Factors associated with the implementation of programs for drug abuse prevention in schools

PubMed Central

Pereira, Ana Paula Dias; Paes, Ângela Tavares; Sanchez, Zila M

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To analyze if characteristics of managers, schools, and curriculum are associated with the implementation of programs for drug abuse prevention in elementary and high schools. METHODS Cross-sectional study, with random sample of 263 school managers. Data were collected between 2012 and 2013 by a program that sends forms via internet. A closed self-filling questionnaire was applied online. Statistical analysis included Chi-square tests and logistic regression models. The outcome variable was the presence of program for drug abuse prevention inserted in the daily life and educational program of the school. The explanatory variables were divided into: demographic data of the manager; characteristics of the school and of the curriculum; health education; and drug use in the school. RESULTS We found that 42.5% (95%CI 36.1–49.1) of the evaluated schools had programs for drug abuse prevention. With the multiple logistic regression model, we observed that the more time the manager has worked with education, the chance of the school having a program increased at about 4.0%. Experimenting with innovative teaching techniques also increased at about six times the chance of the school developing a program for drug abuse prevention. The difficulties in the implementation of the programs were more present in state and municipal schools, when compared with private schools, due to, for instance: lack of teaching materials, lack of money, and competing demands for teaching other subjects. CONCLUSIONS The implementation of programs for drug abuse prevention in the city of Sao Paulo is associated with the experience of the manager in education and with the teaching strategies of the school. PMID:27509010

Cyberbullying Prevention and Intervention Programs in Schools: A Systematic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tanrikulu, Ibrahim

2018-01-01

This article presents a systematic review of school-based cyberbullying prevention and intervention programs. Research presenting empirical evidence about the effectiveness of a school-based cyberbullying prevention or intervention program published before August 2016 was searched. Seventeen studies were obtained and reviewed. The findings showed…

A review of elementary school-based substance use prevention programs: identifying program attributes.

PubMed

Hopfer, S; Davis, D; Kam, J A; Shin, Y; Elek, E; Hecht, M L

2010-01-01

This article takes a systematic approach to reviewing substance use prevention programs introduced in elementary school (K-6th grade). Previous studies evaluating such programs among elementary school students showed mixed effects on subsequent substance use and related psychosocial factors. Thirty published evaluation studies of 24 elementary school-based substance use prevention programs were reviewed. The study selection criteria included searching for program evaluations from 1980 to 2008. Among 27 evaluation studies that examined program effects on substance use, 56% (n = 15) found significant decreases. In addition, programs most often demonstrated effects on increasing negative substance use attitudes, increasing knowledge, decreasing perceptions of prevalence rates (i.e., descriptive norms), and improving resistance skills. These results have implications for the appropriateness and value of introducing substance use prevention programs to youth in elementary school.

School Violence: Prevalence, Precursors, and Prevention.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Juvonen, Jaanna

2002-01-01

Reviews types of school violence students confront, including a frequent precursor thereto: bullying. Discusses positive and negative aspects of current approach to school violence prevention such as surveillance, zero-tolerance policies, anti-bullying programs. Describes components of model school violence-prevention program. (Contains 38…

Prevalence and Implementation Fidelity of Research-Based Prevention Programs in Public Schools. Final Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crosse, Scott; Williams, Barbara; Hagen, Carol A.; Harmon, Michele; Ristow, Liam; DiGaetano, Ralph; Broene, Pamela; Alexander, Debbie; Tseng, Margaret; Derzon, James H.

2011-01-01

This report presents descriptive information about the prevalence and quality of implementation of research-based programs from the Study of the Implementation of Research-Based Programs to Prevent Youth Substance Abuse and School Crime. The study found that, while schools reported implementing a large number of prevention programs during the…

Evaluation of the Courtlink Auto Crime Prevention Program (CACPP) for Senior Elementary and Alternative School Students in British Columbia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curtis, Charles K.; Meehan, George

This study evaluated the Courtlink Auto Crime Prevention Program (CACPP), a 13-hour curriculum for senior elementary school and secondary school alternative program at-risk students in British Columbia, Canada. The program provides students with information about automobile crime and its costs, consequences, and prevention. It promotes positive…

Universal Prevention Program Outcomes: Safe Schools Healthy Students in a Rural, Multicultural Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Elizabeth; McFarland, Joyce; Siebold, Wendi; Aguilar, Rafael; Sarmiento, Ana

2007-01-01

The Idaho Consortium for Safe Schools Healthy Students consists of three school districts in rural North Central Idaho and the Nez Perce Tribe's Students for Success Program. Universal prevention programs implemented in the elementary schools include Second Step and the middle schools implemented the Life Skills program. Each of the three…

Prevention of Targeted School Violence by Responding to Students' Psychosocial Crises: The NETWASS Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leuschner, Vincenz; Fiedler, Nora; Schultze, Martin; Ahlig, Nadine; Göbel, Kristin; Sommer, Friederike; Scholl, Johanna; Cornell, Dewey; Scheithauer, Herbert

2017-01-01

The standardized, indicated school-based prevention program "Networks Against School Shootings" combines a threat assessment approach with a general model of prevention of emergency situations in schools through early intervention in student psychosocial crises and training teachers to recognize warning signs of targeted school violence.…

Evaluation of the healthy schools program: Part I. Interim progress.

PubMed

Beam, Margaret; Ehrlich, Ginny; Donze Black, Jessica; Block, Audrey; Leviton, Laura C

2012-01-01

Federal and state policies identify schools as a setting to prevent childhood obesity, but schools need better health-promoting strategies. The objective of this study was to evaluate interim progress in schools receiving hands-on training from the Healthy Schools Program, the nation's largest school-based program aimed at preventing childhood obesity. The 4-year program targets schools with predominantly low-income, African American, or Hispanic students. In 2010 we assessed schools that enrolled in the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 school years. School representatives completed an inventory of 8 content areas: policy and systems, school meals, competitive foods and beverages, health education, physical education, physical activity outside of physical education, before- and after-school programs, and school employee wellness. Schools' baseline inventory was compared by t test with the most recent inventory available. Schools made significant changes in all content areas, and effect sizes were moderate to large. Participating schools improved environmental policies and practices to prevent childhood obesity. The program is a resource to implement recent federal and state policies.

The Best Prevention: Model Alcohol and Drug Education Program. NHTSA Prevention Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (DOT), Washington, DC.

This guide was created for school administrators, parents, teachers, and community groups interested in developing effective alcohol and drug abuse prevention programs for elementary and secondary schools. A comprehensive approach to school-based alcohol and drug prevention is described and various prevention activities which have been selected by…

School-Based Drug Prevention Program: Quantitative Assessment of Life Skills Training Elementary School Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kindle, Silverlene J.

2013-01-01

Since the 1960s long-term studies have documented nation-wide patterns of adolescent smoking, drinking and illicit drug use. The federal government responded by passing the Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Act, which funded school-based prevention programs. The problem for school counselors in a Georgia Public School District was…

School-Based Childhood Sexual Abuse Prevention Programs: An Integrative Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fryda, Candice M.; Hulme, Polly A.

2015-01-01

One prevention strategy for childhood sexual abuse (CSA) involves educational programs delivered to children in the school environment. The purpose of this integrative literature review was to determine the state of the science on school-based CSA prevention programs. The authors extracted data from 26 articles that fit inclusion criteria to…

Suicide Prevention Programs in the Schools: A Review and Public Health Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, David N.; Eckert, Tanya L.; Mazza, James J.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of school-based suicide prevention programs from a public health perspective. A literature review of empirical studies examining school-based suicide prevention programs was conducted. Studies were required to contain information pertaining to the implementation and outcomes of a…

Administrator's Handbook for Crime Prevention and Drug Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas Education Agency, Austin. Div. of Crime Prevention and Drug Education.

Acts of three Texas Legislatures have mandated that the schools of Texas provide a program for all public school students, grades K-12, in crime prevention and drug education. To assist schools in formulating a philosophy about and in developing appropriate programs and techniques for drug education and crime prevention programs, the Texas…

Training School Personnel to Implement a Universal School-Based Prevention of Depression Program under Real-World Conditions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harnett, P.H.; Dadds, M.R.

2004-01-01

The present study evaluated the impact of a universal prevention of depression program [the Resourceful Adolescent Program (RAP)] when implemented under real-world conditions in a school setting. Prior research has found the RAP program to be beneficial for high-school students when the program was implemented by university staff selected,…

Sustaining Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs in Schools: Needs and Barriers Identified by School Leaders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Craft, Lesley R.; Brandt, Heather M.; Prince, Mary

2016-01-01

Background: To reduce teen pregnancy rates, prevention programs must be consistently available to large numbers of youth. However, prevention efforts have been historically conducted with little emphasis on ensuring program sustainability. This study examined the needs and barriers to sustaining teen pregnancy prevention (TPP) programming in…

Linking Academics and Social Learning: Perceptions of School Staff to a Violence Prevention Program at an Alternative School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casella, Ronnie; Burstyn, Joan

2002-01-01

Examines how school staff conceptualize their work with alternative school adolescents after undergoing at least 1 year of a whole school violence prevention program. Results highlight the importance of linking social learning and academics in violence prevention strategies and of sustaining collaborative efforts that connect conflict resolution…

The Maryland Youth Suicide Prevention School Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maryland State Dept. of Education, Baltimore.

The Maryland State Department of Education developed this framework for a suicide prevention program. The program framework addresses the following goals: (1) increase awareness among school personnel and community awareness among school personnel and community leaders of the incidence of teenage suicide; (2) train school personnel in individual…

A meta-analysis of the effects of dropout prevention programs on school absenteeism.

PubMed

Tanner-Smith, Emily E; Wilson, Sandra Jo

2013-10-01

This study reports findings from a systematic review and meta-analysis of literature examining the effects of school dropout prevention and intervention programs on students' school absenteeism outcomes. The meta-analysis synthesized 74 effect sizes measuring posttest differences in school absenteeism outcomes for youth enrolled in dropout prevention programs relative to a comparison group. Although results from randomized controlled trials indicated significant beneficial program effects, findings from quasi-experimental studies indicated no significant beneficial or detrimental effects. Examination of study characteristics suggested that dropout programs may have beneficial effects on school absenteeism among primarily male samples, and younger samples. Although no single type of intervention program was consistently more effective than others, vocational oriented and supplemental academic training programs showed some promise. However, the inconsistency in results and the possibility of small study bias mean the quality of evidence in this literature is low; at this time there is not enough evidence to conclude that dropout prevention programs have a universal impact on youth's school absenteeism outcomes.

School Dropout Prevention: What Arts-Based Community and Out-of-School-Time Programs Can Contribute

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charmaraman, Linda; Hall, Georgia

2011-01-01

Out-of-school-time programs, especially arts-based programs, can be critical players in a community's efforts to prevent school dropout. This research review suggests the following approaches for arts-based programs: (1) recruitment and retention of target populations with multiple risk factors; (2) long-term skill development that engages youth…

Effects of Comprehensive, Multiple High-Risk Behaviors Prevention Program on High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collier, Crystal

2013-01-01

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the effect of a multiple high-risk behaviors prevention program applied comprehensively throughout an entire school-system involving universal, selective, and indicated levels of students at a local private high school during a 4-year period. The prevention program was created based upon the…

A Multisite Program Evaluation of Families and Schools Together (FAST): Continued Evidence of a Successful Multifamily Community-Based Prevention Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crozier, Mary; Rokutani, Laurie; Russett, Jill L.; Godwin, Emilie; Banks, George E.

2010-01-01

Strong school and family ties have long shown success in influencing positive child development and lasting academic success. While a multitude of programs exist to help facilitate the school-family connection, one program in particular, Families and Schools Together, or FAST, stands out as an effective prevention program that is suitable for a…

Translation of tobacco control programs in schools: findings from a rapid review of systematic reviews of implementation and dissemination interventions.

PubMed

Wolfenden, L; Carruthers, J; Wyse, R; Yoong, S

2014-08-01

School-based programs targeting the prevention of tobacco use are a key strategy for reducing the overall tobacco-related mortality and morbidity in the community. While substantial research investment has resulted in the identification of various effective tobacco prevention interventions in schools, this research investment will not result in public health benefits, unless effectively disseminated and implemented. This rapid review aimed to identify effective implementation or dissemination interventions, targeting the adoption of school-based tobacco prevention programs. A systematic search was conducted to identify published systematic reviews that examined the effectiveness of implementation and dissemination strategies for facilitating the adoption of tobacco policies or programs in schools from 1992 to 2012. The search yielded 1028 results, with one relevant systematic review being identified. The review included two controlled studies examining the implementation and dissemination of tobacco prevention programs and guidelines. The two randomised trials examined the delivery of active face-to-face training to implement a school-based curriculum compared with video-delivered or mail-based training. Improvements in the implementation of the programs were reported for the face-to-face training arm in both trials. Little rigorous evidence exists to guide the implementation and dissemination of tobacco prevention programs in schools. SO WHAT? Few systematic reviews exist to inform the implementation of evidence-based tobacco prevention programs in schools. In the absence of a strong evidence base, health care policymakers and practitioners may need to draw on setting-based frameworks or parallel evidence from other settings to design strategies to facilitate the adoption of tobacco prevention initiatives.

