An intervention for preventing alcohol use among inner-city middle school students
C. E. Werch, D. M. Anzalone, L. M. Brokiewicz, J. Felker, J. M. Carlson and E. A. Castellon-Vogel
Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Health Promotion, College of Health, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, USA.
OBJECTIVE: To examine the effectiveness of a brief, school-based
intervention for preventing alcohol use. DESIGN AND SETTING: Randomized,
control trial assigning inner-city public school students to an
intervention program or a comparison program. PARTICIPANTS: Sixth, seventh,
and eighth grade students in Jacksonville, Fla (N=104). INTERVENTIONS:
Students assigned to the intervention program were given a
self-instructional module and corresponding audiotape, a health
consultation with a physician or nurse, and a follow-up consultation with a
trained peer health model. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Alcohol consumption
during the month after the intervention and students' assessments of the
interventions were measured. RESULTS: Students' t tests showed participants
were more satisfied with physician or nurse consultations than with peer
consultations or the self-instructional module and audiotapes (P=.05).
Analysis of covariance tests showed significant main effects for 30-day
quantity of alcohol use (F=5.15, P=.02), with intervention students
reporting less alcohol consumption at follow-up than comparison students,
and for 30-day frequency of alcohol use (F=5.92,P=.01) with intervention
students again showing less frequent use at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: A
multicomponent, school-based intervention using print and audiotape media,
brief physician or nurse consultations, and follow-up peer contacts holds
promise in altering short-term alcohol use and selected behavioral factors
among inner-city youth.
