Examining curriculum and noncurriculum effects of a middle school-based drug prevention program on early adolescent drug outcomes
Mulhall, Peter Francis III
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Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/19742
Description
Title
Examining curriculum and noncurriculum effects of a middle school-based drug prevention program on early adolescent drug outcomes
Author(s)
Mulhall, Peter Francis III
Issue Date
1994
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Stone, Donald B.
Department of Study
Kinesiology and Community Health
Discipline
Community Health
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Health Sciences, Public Health
Education, Health
Language
eng
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a comprehensive drug prevention program on early adolescent drug outcomes. The study assessed the immediate impact of the drug curriculum and a one year follow-up to determine long term curriculum outcome differences with students in a comparison school that received a traditional information-only curriculum. The experimental curriculum in this study used a skills-based approach derived from both the social influences and life skills approaches. Data were analyzed using Chi square analysis, analysis of covariance, net recruitment rates, and multiple regression.
Results found that a school-based drug prevention program can have positive effects on knowledge and attitudes, but had limited impact on reducing the onset of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Specifically, the program reported positive curriculum gains in knowledge and attitudes; however, these program gains were limited to the immediate post-test and were not present at the one year follow-up. The program found no effects for increasing peer resistance skills or reducing susceptibility to peer pressure.
In comparing drug use between schools by demographic differences, boys in the intervention school used cigarettes and marijuana less than boys in the comparison school. However, boys in the intervention school drank more often and were heavier drinkers (drinking to intoxication) than boys in the comparison school. Girls in the comparison school used alcohol, drank to intoxication, and smoked marijuana more often than girls receiving the traditional curriculum. This may indicate that girls in the intervention school were more positively affected by the drug program.
Racial comparisons found that black students in the intervention school were more positively affected for cigarettes and alcohol use, while white students were more positively affected for heavy drinking and marijuana use. Student from lower socioeconomic status (SES) families in the intervention school were less likely to become involved in alcohol, tobacco and other drug use compared to low SES students in the comparison school, but there may be serious limitations with these results due to missing data.
Further research is necessary to examine differential program effects and the mediating variables that appear to influence program outcomes in various subgroups and in different community settings.
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