Prevention Counseling and Student Assistance Programs: A Review of the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loneck, Barry; Corrigan, Matthew J.; Videka, Lynn; Newman, Lucy J.; Reed, John Charles; Moonan, Kimberly E.

2010-01-01

Substance abuse prevention counseling can be found in two venues: school counseling and student assistance programs (SAPs). School prevention counseling is based on school psychology and guidance counseling. The authors of this article did not find any empirical studies of prevention counseling. Six criteria were used to assess the published…

Preventing Tobacco and Alcohol Use among Elementary School Students through Life Skills Training.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Botvin, Gilbert J.; Griffin, Kenneth W.; Paul, Elizabeth; Macaulay, Araxi P.

2003-01-01

Study examined effectiveness of a substance abuse prevention program in preventing tobacco and alcohol use among elementary school students in grades 3 through 6. Program teaches social resistance skills and general personal and social competence skills. Findings indicate a school-based substance abuse prevention approach previously found to be…

A meta-analytic review of school-based prevention for cannabis use.

PubMed

Porath-Waller, Amy J; Beasley, Erin; Beirness, Douglas J

2010-10-01

This investigation used meta-analytic techniques to evaluate the effectiveness of school-based prevention programming in reducing cannabis use among youth aged 12 to 19. It summarized the results from 15 studies published in peer-reviewed journals since 1999 and identified features that influenced program effectiveness. The results from the set of 15 studies indicated that these school-based programs had a positive impact on reducing students' cannabis use (d = 0.58, CI: 0.55, 0.62) compared to control conditions. Findings revealed that programs incorporating elements of several prevention models were significantly more effective than were those based on only a social influence model. Programs that were longer in duration (≥15 sessions) and facilitated by individuals other than teachers in an interactive manner also yielded stronger effects. The results also suggested that programs targeting high school students were more effective than were those aimed at middle-school students. Implications for school-based prevention programming are discussed.

Prevention-Related Research Targeting African American Alternative Education Program Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carswell, Steven B.; Hanlon, Thomas E.; Watts, Amy M.; O'Grady, Kevin E.

2014-01-01

This article reports on a program of research that examined the background, planning, implementation, and evaluation of an after-school preventive intervention program within an ongoing urban alternative education program targeting African American students referred to the school because of their problematic behavior in regular schools. The…

Prevention Initiative Program. Final Evaluation Report Fiscal 1994.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Neill, Patricia; Borger, Jeanne

This report provides an evaluation of the Prevention Initiative Program's second-funded year in the Chicago Public Schools. The program's purpose was to reduce school failure by providing health and social services to young families, improving parenting skills, and assisting young mothers to complete high school. The program served pregnant or…

Results of a model AIDS prevention program for high school students in the Philippines.

PubMed

Aplasca, M R; Siegel, D; Mandel, J S; Santana-Arciaga, R T; Paul, J; Hudes, E S; Monzon, O T; Hearst, N

1995-07-01

To describe the sexual practices of high school students; to describe the process of development of a school-based AIDS prevention program; and to evaluate the effect of this program on students' AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes and AIDS-preventive behaviors. A cluster-randomized, controlled trial with pretest/post-test evaluation was conducted in four demographically similar public high schools in a semi-urban district of Metro Manila, the Philippines. Of 845 high school students who participated in the baseline survey, 804 (95%) completed a postintervention questionnaire. An AIDS prevention program was developed by public high school teachers together with local AIDS experts, social scientists and health educators. The teacher-led AIDS program was designed to provide students with accurate information about AIDS, particularly in dispelling misconceptions about casual contagion, to foster positive attitudes towards people with AIDS and to develop skills aimed at clarifying values and assessing intended behavior. At baseline, 11% of students (20% of males and 4% of females) reported ever having had sexual intercourse (mean age 14 years). Among these, condom use was low (24%). After implementation of the AIDS prevention program, statistically significant effects favoring the intervention group were observed in knowledge and attitudes towards people with AIDS. While there was no statistically significant overall effect on intended preventive behavior, the program appeared to delay the students' intended onset of sexual activity. A sizable number of Filipino high school students are sexually active but condom use is low. School-based AIDS prevention programs can be developed and implemented in developing countries with the assistance of school personnel to address sexual issues. Our program was successful in increasing AIDS-related knowledge and improving attitudes towards people with AIDS. Supplementation with other preventive activities may be needed to achieve lasting changes in students' risk-taking behavior.

Influences of School Latino Composition and Linguistic Acculturation on a Prevention Program for Youths

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marsiglia, Flavio F.; Yabiku, Scott T.; Kulis, Stephen; Nieri, Tanya; Lewin, Benjamin

2010-01-01

This study examined how ethnic composition and linguistic acculturation within schools affected the efficacy of a youth substance use prevention model program. Data came from a randomized trial of the "keepin' it REAL" program, using a predominantly Mexican American sample of middle school students in Phoenix, Arizona. Schools were…

The Effectiveness of Adapted Versions of an Evidence-based Prevention Program in Reducing Alcohol Use among Alternative School Students

PubMed Central

Hopson, Laura M.; Holleran Steiker, Lori K.

2010-01-01

Although there is a strong evidence base for effective substance abuse prevention programs for youth, there is a need to facilitate the implementation and evaluation of these programs in real world settings. This study evaluates the effectiveness of adapted versions of an evidence-based prevention program, keepin’ it REAL (kiR), with alternative school students. Programs are often adapted when used in schools and other community settings for a variety of reasons. The kiR adaptations, developed during an earlier phase of this study, were created to make the curriculum more appropriate for alternative high school youth. The adaptations were evaluated using a quasi-experimental design in which questionnaires were administered at pretest, posttest, and follow-up, and focus groups were conducted at posttest. MANOVA analyses indicate significantly reduced intentions to accept alcohol and, for younger participants, reduced alcohol use. Focus group data support the need for age appropriate prevention content. The authors discuss implications for practitioners implementing prevention programs in schools. PMID:20622971

Doorways II: Community Counselor Training Manual on School-Related Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Agency for International Development, 2009

2009-01-01

The Doorways training program was designed by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Safe Schools Program (Safe Schools) to enable teachers, community members and students to prevent and respond to school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV). Doorways II was designed for community counselors to prevent and respond to…

Doorways III: Teacher Training Manual on School-Related Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Agency for International Development, 2009

2009-01-01

The Doorways training program was designed by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Safe Schools Program (Safe Schools) to enable teachers, community members and students to prevent and respond to school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV). Teachers can play a central role in violence prevention, and they can also help…

School-based depression and anxiety prevention programs for young people: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Werner-Seidler, Aliza; Perry, Yael; Calear, Alison L; Newby, Jill M; Christensen, Helen

2017-02-01

Depression and anxiety often emerge for the first time during youth. The school environment provides an ideal context to deliver prevention programs, with potential to offset the trajectory towards disorder. The aim of this review was to provide a comprehensive evaluation of randomised-controlled trials of psychological programs, designed to prevent depression and/or anxiety in children and adolescents delivered in school settings. Medline, PsycINFO and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched for articles published until February 2015. Eighty-one unique studies comprising 31,794 school students met inclusion criteria. Small effect sizes for both depression (g=0.23) and anxiety (g=0.20) prevention programs immediately post-intervention were detected. Small effects were evident after 12-month follow-up for both depression (g=0.11) and anxiety (g=0.13). Overall, the quality of the included studies was poor, and heterogeneity was moderate. Subgroup analyses suggested that universal depression prevention programs had smaller effect sizes at post-test relative to targeted programs. For anxiety, effect sizes were comparable for universal and targeted programs. There was some evidence that externally-delivered interventions were superior to those delivered by school staff for depression, but not anxiety. Meta-regression confirmed that targeted programs predicted larger effect sizes for the prevention of depression. These results suggest that the refinement of school-based prevention programs have the potential to reduce mental health burden and advance public health outcomes. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

From Pennsylvania's Front Line against Crime: A School and Youth Violence Prevention Plan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

2002

Based on findings that high-quality early care and education, youth development programs for after-school and summer hours, child abuse and neglect prevention, and intervention programs can help to prevent violence crime, this document presents a violence prevention plan for the schools and youth of Pennsylvania. Four actions are proposed to…

School-Based Violence Prevention Programs: Systematic Review of Secondary Prevention Trials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mytton, Julie A.; DiGuiseppi, Carolyn; Gough, David A.; Taylor, Rod S.; Logan, Stuart

2002-01-01

Conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled secondary prevention trials to explore the effects of school-based violence prevention programs on aggressive and violent behavior in children at high risk for violence. Results indicated that such programs produced modest reductions in aggressive and violent behaviors in…

A Review of Elementary School-Based Substance Use Prevention Programs: Identifying Program Attributes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hopfer, S.; Davis, D.; Kam, J. A.; Shin, Y.; Elek, E.; Hecht, M. L.

2010-01-01

This article takes a systematic approach to reviewing substance use prevention programs introduced in elementary school (K-6th grade). Previous studies evaluating such programs among elementary school students showed mixed effects on subsequent substance use and related psychosocial factors. Thirty published evaluation studies of 24 elementary…

Peer Culture Development: A School-Based Delinquency Prevention Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kottmann, William

This paper describes Peer Culture Development, Inc., a private, non-profit agency which provides a school-based delinquency prevention program to public schools. The basic components of the program are described along with the selection and role of student leaders in the program. The dynamics of the group meetings are discussed and seven…

A Guide for Delinquency Prevention Programs Based in School Activities: A Working Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Grant; And Others

This paper is intended to help program developers to initiate or refine school-based, self-contained delinquency prevention programs. These programs are limited, short-term efforts to minimize delinquent behavior among youth by creating school situations in which the factors that contribute to delinquent behavior are reduced. Designed as an…

Reinforcing Alcohol Prevention (RAP) Program: A Secondary School Curriculum to Combat Underage Drinking and Impaired Driving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Will, Kelli England; Sabo, Cynthia Shier

2010-01-01

The Reinforcing Alcohol Prevention (RAP) Program is an alcohol prevention curriculum developed in partnership with secondary schools to serve their need for a brief, evidence-based, and straightforward program that aligned with state learning objectives. Program components included an educational lesson, video, and interactive activities delivered…

Evaluation of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program in Nine Urban Schools: Effective Practices and next Steps

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Black, Sally; Washington, Ericka

2008-01-01

The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (BPP) is an internationally recognized school-based bullying prevention program. This project sought to evaluate pilot implementation of the program in one urban district using fidelity of implementation, bullying incident density (BID), student surveys, and serious incident reports as process and outcome…

An Exploratory Investigation of the Promoting Responsibility through Education and Prevention (PREP) after School Program for African American At-Risk Elementary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sale, Elizabeth; Weil, Virginia; Kryah, Rachel

2012-01-01

The promoting responsibility through education and prevention (PREP) program is an after school substance abuse and violence prevention program for at-risk fourth and fifth grade youths in St. Louis, Missouri. Staffed by licensed clinical social workers and professional volunteers, PREP offers cultural cooking classes, yoga, and art as well as…

School-Based Child Abuse Prevention Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brassard, Marla R.; Fiorvanti, Christina M.

