NCJ Number
189936
Journal
Journal of Drug Education Volume: 31 Issue: 2 Dated: 2001 Pages: 139-152
Date Published
2001
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This article describes Ohio's Prevention Evaluation Project (PEP).
Abstract
The purpose of the project was to develop a process and instrument to assess behavioral and attitudinal outcomes in primary drug abuse prevention programs that target youth aged 12 to 17. One of PEP's principal achievements was the inclusion of community prevention program providers from throughout the State in the development of the evaluation instrument. The effort produced a self-administered questionnaire to capture data on youths' drug-use practices, attitudes toward drugs, and problematic behaviors. Most significantly, the product produced had the acceptance and endorsement of community-based programs. The 41-item questionnaire has good to excellent reliability for virtually all measures, as assessed by the test-retest method. The instrument is a product of a process that brought together a university-based research team, State alcohol and drug abuse prevention administrators, and representatives of public programs. PEP demonstrates how to link service providers, administrators, and evaluators to develop a process for assessing the effectiveness of prevention programs. The process and tools serve as a model for other communities who intend to evaluate their prevention programming. 1 figure (the instrument) and 16 references