NCJ Number
196756
Journal
Journal of Drug Education Volume: 32 Issue: 2 Dated: 2002 Pages: 121-137
Editor(s)
Robert M. Huff M.P.H
Date Published
2002
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This article describes the justification for keys to a good program and method of conversion from a health educator-delivered program to a self-instruction delivered program in the development of a self-instruction indicated drug abuse prevention program, and includes a comparison based on knowledge change and program condition process ratings.
Abstract
Self-instruction programming has been the method of choice used at alternative high schools to help youth that are at high risk for dropout and drug abuse to complete their high school education. Project Towards No Drug Abuse (TND) is the program described in this article. TND was developed utilizing a motivation-skills-decision making model, with the first step being to engage in an efficacy trial to evaluate optimum conditions for an intervention program. The two modes of delivery being contrasted in this effectiveness work for Project TND were an efficacy condition, in which a health educator leads the class, and a treatment condition, in which a health educator-assisted self-instruction program is conducted in the class. The two studies were compared based on measures of implementation, process, and knowledge change. Twelve sessions were conducted in the self-instruction format, with 2 classrooms per session, 4 classrooms per school in 6 continuation high schools, with a total of 288 students, ages 14 through 19 years. The study of the health educator-assisted self-instruction program collected data from 1,018 students, surveyed from 19 continuation high schools, between October 1997 and June 1998, with post-test data collection done 4 weeks after the pre-test collection. Tables show the ratings of perceived helpfulness by session in a self-instruction pilot study, mean student likability ratings, and standard deviations by and across conditions for the 12 TND sessions in the main trial at immediate post-test; health educator ratings of student receptivity by condition taught in the main trial; and pretest and post-test percent correct knowledge scores by and across condition in the main trial. It was found that the overall perceived quality index favored the health educator-led condition, whereas amount of leaning appeared equivalent across the two conditions. In conclusion, it is recommended that follow-up studies be done to discern the relative useability of these two types of programs. 4 Tables, 19 references