2015-01-01

Child abuse is a leading cause of emotional, behavioral, and health problems across the lifespan. It is also preventable. School-based abuse prevention programs for early childhood and elementary school children have been found to be effective in increasing student knowledge and protective behaviors. The purpose of this article is to help school…

SHPPS 2006: School Health Policies and Programs Study--Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Prevention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007

2007-01-01

The School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS) is a national survey periodically conducted to assess school health policies and programs at the state, district, school, and classroom levels. This brief reports study results in the area of sexually transmitted disease (STD) prevention, covering the following topics (1) Health Education; and…

SHPPS 2006: School Health Policies and Programs Study--Injury Prevention and Safety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007

2007-01-01

The School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS) is a national survey periodically conducted to assess school health policies and programs at the state, district, school, and classroom levels. This brief reports study results in the area of injury prevention and safety, covering the following topics: (1) Health Education; (2) Health Services…

School Violence Prevention Demonstration Program: Report on Year One, 1999-2000 School Year.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosen, Louis

This report is the research component of the Center for Civic Education's School Violence Prevention Demonstration Program, a scheme for middle-school-aged students that develops intellectual and participatory skills essential to effective and responsible citizenship. The program is an attempt to draw attention to ways in which civic education can…

An Ounce of Prevention, a Pound of Uncertainty: The Cost-Effectiveness of School-Based Drug Prevention Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caulkins, Jonathan P.; Rydell, C. Peter; Everingham, Susan S.; Chiesa, James; Bushway, Shawn

This book describes an analysis of the cost-effectiveness of model school-based drug prevention programs at reducing cocaine consumption. It compares prevention's cost-effectiveness with that of several enforcement programs and with that of treating heavy cocaine users. It also assesses the cost of nationwide implementation of model prevention…

Effect of supervised brushing with fluoride gel during primary school, taking into account the group prevention schedule in kindergarten.

PubMed

Winter, Julia; Jablonski-Momeni, Anahita; Ladda, Annett; Pieper, Klaus

2017-07-01

In one region of Germany, a group of children took part in regular fluoride gel applications during primary school following intensified prevention in kindergarten. This observational study aimed to ascertain whether the dental health of primary school children can be improved by introducing a group prevention program based on applications of fluoride gel. The subjects were distributed among six groups with varying preventive measures in kindergarten and at school. The basis for determining caries experience and calculating the caries increment consisted of dental findings gathered in the second and fourth grade. While second graders without professionally supported daily toothbrushing in kindergarten exhibited an average d 3 -6 mft of 2.17, in those who had enjoyed intensive dental prevention, the corresponding value was 19% lower (d 3-6 mft = 1.74). The caries increment was significantly lower mainly among children who had received the maximum of group prevention (intensive prevention in kindergarten and gel program at school). The results show that intensified preventive programs in kindergartens and schools, based mainly on supervised toothbrushing, have a positive effect on the dental health of primary school children. Such programs are efficient in reducing caries experience especially in socially deprived areas.

A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial of a School-Based Depression Prevention Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merry, Sally; McDowell, Heather; Wild, Chris J.; Bir, Julliet; Cunliffe, Rachel

2004-01-01

Objective: To conduct a placebo-controlled study of the effectiveness of a universal school-based depression prevention program. Method: Three hundred ninety-two students age 13 to 15 from two schools were randomized to intervention (RAP-Kiwi) and placebo programs run by teachers. RAP-Kiwi was an 11-session manual-based program derived from…

Parents' perceptions of the role of schools in tobacco use prevention and cessation for youth.

PubMed

Wyman, Jodi; Price, James H; Jordan, Timothy R; Dake, Joseph A; Telljohann, Susan K

2006-06-01

The purpose of this study was to examine Ohio parents' perceptions of the role of schools in smoking prevention, cessation, and anti-tobacco policy for their children. A 46-item questionnaire was based on the CDC Guidelines for School Health Programs to Prevent Tobacco Use and Addiction. Surveys (n = 800) were sent to a stratified random sample of parents of junior high and high school aged students and 57% responded. Parents were supportive of smoking prevention activities, but almost two-thirds believed their child's school should get parents' input. Furthermore, mothers/step-mothers were more likely than fathers/step-fathers to agree that the school had a role in smoking prevention activities. The majority of parents were also supportive of smoking cessation activities. However, only 8% of parent respondents supported schools providing nicotine gum or patches to students trying to quit smoking. Overall, the majority of parents were supportive of the seven recommendations developed by the CDC as guidelines for school health programs to prevent tobacco use and addiction. Schools have the opportunity to impact student smoking through prevention and cessation activities. Schools need to know that parents are supportive of these activities and want to be included in the process of implementing effective prevention or cessation programs.

[Cost-benefit analysis of a school-based smoking prevention program].

PubMed

Hormigo Amaro, Jordi; García-Altés, Anna; López, M José; Bartoll, Xavier; Nebot, Manel; Ariza, Carles

2009-01-01

To analyze the efficiency of a school-based smoking prevention program in Barcelona (PASE.bcn program). A cost-benefit analysis was performed. As costs we included those corresponding to the design and implementation of the program. As benefits we considered healthcare costs and the productivity losses avoided. This study was conducted from a societal perspective, and the estimations of costs and benefits related to 2005. Assuming an effectiveness of 1%, the PASE.bcn program would achieve a total benefit of 1,558,311.46euro. The healthcare benefits per prevented smoker were 1997.57euro, and the indirect benefits per prevented smoker were 21,260.80euro. Given the total cost of the school-based program (68,526.03euro), the cost-benefit ratio was 22.74. From a societal perspective, the benefits of school-based tobacco prevention programs, in terms of healthcare costs and productivity losses avoided, are far greater than the costs. These results support universal application of this type of intervention.

Clinton County School District "Learning Management System" Dropout Prevention Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Rudy

To provide potential dropouts with increased opportunities for academic and social success and ensure school and community involvement, the Clinton County School District (Kentucky) has developed a comprehensive dropout prevention program emphasizing the assessment of student needs. This paper describes the program's purpose, target groups,…

The Relationship of School Poverty and Suspension Rates: Finding Ways to Reduce Suspension through Prevention Programming and School Bonding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shirley, Erica

2012-01-01

What is the relationship between school poverty and school suspension rates and to what extent do prevention programming and school bonding lower the suspension risk for students in high poverty schools? The present study examined the association between school level poverty and suspension rates in addition to investigating whether prevention…

Using a Preventive Social Work Program for Reducing School Refusal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elsherbiny, Mohamed Mohamed

2017-01-01

This article describes a study aimed at solving the problem of school refusal by implementing a preventive program and raising the awareness of parents, social workers, and school personnel. The school children involved in this study were reported by their parents and school social workers to refuse to go to school, and according to the children's…

Effect of Nutrition Changes on Foods Selected by Students in a Middle School-Based Diabetes Prevention Intervention Program: The HEALTHY Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mobley, Connie C.; Stadler, Diane D.; Staten, Myrlene A.; El Ghormli, Laure; Gillis, Bonnie; Hartstein, Jill; Siega-Riz, Anna Maria; Virus, Amy

2012-01-01

Background: The HEALTHY primary prevention trial developed an integrated multicomponent intervention program to moderate risk factors for type 2 diabetes in middle schools. The nutrition component aimed to improve the quality of foods and beverages served to students. Changes in the School Breakfast Program (SBP), National School Lunch Program…

Implementing an Alcohol and Other Drug Use Prevention Program Using University-High School Partnerships: Challenges and Lessons Learned

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milroy, Jeffrey J.; Orsini, Muhsin Michael; Wyrick, David L.; Fearnow-Kenney, Melodie; Wagoner, Kimberly G.; Caldwell, Rebecca

2015-01-01

Background: School-based alcohol and other drug use prevention remains an important national strategy. Collaborative partnerships between universities and high schools have the potential to enhance prevention programming; however, there are challenges to sustaining such partnerships. Purpose: The purpose of this commentary is to underscore…

Dropout Prevention. What Works Clearinghouse Topic Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2007

2007-01-01

Dropout prevention programs are school- and community-based initiatives that aim to keep students in school and encourage them to complete their high school education. To be included in the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) review, programs have to operate within the United States and include dropout prevention as one of their primary objectives.…

Assessing School-Based Gang Prevention Efforts in Urban Centers: Are These Programs Reaching Those Students Who May Benefit the Most?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Hector

2009-01-01

In recent years, schools have become a focal point for general delinquency and gang prevention programs for a variety of reasons. One premise behind this approach is that schools can serve as ideal settings for providing delinquency and intervention services because youths spend so much time there. School-based gang prevention efforts are supposed…

Doorways III: Teacher Reference Materials. On School-Related Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Agency for International Development, 2009

2009-01-01

The Doorways training program was designed by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Safe Schools Program (Safe Schools) to enable teachers, community members and students to prevent and respond to school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV). This booklet, "Doorways III: Teacher Reference Materials on School-Related…

Preventing Academic Disengagement through a Middle School-Based Social and Emotional Learning Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McBride, Amanda Moore; Chung, Saras; Robertson, Anne

2016-01-01

Behaviors that warrant school discipline (e.g., fighting, victimizing peers) is detrimental to school climate and the learning process. This study examines the effectiveness of preventing school disciplinary incidents in middle school through an experiential, social and emotional learning (SEL) program. A community youth development organization,…

School-Based Drug Abuse Prevention Programs in High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharma, Manoj; Branscum, Paul

2013-01-01

Drug abuse, or substance abuse, is a substantial public health problem in the United States, particularly among high school students. The purpose of this article was to review school-based programs implemented in high schools for substance abuse prevention and to suggest recommendations for future interventions. Included were English language…

Cost-Effectiveness of a School-Based Obesity Prevention Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Li Yan; Gutin, Bernard; Barbeau, Paule; Moore, Justin B.; Hanes, John, Jr.; Johnson, Maribeth H.; Cavnar, Marlo; Thornburg, Janet; Yin, Zenong

2008-01-01

Background: A school-based obesity prevention study (Medical College of Georgia FitKid Project) started in the fall of 2003 in 18 elementary schools. Half of the schools were randomized to an after-school program that included moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, healthy snacks, homework assistance, and academic enrichment. All third graders…

Typology of Delivery Quality: Latent Profile Analysis of Teacher Engagement and Delivery Techniques in a School-Based Prevention Intervention, "Keepin' It REAL" Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shin, YoungJu; Miller-Day, Michelle; Pettigrew, Jonathan; Hecht, Michael L.; Krieger, Janice L.

2014-01-01

Enhancing the delivery quality of school-based, evidence-based prevention programs is one key to ensuring uniform program effects on student outcomes. Program evaluations often focus on content dosage when implementing prevention curricula, however, less is known about implementation quality of prevention content, especially among teachers who may…

A systematic review of school-based alcohol and other drug prevention programs facilitated by computers or the internet.

PubMed

Champion, Katrina E; Newton, Nicola C; Barrett, Emma L; Teesson, Maree

2013-03-01

The use of alcohol and drugs amongst young people is a serious concern and the need for effective prevention is clear. This paper identifies and describes current school-based alcohol and other drug prevention programs facilitated by computers or the Internet. The Cochrane Library, PsycINFO and PubMed databases were searched in March 2012. Additional materials were obtained from reference lists of papers. Studies were included if they described an Internet- or computer-based prevention program for alcohol or other drugs delivered in schools. Twelve trials of 10 programs were identified. Seven trials evaluated Internet-based programs and five delivered an intervention via CD-ROM. The interventions targeted alcohol, cannabis and tobacco. Data to calculate effect size and odds ratios were unavailable for three programs. Of the seven programs with available data, six achieved reductions in alcohol, cannabis or tobacco use at post intervention and/or follow up. Two interventions were associated with decreased intentions to use tobacco, and two significantly increased alcohol and drug-related knowledge. This is the first study to review the efficacy of school-based drug and alcohol prevention programs delivered online or via computers. Findings indicate that existing computer- and Internet-based prevention programs in schools have the potential to reduce alcohol and other drug use as well as intentions to use substances in the future. These findings, together with the implementation advantages and high fidelity associated with new technology, suggest that programs facilitated by computers and the Internet offer a promising delivery method for school-based prevention. © 2012 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Description of the Design and Implementation of a School-Based Obesity Prevention Program Addressing Needs of Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward-Begnoche, Wendy L.; Gance-Cleveland, Bonnie; Harris, Margaret M.; Dean, Janice

2008-01-01

This article describes the design and implementation of a school-based obesity prevention program, the successes associated with its implementation, and challenges with development and application of the program's curriculum base. The program is described, including purpose and goals, content and structure of the curriculum, type and training of…

Tales of Refusal, Adoption, and Maintenance: Evidence-Based Substance Abuse Prevention via School-Extension Collaborations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

St. Pierre, Tena L.; Kaltreider, D. Lynne

2004-01-01

Despite availability of empirically supported school-based substance abuse prevention programs, adoption and implementation fidelity of such programs appear to be low. A replicated case study was conducted to investigate school adoption and implementation processes of the EXSELS model (Project ALERT delivered by program leaders through Cooperative…

A High School Depression and Suicide Prevention Program: A Collaboration between Health Education and Psychological Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moilanen, Donna L.; Bradbury, Susan

2002-01-01

Examined a collaboration between health education and psychological services in generating a high school depression and suicide prevention program. The five-component program raised awareness of teen depression and suicide, increased communication about these issues within the school and community, and provided information about available…

Pilot Test of Standup, an Online School-Based Bullying Prevention Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Timmons-Mitchell, Jane; Levesque, Deborah A.; Harris, Leon A., III.; Flannery, Daniel J.; Falcone, Tatiana

2016-01-01

Bullying is a significant public health problem for students in schools. Prevention programs have addressed targets with some success; however, meta-analyses find small effects among older youths. A pilot study was conducted with high school students to evaluate the potential efficacy of StandUp, a three-session online program that delivers…

Suicide Prevention: The Student Assistance Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor-Mearhoff, Cheryl

The Roberts Assistance Program (RAP), a model program for student assistance and suicide prevention established in 1988 by the Owen J. Roberts School District in Chester County, Pennsylvania provides services to students in kindergarten through grade 12. Core teams of school professionals from the high school and middle school have received…

Dropout Prevention and Intervention Programs: Effects on School Completion and Dropout among School-Aged Children and Youth. Campbell Systematic Reviews. 2011:8

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Sandra Jo; Tanner-Smith, Emily E.; Lipsey, Mark W.; Steinka-Fry, Katarzyna; Morrison, Jan

2011-01-01

The objectives of this systematic review were to summarize the available evidence on the effects of prevention and intervention programs aimed at primary and secondary students for increasing school completion or reducing school dropout. The primary focus of the meta-analysis was to examine the comparative effectiveness of different programs and…

Success for Every Teen: Programs that Help Adolescents Avoid Pregnancy, Gangs, Drug Abuse, and School Drop-Out. An Ounce of Prevention Fund Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ounce of Prevention Fund.

