculum. This study provides evidence for the moderating effects of neurocognitive and emotional regulatory functions on ability of urban male Youth to respond to preventive intervention materials. Copyright 2006, Elsevier Science.
Reducing the risk of HIV infection associated with illicit drug use.
American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Pediatric AIDS. Pediatrics 117(2): 566-571, 2006. (48 refs.)
Substance abuse, specifically the use of illicit drugs that are administered intravenously, continues to play a role in the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) among adolescents and young adults (youth). Risks of HIV-1 infection may result from direct exposure to contaminated blood through sharing of injection drug equipment and from unsafe sexual practices (while under the influence of drugs and/or in exchange for drugs). Reducing the risk of HIV-1 infection that is associated with illicit drug use requires prevention education and prompt engagement in treatment. Providing patients with education, instruction on decontamination of used injection drug equipment, improved access to sterile syringes and needles, and postexposure prophylaxis may decrease their risk of acquiring HIV-1 infection. Pediatricians should assess risk behaviors as part of every health care encounter, including queries about tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use. The risks and benefits of postexposure prophylaxis with antiretroviral drugs should be considered for youth with a single recent (within 72 hours) high-risk exposure to HIV-1 through sharing needles/syringes with an HIV-1-infected individual or having unprotected intercourse with an individual who engages in injection drug use. Such prophylaxis must be accompanied by risk-reduction counseling, appropriate referrals for treatment, and evaluation for pregnancy and associated sexually transmitted infections. There is an urgent need for more substance-abuse prevention and treatment programs, legislation that facilitates unencumbered access to sterile syringes, and expedient availability of reproductive health care services for sexually active youth, including voluntary HIV-1 counseling and testing. Copyright 2006, American Academy of Pediatrics.
Youth smoking prevention and tobacco industry revenue.
Healton C; Farrelly MC; Weitzenkamp D; Lindsey D; Haviland ML. Tobacco Control 15(2): 103-106, 2006. (17 refs.)
Objectives: Epidemiological surveys make it clear that youth smoking contributes to both current and future tobacco industry revenue: over 80% of adult smokers reportedly began smoking before age 18. This paper estimates annual and lifetime revenue from youth smoking, and highlights the association between declines in youth smoking and declines in tobacco Main outcome measures: This paper reports the amount of tobacco industry revenue generated by youth smoking at two points in time (1997 and 2002), and describes the distribution of youth generated tobacco income among the major tobacco companies. The authors project the amount of tobacco industry revenue that will be generated by members of two cohorts (the high school senior classes of 1997 and 2002) over the course of their lifetimes. Results: In 1997, youth consumed 890 million cigarette packs, generating $737 million in annual industry revenue. By 2002, consumption dropped to 541 million packs and revenue increased to nearly $1.2 billion. Fifty eight per cent of youth generated revenue goes to Philip Morris USA, 18% to Lorillard, and 12% to RJ Reynolds. The authors project that, over the course of their lives, the 1997 high school senior class will smoke 12.4 billion packs of cigarettes, generating $27.3 billion in revenue. The 2002 high school senior class is projected to smoke 10.4 billion packs, generating $22.9 billion in revenue over the course of their lives. Conclusions: Cigarette price increases from 1997 to 2002 have resulted in greater revenue for the tobacco industry, despite declines in youth smoking prevalence. However, in the absence of further cigarette price increases, declines in youth smoking are projected to lead ultimately to a loss of approximately $4 billion in future tobacco industry revenue from a single high school cohort. Copyright 2006, BMJ Publishing Group.
Follow-up comparisons of intervention and comparison schools in a state tobacco prevention and control initiative.
Gingiss P; Boerm M; Roberts-Gray C. Journal of School Health 76(3): 98-103, 2006. (29 refs.)
This study provides information about prevention and control practices in intervention and comparison secondary schools 2 years after the start-up of the Texas Tobacco Prevention Initiative. The intervention, which was funded through the Texas Department of State Health Services, consisted of guidance, training, technical assistance, and reimbursement of approximately $2000 per year for program expenses. Self-administered written surveys for Principals and Health Coordinators, based on the School Health Education Profile Tobacco Module, were designed for periodic assessment of the status of school programs. Surveys were sent in 2002 to intervention (n = 74) and comparison (n = 60) schools. Response to the Principal Survey was received from 109 (81%) schools, and response to the Health Coordinator Survey was received from 84 (63%) schools. Survey analysis showed that intervention schools more frequently (p <= 5.05) reported: (1) being extremely or moderately active in student cessation support, teacher training, policy development, family involvement, and assessment of the prevention program; (2) using recommended curricula, offering more tobacco-related lessons, involving more teachers, and using more recommended teaching methods such as role-playing, simulations or practice, and peer educators; and (3) having more interest in staff development and more,funding to purchase release time. Similarities across schools are provided, as well as recommendations for future planning. Copyright 2006, American School Health Association.
Heads UP! A nested intervention with freshmen male college students and the broader campus community to promote responsible drinking.
LaBrie JW; Pedersen ER; Lamb TF; Bove L. Journal of American College Health 54(5): 301-304, 2006. (16 refs.)
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism developed several guidelines for effective interventions in dealing with problematic college student drinking, including targeted individual interventions paired with broader campus community involvement. The project Heads UP! combines these suggestions in an effort to intervene with high-risk first-year male college students. The objective of the program is to reduce campus alcohol-related negative events and prevent these high-risk students from developing dangerous drinking patterns throughout college. The project provides an environment that supports students in actively following the goals outlined by the intervention, and it actively impacts the overall campus by helping students make responsible drinking decisions. Promising results are forthcoming, and the authors encourage other universities to design and adopt similar campus-supported programs nested within the broader campus community that target high-risk populations on campus. Copyright 2006, American College Health Association.
Community coalition project directors: What makes them effective leaders?
Alexander MP; Zakocs RC; Earp JAL; French E. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice 12(2): 201-209, 2006. (19 refs.)
Objective: Effective leaders, both voluntary and paid, facilitate successful coalitions. The attributes that characterize effective project directors, however, are unclear. Our aim was to identify characteristics of effective project directors leading community coalitions. Methods: The study examined 13 project directors who led eight community-based coalitions established to combat substance abuse. We inductively identified common characteristics and leadership effectiveness of the project directors by abstracting data from detailed ethnographic studies of these coalitions. We assessed the validity of leadership effectiveness by comparing data abstracted from ethnographic studies with two independent ratings. We then employed a cross-case comparison strategy for analyzing patterns among the common characteristics identified and leadership effectiveness. Six characteristics emerged among the project directors studied: status with community (insider vs outsider); shared leadership; bridge building skills; substance abuse expertise; vision; and management style. Results and Conclusions: Shared leadership, bridge building skills, and insider status were consistently related to leadership effectiveness. Less support was found for substance abuse expertise or vision. When hiring project directors, coalition leaders may consider assessing whether candidates are "insiders" within the community and demonstrate shared leadership and bridge building skills. Copyright 2006, Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins
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