This booklet describes two prevention programs, Peer Power, a program for girls, and Awareness and Development for Adolescent Males (ADAM), a program for boys. It is noted that these programs, designed to reach students before high school age, help young adolescents stay in school, delay sexual activity and pregnancy, and develop realistic career…

Short-term effects of a randomized computer-based out-of-school smoking prevention trial aimed at elementary schoolchildren.

PubMed

Ausems, Marlein; Mesters, Ilse; van Breukelen, Gerard; De Vries, Hein

2002-06-01

Smoking prevention programs usually run during school hours. In our study, an out-of-school program was developed consisting of a computer-tailored intervention aimed at the age group before school transition (11- to 12-year-old elementary schoolchildren). The aim of this study is to evaluate the additional effect of out-of-school smoking prevention. One hundred fifty-six participating schools were randomly allocated to one of four research conditions: (a) the in-school condition, an existing seven-lesson program; (b) the out-of-school condition, three computer-tailored letters sent to the students' homes; (c) the in-school and out-of-school condition, a combined approach; (d) the control condition. Pretest and 6 months follow-up data on smoking initiation and continuation, and data on psychosocial variables were collected from 3,349 students. Control and out-of-school conditions differed regarding posttest smoking initiation (18.1 and 10.4%) and regarding posttest smoking continuation (23.5 and 13.1%). Multilevel logistic regression analyses showed positive effects regarding the out-of-school program. Significant effects were not found regarding the in-school program, nor did the combined approach show stronger effects than the single-method approaches. The findings of this study suggest that smoking prevention trials for elementary schoolchildren can be effective when using out-of-school computer-tailored interventions. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science (USA).

Dropouts: Prevention and Rehabilitation. Schools Rescue Potential Failures. Education U.S.A. Special Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard, Bill

In this report are described some current programs aimed at dropout prevention. The report focuses on programs that appear to be yielding results and that lend themselves to adaptation by other schools. The discussion comprises (1) new approaches to dropout prevention, (2) student motivation projects, (3) work-study projects, (4) schooling for…

The Moderating Effects of School Climate on Bullying Prevention Efforts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Low, Sabina; Van Ryzin, Mark

2014-01-01

Bullying prevention efforts have yielded mixed effects over the last 20 years. Program effectiveness is driven by a number of factors (e.g., program elements and implementation), but there remains a dearth of understanding regarding the role of school climate on the impact of bullying prevention programs. This gap is surprising, given research…

Teacher and Principal Survey Results in the National Preventive Dentistry Demonstration Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klein, Stephen P.; And Others

The National Preventive Dentistry Demonstration Program was conducted to assess the costs and benefits of combinations of school-based preventive dental care procedures. The program involved almost 30,000 elementary school children from 10 sites across the country. Classroom procedures, such as weekly fluoride mouthrinse, were administered or…

Doorways I: Student Training Manual on School-Related Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Agency for International Development, 2009

2009-01-01

The Doorways training program was designed by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Safe Schools Program (Safe Schools) to enable teachers, community members and students to prevent and respond to school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV). "Doorways I: Student Training Manual on School-Related Gender-Based Violence…

Perceived Role Legitimacy and Role Importance of Australian School Staff in Addressing Student Cannabis Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gates, Peter J.; Norberg, Melissa M.; Dillon, Paul; Manocha, Ramesh

2013-01-01

The high prevalence of cannabis use by Australian secondary school students makes schools an ideal setting for the delivery of substance use prevention programs. Although efficacious school-based cannabis prevention programs exist, there is scant research investigating the perceived role legitimacy and role importance of school staff. As such,…

School dropout prevention: what arts-based community and out-of-school-time programs can contribute.

PubMed

Charmaraman, Linda; Hall, Georgia

2011-01-01

Out-of-school-time programs, especially arts-based programs, can be critical players in a community's efforts to prevent school dropout. This research review suggests the following approaches for arts-based programs: (1) recruitment and retention of target populations with multiple risk factors; (2) long-term skill development that engages youth behaviorally, emotionally, and academically rather than a drop-in culture; (3) an emphasis on the critical ingredient of real-world applications through performance; (4) staff development and mentoring; (5) a strategic community-level plan for dropout prevention; (6) and program content reframed toward competencies that underlie better school performance and prosocial behavior, such as communication, initiative, problem solving, motivation, and self-efficacy. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

Suicide Prevention for School Communities: An Educational Initiative for Student Safety.

PubMed

Roberts, Diane Cody; Taylor, Mary Ellen; Pyle, Audrey D'Ann

2018-05-01

A knowledge gap exists in school communities regarding suicide prevention and means reduction education. The article highlights two core interrelated topics: school nurse engagement in dialogue with students' families and the implementation of an innovative, community-based suicide prevention educational program at a suburban public school district. The authors provide an overview of the public health problem of suicide for students, current student challenges, role of the school nurse in suicide prevention, and a key gap in current school nursing practice. At the request of the school counselors and principal, an innovative suicide prevention educational program was initiated as a community-based project at a large suburban public school district in Texas. The two overarching goals for this community-based collaboration are the following: school nurses will engage in frank, productive conversations with students' parents and families about suicidality concerns and increase the school community's knowledge about suicide prevention. This school community knowledge includes effective risk mitigation and means reduction strategies to better manage suicidality in students. Ultimately, this ongoing family and school community collaboration aims to prevent student deaths by suicide.

"Cancer--Educate to Prevent"--high-school teachers, the new promoters of cancer prevention education campaigns.

PubMed

Barros, Ana; Moreira, Luís; Santos, Helena; Ribeiro, Nuno; Carvalho, Luís; Santos-Silva, Filipe

2014-01-01

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and thus represents a priority for national public health programs. Prevention has been assumed as the best strategy to reduce cancer burden, however most cancer prevention programs are implemented by healthcare professionals, which constrain range and educational impacts. We developed an innovative approach for cancer prevention education focused on high-school biology teachers, considered privileged mediators in the socialization processes. A training program, "Cancer, Educate to Prevent" was applied, so that the teachers were able to independently develop and implement prevention campaigns focused on students and school-related communities. The program encompassed different educational modules, ranging from cancer biology to prevention campaigns design. Fifty-four teachers were empowered to develop and implement their own cancer prevention campaigns in a population up to five thousands students. The success of the training program was assessed through quantitative evaluation--questionnaires focused on teachers' cancer knowledge and perceptions, before the intervention (pre-test) and immediately after (post-test). The projects developed and implemented by teachers were also evaluated regarding the intervention design, educational contents and impact on the students' knowledge about cancer. This study presents and discusses the results concerning the training program "Cancer, Educate to Prevent" and clearly shows a significant increase in teacher's cancer literacy (knowledge and perceptions) and teachers' acquired proficiency to develop and deliver cancer prevention campaigns with direct impact on students' knowledge about cancer. This pilot study reinforces the potential of high-school teachers and schools as cancer prevention promoters and opens a new perspective for the development and validation of cancer prevention education strategies, based upon focused interventions in restricted targets (students) through non-health professionals (teachers).

Developing a Comprehensive School Suicide Prevention Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Keith A.

2001-01-01

Discusses the primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention components of suicide prevention education, offering practical steps for incorporating each component within a school system and exploring: what school professionals can do to help prevent adolescent suicide; what school professionals should do when a student threatens suicide; and what…

School Safety: Promising Initiatives for Addressing School Violence. Report to the Ranking Minority Member, Subcommittee on Children and Families, Committee on Labor and Human Resources, U.S. Senate.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

General Accounting Office, Washington, DC. Health, Education, and Human Services Div.

This report presents findings of a study, conducted by the United States General Accounting Office (GAO), that investigated programs used by schools to curb violence. Specifically, the study examined four promising school-based violence-prevention programs. Data were obtained from: (1) interviews with violence-prevention program directors, federal…

U.S. Teachers' Perceptions of School Violence Prevention Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chestnut, Natakie

2016-01-01

In response to high profile violent incidents and crimes, many schools have developed plans that address school discipline to create a school climate and culture wherein everyone is valued and treated with respect. The problem that prompted this study is teachers are struggling with effectively implementation prevention program. The purpose of…

School Mental Health and Prevention Science in the Baltimore City Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weist, Mark D.; Stiegler, Kerri; Stephan, Sharon; Cox, Jennifer; Vaughan, Courtney

2010-01-01

This article provides background on school mental health (SMH) programs in Baltimore and efforts to integrate evidence-based preventive interventions into the schools served by these programs. We describe the triangular model of SMH promotion, building at the base from environment and relationship enhancement, followed by universal and selective…

Doorways II: Community Counselor Reference Materials. On School-Related Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Agency for International Development, 2009

2009-01-01

The Doorways training program was designed by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Safe Schools Program (Safe Schools) to enable teachers, community members and students to prevent and respond to school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV). This booklet, "Doorways II: Community Counselor Reference Materials on…

Outcomes from a School-Randomized Controlled Trial of Steps to Respect: A Bullying Prevention Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Eric C.; Low, Sabina; Smith, Brian H.; Haggerty, Kevin P.

2011-01-01

This study reports the outcomes of a randomized controlled trial of Steps to Respect: A Bullying Prevention Program conducted in 33 California elementary schools. Schools were matched on school demographic characteristics and assigned randomly to intervention or waitlisted control conditions. Outcome measures were obtained from (a) all school…

Practices That Address Bullying of Students with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNamara, Barry E.

2017-01-01

The nature of bullying and the proliferation of bully prevention programs for schools is well-documented. Research indicates that the most effective programs are those that are implemented school-wide. Forty-nine states have passed some type of legislation that deals with bully-prevention in schools. Clearly, schools throughout the country are…

Stacked Deck: An Effective, School-Based Program for the Prevention of Problem Gambling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Robert J.; Wood, Robert T.; Currie, Shawn R.

2010-01-01

School-based prevention programs are an important component of problem gambling prevention, but empirically effective programs are lacking. Stacked Deck is a set of 5-6 interactive lessons that teach about the history of gambling; the true odds and "house edge"; gambling fallacies; signs, risk factors, and causes of problem gambling; and…

Model Dropout Prevention Program at Reidsville Middle School: A Case Study Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Sullivan, Rita G.

This case study describes a 2-year (1988-90) demonstration dropout prevention program, a collaboration between a rural school and a university. The dropout prevention program attempts to identify effective teaching strategies that will increase the academic successes of at-risk sixth-grade students and expand the use of those strategies among the…

Opportunities for technology-based HIV prevention programming among high school students in Cape Town, South Africa

PubMed Central

Mwaba, Kelvin; Prescott, Tonya L.; Roman, Nicolette V.; Rooi, Bronwyn; Bull, Sheana

2014-01-01

One in three new cases of HIV in South Africa is among adolescents. Given that adolescents are particularly affected, scalable and cost-effective prevention programs are urgently needed. This study aims to identify opportunities to integrate technology into youth HIV prevention efforts. In 2012, 1,107 8th – 11th graders completed a paper-and-pencil survey. Respondents were enrolled in one of three public high schools in Langa. Because it is the closest black township to Cape Town, Langa has the highest density of people in the region. Eighty-nine percent of respondents have used text messaging (SMS) and 86% have gone online. If an HIV prevention program was offered online, 66% of youth would be somewhat or extremely likely to access it; slightly fewer (55%) felt the same about SMS-based programming. In comparison, 85% said they would be somewhat or extremely likely to access a school-based HIV prevention program. Interest in Internet-(60%) and SMS-based (54%) HIV prevention programming was similar for youth who had a self-appraised risk for HIV compared to youth who appraised their risk to be lower, as it was for youth who were tired of hearing messages about HIV prevention. Technology use is common – even among high school students who live in lower income communities. At the same time, these data reveal that it is not uncommon for youth to be tired of hearing messages about HIV prevention, and many of the typical topics key to HIV prevention have low interest levels among youth. HIV prevention researchers need to be mindful of the extent of existing programming that youth are exposed to. Technology-based programming may be especially amenable to meeting these requirements because of its novelty especially in developing countries, and because interactive functionality can be easily integrated into the program design. Given the preference for school- and Internet-based programming, it seems that a hybrid approach is likely feasible and acceptable. PMID:25022287

Opportunities for technology-based HIV prevention programming among high school students in Cape Town, South Africa.

PubMed

Ybarra, Michele L; Mwaba, Kelvin; Prescott, Tonya L; Roman, Nicolette V; Rooi, Bronwyn; Bull, Sheana

2014-01-01

One in three new cases of HIV in South Africa is among adolescents. Given that adolescents are particularly affected, scalable, and cost-effective prevention programs are urgently needed. This study aims to identify opportunities to integrate technology into youth HIV prevention efforts. In 2012, 1107 8th-11th graders completed a paper-and-pencil survey. Respondents were enrolled in one of three public high schools in Langa, a lower income community in Cape Town, South Africa. Eighty-nine percent of respondents have used text messaging (SMS) and 86% have gone online. If an HIV prevention program was offered online, 66% of youth would be somewhat or extremely likely to access it; slightly fewer (55%) felt the same about SMS-based programming. In comparison, 85% said they would be somewhat or extremely likely to access a school-based HIV prevention program. Interest in Internet- (60%) and SMS-based (54%) HIV prevention programming was similar for youth who had a self-appraised risk of HIV compared to youth who appraised their risk to be lower, as it was for youth who were tired of hearing messages about HIV prevention. Technology use is common - even among high school students who live in lower income communities. At the same time, these data reveal that it is not uncommon for youth to be tired of hearing messages about HIV prevention, and many of the typical topics key to HIV prevention have low interest levels among youth. HIV prevention researchers need to be mindful of the extent of existing programming that youth are exposed to. Technology-based programming may be especially amenable to meeting these requirements because of its novelty especially in developing countries, and because interactive functionality can be easily integrated into the program design. Given the preference for school- and Internet-based programming, it seems that a hybrid approach is likely feasible and acceptable.

School-based prevention of depressive symptoms: A randomized controlled study of the effectiveness and specificity of the Penn Resiliency Program.

PubMed

Gillham, Jane E; Reivich, Karen J; Freres, Derek R; Chaplin, Tara M; Shatté, Andrew J; Samuels, Barbra; Elkon, Andrea G L; Litzinger, Samantha; Lascher, Marisa; Gallop, Robert; Seligman, Martin E P

2007-02-01

The authors investigated the effectiveness and specificity of the Penn Resiliency Program (PRP; J. E. Gillham, L. H. Jaycox, K. J. Reivich, M. E. P. Seligman, & T. Silver, 1990), a cognitive-behavioral depression prevention program. Children (N = 697) from 3 middle schools were randomly assigned to PRP, Control (CON), or the Penn Enhancement Program (PEP; K. J. Reivich, 1996; A. J. Shatté, 1997), an alternate intervention that controls for nonspecific intervention ingredients. Children's depressive symptoms were assessed through 3 years of follow-up. There was no intervention effect on average levels of depressive symptoms in the full sample. Findings varied by school. In 2 schools, PRP significantly reduced depressive symptoms across the follow-up relative to both CON and PEP. In the 3rd school, PRP did not prevent depressive symptoms. The authors discuss the findings in relation to previous research on PRP and the dissemination of prevention programs. Copyright 2007 APA, all rights reserved.

School-Based Prevention of Depressive Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Study of the Effectiveness and Specificity of the Penn Resiliency Program

PubMed Central

Gillham, Jane E.; Reivich, Karen J.; Freres, Derek R.; Chaplin, Tara M.; Shatté, Andrew J.; Samuels, Barbra; Elkon, Andrea G. L.; Litzinger, Samantha; Lascher, Marisa; Gallop, Robert; Seligman, Martin E. P.

2015-01-01

The authors investigated the effectiveness and specificity of the Penn Resiliency Program (PRP; J. E. Gillham, L. H. Jaycox, K. J. Reivich, M. E. P. Seligman, & T. Silver, 1990), a cognitive–behavioral depression prevention program. Children (N = 697) from 3 middle schools were randomly assigned to PRP, Control (CON), or the Penn Enhancement Program (PEP; K. J. Reivich, 1996; A. J. Shatté, 1997), an alternate intervention that controls for nonspecific intervention ingredients. Children’s depressive symptoms were assessed through 3 years of follow-up. There was no intervention effect on average levels of depressive symptoms in the full sample. Findings varied by school. In 2 schools, PRP significantly reduced depressive symptoms across the follow-up relative to both CON and PEP. In the 3rd school, PRP did not prevent depressive symptoms. The authors discuss the findings in relation to previous research on PRP and the dissemination of prevention programs. PMID:17295559

A Comprehensive Model for Promoting Resiliency and Preventing Violence in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castro-Olivo, Sara Maria; Tran, Oanh Kim; Begum, Gazi Ferdousi; Arellano, Elizabeth Michelle; Garcia, Nicole Marie; Tung, Catherine Yang

2013-01-01

Implementing violence prevention programs has become a priority for schools; however, most programs used for this purpose are limited in the skills they teach. In this study, two different resiliency building/violence prevention models were evaluated to assess their effectiveness at preventing violent and maladaptive behaviors in youth. Data from…

Four-Fold Prevention: Strategies To Prevent Substance Abuse among Elementary School-Aged Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coker, J. Kelly

2001-01-01

Article describes a substance-abuse prevention program, Four-Fold Prevention, designed to specifically focus on four primary areas of social support-parents, schools, communities, and peers. This program enhances positive and supportive relationships among children and influencing adults and peers by opening the lines of communication about…

Developmental issues in school-based aggression prevention from a social-cognitive perspective.

PubMed

Boxer, Paul; Goldstein, Sara E; Musher-Eizenman, Dara; Dubow, Eric F; Heretick, Donna

2005-09-01

Contemporary research on the development and prevention of aggressive behavior in childhood and adolescence emphasizes the importance of social-cognitive factors such as perceptual biases, problem-solving skills, and social-moral beliefs in the maintenance of aggression. Indeed, school-based social-cognitive intervention approaches have been identified as best practices by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, because child age is an important covariate of both intervention effectiveness and social-cognitive ability, school-based prevention program designers should keep in mind a number of issues identified through developmental research. In this paper, we review the social-cognitive model of aggressive behavior development as applied to prevention programming. We then discuss some of the ways in which the broader developmental research base can inform the design of aggression prevention programs. EDITORS' STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS: Educational administrators and policy makers will find evidence in this review that school-based programs that employ a social-cognitive model represent a strategy that works for preventing violence. Prevention researchers will also benefit from the authors' insights regarding theoretical mediating processes and the importance of a developmental view.

Preventing violence against children in schools: Contributions from the Be Safe program in Sri Lanka.

PubMed

Lam, Steven; Zwart, Christine; Chahal, Inem; Lane, David; Cummings, Harry

2018-02-01

Violence against children is a global public health issue with serious social, economic, physical, and emotional impacts. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a school-based program aimed to prevent and respond to physical, sexual, and psychological violence against children in Sri Lanka from the perspective of parents. A cross-sectional retrospective study design was used. A total of 835 parents of children who participated in the program were surveyed across seven districts in Sri Lanka. Dose-response analyses were conducted to assess for correlations between program exposure and perceived prevention of violence against children. Low to moderate correlations were found between exposure to the program and perceived child safety in schools, school policies, and in the community. The findings provide preliminary evidence of program effectiveness; however, more efforts are needed to validate and sustain outcomes. Implications for future violence prevention programming, along with the use of dose-response evaluations, are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A systematic review of school-based suicide prevention programs.

PubMed

Katz, Cara; Bolton, Shay-Lee; Katz, Laurence Y; Isaak, Corinne; Tilston-Jones, Toni; Sareen, Jitender

2013-10-01

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among youth today. Schools are a cost-effective way to reach youth, yet there is no conclusive evidence regarding the most effective prevention strategy. We conducted a systematic review of the empirical literature on school-based suicide prevention programs. Studies were identified through MEDLINE and Scopus searches, using keywords such as "suicide, education, prevention and program evaluation." Additional studies were identified with a manual search of relevant reference lists. Individual studies were rated for level of evidence, and the programs were given a grade of recommendation. Five reviewers rated all studies independently and disagreements were resolved through discussion. Sixteen programs were identified. Few programs have been evaluated for their effectiveness in reducing suicide attempts. Most studies evaluated the programs' abilities to improve students' and school staffs' knowledge and attitudes toward suicide. Signs of Suicide and the Good Behavior Game were the only programs found to reduce suicide attempts. Several other programs were found to reduce suicidal ideation, improve general life skills, and change gatekeeper behaviors. There are few evidence-based, school-based suicide prevention programs, a combination of which may be effective. It would be useful to evaluate the effectiveness of general mental health promotion programs on the outcome of suicide. The grades assigned in this review are reflective of the available literature, demonstrating a lack of randomized controlled trials. Further evaluation of programs examining suicidal behavior outcomes in randomized controlled trials is warranted. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Atlanta Dropout Prevention Plan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jonas, Edward D., Jr.

The Atlanta (Georgia) Public School System (APS) has many existing dropout prevention programs, but they have been operating primarily independently, with limited information sharing or coordination. In 1986 these programs were linked through the formation of the Atlanta Dropout Prevention Collaborative, which unites the public school system with…

California Programs To Prevent and Reduce Drug, Alcohol, and Tobacco Use among In-School Youth: An Interim Report about Tobacco Use. Report No. 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Southwest Regional Lab., Los Alamitos, CA.

This document presents an interim report about tobacco use and its prevention among students in California schools. It focuses on the efforts of the Tobacco Use Prevention Education (TUPE) program, a part of the California Department of Education's Drug, Alcohol, and Tobacco Education (DATE) program. It is noted that TUPE programs have operated in…

Suicide Prevention among High School Students: Evaluation of a Nonrandomized Trial of a Multi-Stage Suicide Screening Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Torcasso, Gina; Hilt, Lori M.

2017-01-01

Background: Suicide is a leading cause of death among youth. Suicide screening programs aim to identify mental health issues and prevent death by suicide. Objective: The present study evaluated outcomes of a multi-stage screening program implemented over 3 school years in a moderately-sized Midwestern high school. Methods: One hundred ninety-three…

The Effects of a Violence Prevention Program on Alternative High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Triplett, Carla A.

2013-01-01

This study addressed the effectiveness of a violence prevention program in an inner-city alternative school setting. The researcher, an administrator at the school, used a prepackaged curriculum targeting lessons on violence in an eight-week study with the entire school population. Students met bi-weekly with a team of two teachers to review and…

The Impact of Violence Prevention Programs on School Based Violent Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reed-Reynolds, Shelly

2011-01-01

This dissertation study focused on the potential effect that various violence prevention program strategies implemented within the k-12 school setting have on the frequency of school based violent behaviors. The 2005-06 and 2003-04 School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS:2006 & SSOCS:2004) was utilized as the secondary data source for this…

Implementation of CDC's School Health Index in 3 Midwest Middle Schools: Motivation for Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sherwood-Puzzello, Catherine M.; Miller, Michelle; Lohrmann, David; Gregory, Patricia

2007-01-01

Background: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's School Health Index (SHI), a guide for completing a coordinated school-based program needs assessment relative to healthy eating, physical activity, a tobacco-free lifestyle, and prevention of other health risk behaviors and conditions, was used to assess current programming at 3…

Effectiveness of school network for childhood obesity prevention (SNOCOP) in primary schools of Saraburi Province, Thailand.

PubMed

Banchonhattakit, Pannee; Tanasugarn, Chanuantong; Pradipasen, Mandhana; Miner, Kathleen R; Nityasuddhi, Dechavudh

2009-07-01

This research was designed to test the effectiveness of a school network for childhood obesity prevention (SNOCOP) in primary schools; a program that aimed to improve student behavior in terms of knowledge, attitude, intention towards obesity prevention, and their food consumption behavior. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest time series study was conducted. By 2-stage stratified sampling selection 180 students from 6 schools were assigned to the intervention group and 195 students from 6 schools to the control group at Saraburi Province, Thailand in 2006- 2007. In addition, thirty-one participants being school administrators, teachers, parents, and community members from six schools formed the social network initiating the intervention. The schoolchildren in the intervention group improved their eating behavior, knowledge, attitude, intention towards obesity preventive behavior. The six schools of the intervention group changed school policies and school activities aiming to reduce the proportion of obesity among their student. No such activities could be observed in the control group. These findings suggest that the School-Social Network of Childhood Obesity Prevention program is an effective means to prevent childhood obesity.

Integrating Life Skills Into a Theory-Based Drug-Use Prevention Program: Effectiveness among Junior High Students in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Chiu-Mieh; Chien, Li-Yin; Cheng, Chin-Feng; Guo, Jong-Long

2012-01-01

Background: Drug use has been noted among students in Taiwan during the past decade and schools have a role in preventing or delaying students' drug use. We developed and evaluated a school-based, drug-use prevention program integrating the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and life skills for junior high school students. Methods: We recruited 441…

Measuring teacher implementation in delivery of a bullying prevention program: the impact of instructional and procedural adherence and competence on student responsiveness.

PubMed

Goncy, Elizabeth A; Sutherland, Kevin S; Farrell, Albert D; Sullivan, Terri N; Doyle, Sarah T

2015-04-01

Although there is evidence that school-based prevention programs can produce positive effects on students' academic and behavioral functioning, the ability of teachers to sustain high-quality implementation remains an open and vexing question. Because teachers are often the intervention agents in school-based prevention programs, assessing both their adherence to program procedures and their competence in program delivery is critical for ensuring student responsiveness to prevention programs, which in turn may impact their efficacy. The current study assessed treatment fidelity of implementation of the Olweus' Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP) in two urban middle schools. Trained observers completed 280 observations of teachers' delivery of the class meeting component of the OBPP and rated teachers' instructional and procedural adherence and competence of delivery and students' responsiveness. Analyses using multilevel modeling indicated that competence of delivery was significantly related to student responsiveness above and beyond teacher instructional behavior adherence, such that class meetings conducted with higher instructional adherence and procedural competence resulted in higher student responsiveness to the program after controlling for the clustered nature of teachers, and several observation-level and teacher-level covariates. This study highlights the need for strategies to increase teacher use of effective instructional practices and competence with program procedures to enhance the efficacy of prevention programming in schools.

Preventing School Employee Sexual Misconduct: An Outcome Survey Analysis of Making Right Choices.

PubMed

Lipson, Glenn; Grant, Billie-Jo; Mueller, Jessica; Sonnich, Steve

2018-05-30

This treatment-only study examines the impact of Making Right Choices, an online course prevention program designed to promote the knowledge, awareness, and prevention of school employee sexual misconduct. The sample included 13,007 school employee participants who took the Making Right Choices course between May 6, 2011, and March 12, 2017, in California and New York. The 20-item measure, Preventing Misconduct Assessment, was administered to participants at the end of the online course; completion of the measure was voluntary. Descriptive statistics revealed that a large majority of participants reported increasing their knowledge and awareness of school employee sexual misconduct because of their participation in the Making Right Choices online course. This study yields important findings regarding the impact of a sexual misconduct prevention program and, specifically, the difference it may make for non-licensed school employees. These findings indicate that school employees are accepting of sexual misconduct training programs and rate them as having value.

Spreading the word: A process evaluation of a voluntary AOD prevention program.

PubMed

Edelen, Maria Orlando; Tucker, Joan; D'Amico, Elizabeth

2015-06-01

Research on voluntary after-school alcohol and other drug (AOD) prevention programs is limited. It is important to increase understanding of students' motivation to attend these types of programs and their tendency to transfer program information to peers. This paper summarizes efforts to evaluate process information for CHOICE, a voluntary after-school AOD prevention program for middle-school youth. A survey administered to 1899 students aged 10-16 in seven schools assessed: (1) why students choose to attend CHOICE (2) barriers to attendance; and (3) how program information is disseminated to non-participants. Frequencies of responses from participants and non-participants were compared. Participants were motivated by several features, most notably, the demeanor of the group leaders and enjoyable curriculum content. Barriers to attendance were primarily logistic, but results also suggest that the promotion message should more effectively emphasize that CHOICE is appropriate for everyone. The majority of students knew about CHOICE, both through advertising and conversations with friends. Non-participants' detailed reports of what they heard from friends corresponded closely with what participants reported sharing. The use of dynamic group leaders is critical to engaging students in voluntary programs. Offering the program on different days of the week or at different times (e.g., before school) may improve attendance rates. Peer networks represent a critical pathway for prevention information that can help increase program impact. These results can be used to inform modifications to existing voluntary after-school AOD prevention programs to obtain higher attendance rates and more widespread dissemination of the intervention message. © American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

Pilot Evaluation of a Sexual Abuse Prevention Program for Taiwanese Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Yi-Chuen; Fortson, Beverly L.; Tseng, Kai-Wen

2012-01-01

The purpose of the current study was to develop and evaluate the efficacy of a school-based child sexual abuse prevention program for Taiwanese children. Forty-six Taiwanese children age 6 to 13 were divided into one of two groups based on their school grade and then randomly assigned to a skills-based child sexual abuse prevention program who…

77 FR 61413 - Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-09

... Prevention's new teen dating violence prevention initiative. To address the gaps in research and practice, CDC has developed Dating Matters, teen dating violence prevention program that includes programming... participants include: middle school students age 11 to 14 years; middle school parents; brand ambassadors...

ViSC Social Competence Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strohmeier, Dagmar; Hoffmann, Christine; Schiller, Eva-Maria; Stefanek, Elisabeth; Spiel, Christiane

2012-01-01

The ViSC Social Competence Program has been implemented in Austrian schools within the scope of a national strategy plan, Together Against Violence. The program is a primary preventive program designed for grades 5 to 8. The prevention of aggression and bullying is defined as a school development task, and the initial implementation of the program…

Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse Victimization: A Meta Analysis of School Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rispens, Jan; Aleman, Andre; Goudena, Paul P.

1997-01-01

Meta-analysis of 16 evaluation studies of school programs aimed at the prevention of child sexual abuse victimization found significant and considerable mean postintervention and follow-up effect sizes, indicating that the programs were effective in teaching children sexual abuse concepts and self-protection skills. Program duration and content…

Child and Parent Voices on a Community-Based Prevention Program (FAST)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fearnow-Kenney, Melodie; Hill, Patricia; Gore, Nicole

2016-01-01

Families and Schools Together (FAST) is a collaborative program involving schools, families, and community-based partners in efforts to prevent substance use, juvenile delinquency, school failure, child abuse and neglect, mental health problems, and violence. Although evaluated extensively, there remains a dearth of qualitative data on child and…

Site-Based Management: Implications for Risk Management?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunklee, Dennis R.

1990-01-01

Site-based school management opens the possibility of problems in districtwide risk management and liability prevention programs. Describes a program to transfer prevention law and risk management strategies to individual school sites. Cautions that only duly authorized agents of local school boards can commit boards to contractual obligations.…

Independent Evaluation of Middle School-Based Drug Prevention Curricula: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Flynn, Anna B; Falco, Mathea; Hocini, Sophia

2015-11-01

Lack of robust program evaluation has hindered the effectiveness of school-based drug abuse prevention curricula overall. Independently evaluated randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of universal, middle school-based drug abuse prevention curricula are the most useful indicators of whether such programs are effective or ineffective. To conduct a systematic review identifying independently evaluated RCTs of universal, middle school-based drug abuse prevention curricula; extract data on study quality and substance use outcomes; and assess evidence of program effectiveness. PsycInfo, Educational Resources Information Center, Science Citation Index, Social Science Citation Index, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched between January 1, 1984, and March 15, 2015. Search terms included variations of drug, alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use, as well as school, prevention, and effectiveness. Studies included in the review were RCTs carried out by independent evaluators of universal school-based drug prevention curricula available for dissemination in the United States that reported alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, or other drug use outcomes. Two researchers extracted data on study quality and outcomes independently using a data extraction form and met to resolve disagreements. A total of 5071 publications were reviewed, with 13 articles meeting final inclusion criteria. Of the 13 articles, 6 RCTs of 4 distinct school-based curricula were identified for inclusion. Outcomes were reported for 42 single-drug measures in the independent RCTs, with just 3 presenting statistically significant (P < .05) differences between the intervention group and the control group. One program revealed statistically significant positive effects at final follow-up (Lions-Quest Skills for Adolescence). The results of our review demonstrate the dearth of independent research that appropriately evaluates the effectiveness of universal, middle school-based drug prevention curricula. Independent evaluations show little evidence of effectiveness for widely used programs. New methods may be necessary to approach school-based adolescent drug prevention.

ATOD Prevention Programming in the Non-School Hours and Adolescent Substance Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alter, Randi J.; Jun, Mi Kyung; J-McKyer, E. Lisako

2007-01-01

To reduce problems associated with youth substance use, Indiana developed funding streams and infrastructure to facilitate coordination of statewide prevention efforts. These prevention efforts aimed at youth include programming in the non-school hours. To examine the relationship between these efforts and youth substance abuse, students…

The Cost and Effectiveness of School-Based Preventive Dental Care.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klein, Stephen P.; And Others

The National Preventive Dentistry Demonstration Program assessed the cost and effectiveness of various types and combinations of school-based preventive dental care procedures. The program involved 20,052 first, second, and fifth graders from five fluoridated and five non-fluoridated communities. These children were examined at baseline and…

Program Evaluation of the "PREPaRE" School Crisis Prevention and Intervention Training Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nickerson, Amanda B.; Serwacki, Michelle L.; Brock, Stephen E.; Savage, Todd A.; Woitaszewski, Scott A.; Louvar Reeves, Melissa A.

2014-01-01

This study details a program evaluation of the "PREPaRE School Crisis Prevention and Intervention Training Curriculum" ("PREPaRE"), conducted in the United States and Canada between 2009 and 2011. Significant improvements in crisis prevention and intervention attitudes and knowledge were shown among 875 "Crisis Prevention…

“Cancer – Educate to Prevent” – High-School Teachers, the New Promoters of Cancer Prevention Education Campaigns

PubMed Central

Barros, Ana; Moreira, Luís; Santos, Helena; Ribeiro, Nuno; Carvalho, Luís; Santos-Silva, Filipe

2014-01-01

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and thus represents a priority for national public health programs. Prevention has been assumed as the best strategy to reduce cancer burden, however most cancer prevention programs are implemented by healthcare professionals, which constrain range and educational impacts. We developed an innovative approach for cancer prevention education focused on high-school biology teachers, considered privileged mediators in the socialization processes. A training program, “Cancer, Educate to Prevent” was applied, so that the teachers were able to independently develop and implement prevention campaigns focused on students and school-related communities. The program encompassed different educational modules, ranging from cancer biology to prevention campaigns design. Fifty-four teachers were empowered to develop and implement their own cancer prevention campaigns in a population up to five thousands students. The success of the training program was assessed through quantitative evaluation – questionnaires focused on teachers' cancer knowledge and perceptions, before the intervention (pre-test) and immediately after (post-test). The projects developed and implemented by teachers were also evaluated regarding the intervention design, educational contents and impact on the students' knowledge about cancer. This study presents and discusses the results concerning the training program “Cancer, Educate to Prevent” and clearly shows a significant increase in teacher's cancer literacy (knowledge and perceptions) and teachers' acquired proficiency to develop and deliver cancer prevention campaigns with direct impact on students' knowledge about cancer. This pilot study reinforces the potential of high-school teachers and schools as cancer prevention promoters and opens a new perspective for the development and validation of cancer prevention education strategies, based upon focused interventions in restricted targets (students) through non-health professionals (teachers). PMID:24817168

A Meta-Analysis of the Effectiveness of Interactive Middle School Cannabis Prevention Programs

PubMed Central

Lize, Steven E.; Iachini, Aidyn L.; Tang, Weizhou; Tucker, Joshua; Seay, Kristen D.; Clone, Stephanie; DeHart, Dana; Browne, Teri

2017-01-01

This meta-analysis examines the effectiveness of interactive middle school-based drug prevention programs on adolescent cannabis use in North America, as well as program characteristics that could moderate these effects. Interactive programs, compared to more didactic, lecture style programs, involve participants in skill-building activities and focus on interaction among participants. A systematic literature search was conducted for English-language studies from January 1998 to March 2014. Studies included evaluations using random assignment or a quasi-experimental design of interactive school-based substance use prevention programs delivered to adolescents (aged 12–14) in North American middle schools (grades 6–8). Data were extracted using a coding protocol. The outcomes of interest were post-treatment cannabis use, intent to use, and refusal skills compared across intervention and control groups. Effect sizes (Cohen’s d) were calculated from continuous measures, and dichotomous measures were converted to the d index. A total of 30 studies yielding 23 independent samples were included. The random effects pooled effect size for cannabis use (k=21) was small (d̄=−0.07, p<0.01) and favorable for the prevention programs. The pooled effect sizes for intention to use (k=3) and refusal skills (k=3) were not significant. Moderator analyses indicated significant differences in program effectiveness between instructor types, with teachers found to be most effective (d̄ =−0.08, p=0.02). The findings provide further support for the use of interactive school-based programs to prevent cannabis use among middle school students in North America. PMID:27785662

A Meta-analysis of the Effectiveness of Interactive Middle School Cannabis Prevention Programs.

PubMed

Lize, Steven E; Iachini, Aidyn L; Tang, Weizhou; Tucker, Joshua; Seay, Kristen D; Clone, Stephanie; DeHart, Dana; Browne, Teri

2017-01-01

This meta-analysis examines the effectiveness of interactive middle school-based drug prevention programs on adolescent cannabis use in North America, as well as program characteristics that could moderate these effects. Interactive programs, compared to more didactic, lecture style programs, involve participants in skill-building activities and focus on interaction among participants. A systematic literature search was conducted for English-language studies from January 1998 to March 2014. Studies included evaluations using random assignment or a quasi-experimental design of interactive school-based substance use prevention programs delivered to adolescents (aged 12-14) in North American middle schools (grades 6-8). Data were extracted using a coding protocol. The outcomes of interest were post-treatment cannabis use, intent to use, and refusal skills compared across intervention and control groups. Effect sizes (Cohen's d) were calculated from continuous measures, and dichotomous measures were converted to the d index. A total of 30 studies yielding 23 independent samples were included. The random effects pooled effect size for cannabis use (k = 21) was small ([Formula: see text]= -0.07, p < 0.01) and favorable for the prevention programs. The pooled effect sizes for intention to use (k = 3) and refusal skills (k = 3) were not significant. Moderator analyses indicated significant differences in program effectiveness between instructor types, with teachers found to be most effective ([Formula: see text]= -0.08, p = 0.02). The findings provide further support for the use of interactive school-based programs to prevent cannabis use among middle school students in North America.

Dating Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention with African American Middle Schoolers: Does Group Gender Composition Impact Dating Violence Attitudes?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Black, Beverly M.; Weisz, Arlene N.; Jayasundara, Dheeshana S.

2012-01-01

A dating violence and sexual assault prevention program was presented to 396, predominately African American, middle schoolers in two inner city schools in the United States. In one school the program was offered with a same-gender group composition; in the other school, the same program was offered with mixed-gender group composition. A…

Preventing adolescent drug use: long-term results of a junior high program.

PubMed Central

Ellickson, P L; Bell, R M; McGuigan, K

1993-01-01

OBJECTIVES. Although several studies have reported short-term gains for drug-use prevention programs targeted at young adolescents, few have assessed the long-term effects of such programs. Such information is essential for judging how long prevention benefits last. This paper reports results over a 6-year period for a multisite randomized trial that achieved reductions in drug use during the junior high school years. METHODS. The 11-lesson curriculum, which was tested in 30 schools in eight highly diverse West Coast communities, focused on helping 7th and 8th grade students develop the motivation and skills to resist drugs. Schools were randomly assigned to treatment and control conditions. About 4000 students were assessed in grade 7 and six times thereafter through grade 12. Program effects were adjusted for pretest covariates and school effects. RESULTS. Once the lessons stopped, the program's effects on drug use stopped. Effects on cognitive risk factors persisted for a longer time (many through grade 10), but were not sufficient to produce corresponding reductions in use. CONCLUSIONS. It is unlikely that early prevention gains can be maintained without additional prevention efforts during high school. Future research is needed to develop and test such efforts. PMID:8498624

Schools and the Community Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Environment: Opportunities for Prevention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 2013

2013-01-01

Schools have long been central to community-based alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) prevention programs. Yet research consistently shows that school programs have only a marginal effect on student substance use and community ATOD problems. Schools are only one of the many influences on young people, and even the best curriculum will fail if…

Toward Safe and Orderly Schools--The National Study of Delinquency Prevention in Schools. Research in Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gottfredson, Gary D.; Gottfredson, Denise C.; Czeh, Ellen R.; Cantor, David; Crosse, Scott B.; Hantman, Irene

2004-01-01

Schools are expected to provide a safe environment and to play an active role in socializing children for participation in a civil society. Most schools have programs to prevent problem behavior and serious misconduct such as drug use and violence. But how good are these programs? A recent national study surveyed principals, teachers, program…

A Quasi-Randomized Trial of a School-Wide Universal Prevention Program: Results and Lessons Learned

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bodin, Maria C.; South, Sandra H.; Ingemarson, Maria

2016-01-01

Prevention in School (PS) is a comprehensive program which aims to improve the learning climate and reduce problem behavior in elementary schools. Core components are teaching of school rules, praise and rewards to support prosocial behavior, and a forum involving parents. This trial investigated the effects of PS on its intended outcomes, and…

The School-Based Violence Prevention Planning Program: A Pilot Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armstrong, Todd A.; Webb, Vincent

2006-01-01

Despite a growing research literature identifying evidence-based prevention strategies, schools often adopt programs lacking evidentiary support (Gottfredson and Gottfredson, 2002; Ringwalt et al., 2002). Further, when evidence-based programs are adopted they often suffer from poor implementation (Gottfredson and Gottfredson, 2002). This gap…

Impact of a Comprehensive Whole Child Intervention and Prevention Program among Youths at Risk of Gang Involvement and Other Forms of Delinquency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koffman, Stephen; Ray, Alice; Berg, Sarah; Covington, Larry; Albarran, Nadine M.; Vasquez, Max

2009-01-01

Youths in gang-ridden neighborhoods are at risk for trauma-related mental health disorders, which are early indicators of likely school failure and delinquency. Such youths rarely seek out services for these problems. The Juvenile Intervention and Prevention Program (JIPP), a school-based gang intervention and prevention program in Los Angeles,…

Role of School Psychologists in Violence Prevention and Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKellar, Nancy A.; Sherwin, Heather D.

2003-01-01

Kansas school psychologists were extremely accurate in their estimates of violence in their own schools and viewed school violence prevention as an important part of their job, regardless of the rates of violence in their districts. Most had at least some involvement in their own school's violence prevention program, although many reported that…

Impact of a universal school-based violence prevention program on violent delinquency: distinctive benefits for youth with maltreatment histories.

PubMed

Crooks, Claire V; Scott, Katreena; Ellis, Wendy; Wolfe, David A

2011-06-01

Child maltreatment constitutes a strong risk factor for violent delinquency in adolescence, with cumulative experiences of maltreatment creating increasingly greater risk. Our previous work demonstrated that a universal school-based violence prevention program could provide a protective impact for youth at risk for violent delinquency due to child maltreatment history. In this study we conducted a follow-up to determine if participation in a school-based violence prevention program in grade 9 continued to provide a buffering effect on engaging in acts of violent delinquency for maltreated youth, 2 years post-intervention. Secondary analyses were conducted using data from a cluster randomized controlled trial of a comprehensive school-based violence prevention program. Students (N=1,722; 52.8% female) from 20 schools participated in 21 75-min lessons in grade 9 health classes. Individual data (i.e., gender, child maltreatment experiences, and violent delinquency in grade 9) and school-level data (i.e., student perception of safety averaged across students in each school) were entered in a multilevel model to predict violent delinquency at the end of grade 11. Individual- and school-level factors predicting violent delinquency in grade 11 replicated previous findings from grade 9: being male, experiencing child maltreatment, being violent in grade 9, and attending a school with a lower perceived sense of safety among the entire student body increased violent delinquency. The cross-level interaction of individual maltreatment history and school-level intervention was also replicated: in non-intervention schools, youth with more maltreatment in their background were increasingly likely to engage in violent delinquency. The strength of this relationship was significantly attenuated in intervention schools. Follow-up findings are consistent with the buffering effect of the prevention program previously found post-intervention for the subsample of youth with maltreatment histories. A relative inexpensive school-based violence prevention program that has been shown to reduce dating violence among the whole student body also creates a protective effect for maltreated youth with respect to lowering their likelihood of engaging in violent delinquency. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Great Minds Don't Always Think Alike: The Challenges of Conducting Substance Abuse Prevention Research in Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Renes, Susan L.; Ringwalt, Chris; Clark, Heddy Kovach; Hanley, Sean

2007-01-01

Prevention researchers and school personnel lack a common understanding concerning the opportunities and burdens of school-based drug prevention research. In this article, we review issues related to researching substance abuse prevention programs in school settings, and assess challenges related to recruitment, communication, research design,…

Nurse-Led School-Based Child Obesity Prevention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tucker, Sharon; Lanningham-Foster, Lorraine M.

2015-01-01

School-based childhood obesity prevention programs have grown in response to reductions in child physical activity (PA), increased sedentariness, poor diet, and soaring child obesity rates. Multiple systematic reviews indicate school-based obesity prevention/treatment interventions are effective, yet few studies have examined the school nurse role…

[Effect of school-based peer leader centered smoking prevention program].

PubMed

Shin, Sung Rae; Oh, Pok Ja; Youn, Hye Kyung; Shin, Sun Hwa

2014-12-01

The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a school-based peer leader centered smoking prevention program. Non-equivalent control group with a pre/post-test design was used. Students (n=174) in two boys' junior high schools located in D city, Korea participated with 85 being selected for the experimental group and 89 for the control group. Five sessions were given to the experimental group and a 50 minute lecture to the control group. Knowledge, attitude, non-smoking intention, and non-smoking efficacy were measured for the both experimental and control group at two weeks before the program and one month after the program was completed. Data were analyzed using χ²-test, Fisher's exact test, independent t-test and paired t-test with the SPSS 21.0 program. The experimental group showed higher overall knowledge, negative attitude toward smoking, and higher non-smoking intention and efficacy. After receiving the school based peer leader centered smoking prevention program scores for attitude toward smoking and non-smoking efficacy increased in the experimental group were higher than in the control group. The school-based peer leader centered smoking prevention program needs longitudinal evaluation, but from this study, there is an indication that this program can be used with junior high school students and effectively change students' attitude toward smoking and promote non-smoking efficacy.

School Violence, Role of the School Nurse in Prevention. Issue Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blout, JoAnn D.; Rose, Kathleen C.; Suessmann, Mary; Coleman, Kara; Selekman, Janice

2012-01-01

Registered professional school nurses (hereinafter referred to as school nurses) advance safe school environments by promoting the prevention and reduction of school violence. School nurses collaborate with school personnel, healthcare providers, parents, and community members to identify and implement evidence-based educational programs. The…

Evaluation of a multimodal school-based depression and suicide prevention program among Dutch adolescents: design of a cluster-randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Gijzen, Mandy W M; Creemers, Daan H M; Rasing, Sanne P A; Smit, Filip; Engels, Rutger C M E

2018-05-10

Since 2010, suicide has been the most important cause of mortality in youth aged 15 to 29 years in the Netherlands. Depression is an important risk factor for suicidal behaviors (i.e., suicide ideation, deliberate self-harm, planning, and suicide attempts) in adolescents. Adolescents who develop depressive symptoms, are also at risk for adult depression. This developmental continuity is especially noticeable in adolescents compared to other age groups; therefore, it is necessary to develop preventive strategies for teens. This study will test a multimodal school-based approach to suicide and depression prevention, which integrates universal and targeted approaches and includes various stakeholders (schools, adolescents, parents, and mental health professionals) simultaneously. We will perform a cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) with an intervention and control condition to test the effectiveness of a school-based multimodal stepped-prevention program for depression and suicidal behaviors in adolescents. Adolescents in their second year of secondary education will participate in the study. The participants in the intervention condition will receive the entire multimodal stepped-preventive program comprising early screening and detection of suicidal behaviors and depressive symptoms, a safety net consisting of gatekeepers at school, followed by universal and indicated prevention. The participants in the control condition will undergo only the screening and the safety net of gatekeepers at schools. They will complete assessments at baseline, post-intervention, and 6, 12, and 24-month follow-up. Primary outcome will be suicidal behaviors measured at 12-months follow-up. Additionally, the present study will identify mechanisms that mediate and moderate the program effects and test the effect of the program on various secondary outcomes. If the school-based multimodal stepped-prevention program proves to be effective, it could be implemented in schools on a large scale. The study is registered in the Dutch Trial Register ( NTR6622 ).

Dropout Prevention: Diversified Satellite Occupations Program and Career Development. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Hilda B.

The Diversified Satellite Occupations Program Career Development sought to prevent dropout through these strategies: registration at a school situation away from the normal school setting, creation of a close teacher-student relationship, and raise achievement levels and lower anxiety levels. Program emphases at elementary, junior and senior high…

Evaluating an In-School Drug Prevention Program for At-Risk Youth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeWit, David J.; Steep, Barbara; Silverman, Gloria; Stevens-Lavigne, Andrea; Ellis, Kathy; Smythe, Cindy; Rye, Barbara J.; Braun, Kathy; Wood, Eileen

2000-01-01

A drug prevention program involving 167 at-risk students in grades 8-10 at 9 Ontario schools resulted in reduced use of and less supportive attitudes toward alcohol, cannabis, tobacco, and tranquilizers. Program success is attributed to high attendance and retention, community health professionals' participation, comprehensive approach, strong…

Exploratory Evaluation of a School-Based Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barron, Ian G.; Topping, Keith J.

2013-01-01

Internationally, efficacy studies of school-based child sexual abuse prevention programs display a series of methodological shortcomings. Few studies include adolescent participants, recording of disclosures has been inconsistent, and no studies to date have assessed presenter adherence to program protocols or summated the costs of program…

An Evaluation of the School-Based Dental Disease Prevention Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Legislature, Sacramento. Office of the Legislative Analyst.

This report analyzes the effect of the California Dental Disease Prevention Program (DDPP). The program includes education about dental health and nutrition, daily toothbrushing and flossing, and weekly application of a fluoride mouthrinse. The DDPP serves approximately 350,000 elementary school children. The implementation of the DDPP is…

Effective Dropout Prevention and College Attendance Programs for Latino Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fashola, Olatokunbo S.; Slavin, Robert E.

This paper reviews research related to effective secondary school programs aimed at dropout prevention and increasing college enrollment rates for at-risk Latino youth. The review identifies programs that have demonstrated a significant impact on dropout rates, college attendance, school performance, or related outcomes in rigorous evaluations;…

A Meta-Analysis of School-Based Bullying Prevention Programs' Effects on Bystander Intervention Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polanin, Joshua R.; Espelage, Dorothy L.; Pigott, Therese D.

2012-01-01

This meta-analysis synthesized bullying prevention programs' effectiveness at increasing bystander intervention in bullying situations. Evidence from 12 school-based programs, involving 12,874 students, indicated that overall the programs were successful (Hedges's g = 0.20, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.11 to 0.29, p = 0.001), with larger…

Fluoride Programs in the School Setting: Preventive Dental Health.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rebich, Theodore, Jr.; And Others

1982-01-01

Two types of school-based programs that increase students' use of fluoride for preventive dental health are described. In fluoride mouthrinse programs, teachers give their students a fluoride solution once a week in a paper cup. In areas where the level of fluoride in the water supply is insufficient, the flouride tablet program is used. (JN)

Prevention of Anxiety Symptoms in Children: Results from a Universal School-Based Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Essau, Cecilia A.; Conradt, Judith; Sasagawa, Satoko; Ollendick, Thomas H.

2012-01-01

The present study evaluated the effectiveness of a universal school-based cognitive behavior prevention program (the FRIENDS program) for childhood anxiety. Participants were 638 children, ages 9 to 12 years, from 14 schools in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. All the children completed standardized measures of anxiety and depression, social and…

Who Gets Care? Mental Health Service Use Following a School-Based Suicide Prevention Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kataoka, Sheryl; Stein, Bradley D.; Nadeem, Erum; Wong, Marleen

2007-01-01

Objective: To examine symptomatology and mental health service use following students' contact with a large urban school district's suicide prevention program. Method: In 2001 school district staff conducted telephone interviews with 95 randomly selected parents approximately 5 months following their child's contact with the district's suicide…

An Accident Prevention Program for School Shops and Laboratories; A Suggested Guide for School Administrators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, William A.

Effective and realistic planning and improvement of the educational environment can prevent accidents and injuries in school shops and laboratories. This guide makes specific recommendations for organizing and administering such a program and suggests methods and techniques for implementing the recommendations. Chapters cover organizing,…

The relative efficacy of pamphlets, CD-ROM, and the Internet for disseminating adolescent drug abuse prevention programs: an exploratory study.

PubMed

Di Noia, Jennifer; Schwinn, Traci M; Dastur, Zubin A; Schinke, Steven P

2003-12-01

Despite the availability of an increasing array of empirically validated adolescent drug abuse prevention programs, program materials and evaluation findings are poorly disseminated. CD-ROM and the Internet hold promise for disseminating this information to schools and agencies that directly serve youth, and to policy-making bodies that exercise control over funds to support adolescent drug abuse prevention programming. However, data on the relative efficacy of these newer technologies over conventional print means of dissemination are lacking. Recruited through schools, community agencies, and policy-making bodies, 188 professionals were randomized to receive prevention program materials via pamphlets (55 participants), CD-ROM (64 participants), and the Internet (69 participants). Participants completed pretest, posttest, and 6-month follow-up measures that assessed their access to prevention program materials; self-efficacy for identifying, obtaining, and recommending these programs; and their likelihood of requesting, implementing, and recommending prevention programs to their constituents. Participants exposed to dissemination via CD-ROM and the Internet evidenced the greatest short- and long-term gains on accessibility, self-efficacy, and behavioral intention variables. CD-ROM and the Internet are viable means for disseminating adolescent drug abuse prevention programs to schools, community agencies, and policy-making bodies, and should be increasingly used for dissemination purposes.

The relative efficacy of pamphlets, CD-ROM, and the Internet for disseminating adolescent drug abuse prevention programs: an exploratory study⋆

PubMed Central

Di Noia, Jennifer; Schwinn, Traci M.; Dastur, Zubin A.; Schinke, Steven P.

2010-01-01

Background Despite the availability of an increasing array of empirically validated adolescent drug abuse prevention programs, program materials and evaluation findings are poorly disseminated. CD-ROM and the Internet hold promise for disseminating this information to schools and agencies that directly serve youth, and to policy-making bodies that exercise control over funds to support adolescent drug abuse prevention programming. However, data on the relative efficacy of these newer technologies over conventional print means of dissemination are lacking. Methods Recruited through schools, community agencies, and policy-making bodies, 188 professionals were randomized to receive prevention program materials via pamphlets (55 participants), CD-ROM (64 participants), and the Internet (69 participants). Participants completed pretest, posttest, and 6-month follow-up measures that assessed their access to prevention program materials; self-efficacy for identifying, obtaining, and recommending these programs; and their likelihood of requesting, implementing, and recommending prevention programs to their constituents. Results Participants exposed to dissemination via CD-ROM and the Internet evidenced the greatest short- and long-term gains on accessibility, self-efficacy, and behavioral intention variables. Conclusions CD-ROM and the Internet are viable means for disseminating adolescent drug abuse prevention programs to schools, community agencies, and policy-making bodies, and should be increasingly used for dissemination purposes. PMID:14636798

School-based prevention of bullying and relational aggression in adolescence: the fairplayer.manual.

PubMed

Scheithauer, Herbert; Hess, Markus; Schultze-Krumbholz, Anja; Bull, Heike Dele

2012-01-01

The fairplayer.manual is a school-based program to prevent bullying. The program consists of fifteen to seventeen consecutive ninety-minute lessons using cognitive-behavioral methods, methods targeting group norms and group dynamics, and discussions on moral dilemmas. Following a two-day training session, teachers, together with skilled fairplayer.teamers, implement fairplayer.manual in the classroom during regular school lessons. This chapter offers a summary of the program's conception and underlying prevention theory and summarizes the results from two evaluation studies. Standardized questionnaires showed a positive impact of the intervention program on several outcome variables. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

Adolescents' perceptions of substance abuse prevention strategies.

PubMed

Lisnov, L; Harding, C G; Safer, L A; Kavanagh, J

1998-01-01

As part of a 3-year evaluation of substance abuse prevention strategies (Harding, Safer, Kavanagh, Bania, Carty, Lisnov, & Wysockey, 1996), this study examined the perceptions of 719 sixth- through ninth-grade Chicago public school students. School-based programs were rated as significantly more effective on six prevention objectives than were television ads, testimonials by famous people, billboards, and print ads displayed on public transportation. Students perceived the two school-based programs, Project DARE (a national program conducted through local police departments) and Captain Clean (an intense live theater program coordinated with student participation), as being equally effective overall, although the interactive theater program was rated as significantly better at encouraging students to talk about their feelings concerning substance abuse issues and at relating to the students' ethnic/racial backgrounds. When students were categorized according to frequency of alcohol use, nonusers, infrequent users, and frequent users differed significantly in their ratings of the school-based programs.

A Randomized Violence Prevention Trial with Comparison: Responses by Gender

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffin, James P., Jr.; Chen, Dungtsa; Eubanks, Adriane; Brantley, Katrina M.; Willis, Leigh A.

2007-01-01

Using random assignment of students to two intervention groups and a comparison school sample, the researchers evaluated a three-group school-based violence prevention program. The three groups were (1) a whole-school intervention, (2) whole-school, cognitive-behavioral and cultural enrichment training, and (3) no violence prevention. The…

Guidelines for School-Based Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Dept. of Education, Sacramento.

This paper contains the revised drug education guidelines for the state of California, which emphasize prevention of alcohol and drug abuse. The materials define school-based alcohol and drug abuse prevention programming as a comprehensive process that not only provides students with accurate information about alcohol and drugs, but also enhances…

Factors Related to Teenage Dating Violence Prevention Programming in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Black, Beverly M.; Hawley, Alicia; Hoefer, Richard; Barnett, Tracey M.

2017-01-01

The Children's Safety Network has identified teenage dating violence (TDV) as a public health problem and called for effective prevention programs to address the issue. This study used resource dependence theory to examine factors that relate to domestic violence shelters' in-school efforts to prevent TDV. A national survey was sent to domestic…

School-based smoking prevention programmes: ethical aspects.

PubMed

Lotrean, Lucia Maria; Trofor, Antigona; Mihălţan, Florin; Santillan, Edna Arillo

2011-01-01

School-based health education has the potential to inform and educate young people, in order to promote healthy behaviours among them, which will help to prevent diseases and social problems. The present study gives an overview of several ethical issues which must be considered in different phases of school-based smoking prevention programs. This will help health educators, public health professionals and researchers in their activity of health education in schools. The ethical issues must be taken into consideration during all the activities and refer to the involvement of officials, schools, parents, young people who participate into the program, authors and persons/institutions responsible with the implementation, evaluation or funding of the programs. The application into practice of these ethical principles, influence the quality of the health education, its acceptability BY the target group and the correctness of results. Also, it prevents possible problems and misunderstandings between persons and institutions involved in the health education and smoking prevention process, which could seriously affect and even destroy implementation of such health education activities.

Engagement matters: lessons from assessing classroom implementation of steps to respect: a bullying prevention program over a one-year period.

PubMed

Low, Sabina; Van Ryzin, Mark J; Brown, Eric C; Smith, Brian H; Haggerty, Kevin P

2014-04-01

Steps to Respect: A Bullying Prevention Program (STR) relies on a social-ecological model of prevention to increase school staff awareness and responsiveness, foster socially responsible beliefs among students, and teach social-emotional skills to students to reduce bullying behavior. As part of a school-randomized controlled trial of STR, we examined predictors and outcomes associated with classroom curriculum implementation in intervention schools. Data on classroom implementation (adherence and engagement) were collected from a sample of teachers using a weekly on-line Teacher Implementation Checklist system. Pre-post data related to school bullying-related outcomes were collected from 1,424 students and archival school demographic data were obtained from the National Center for Education Statistics. Results of multilevel analyses indicated that higher levels of program engagement were influenced by school-level percentage of students receiving free/reduced lunch, as well as classroom-level climate indicators. Results also suggest that higher levels of program engagement were related to lower levels of school bullying problems, enhanced school climate and attitudes less supportive of bullying. Predictors and outcomes related to program fidelity (i.e., adherence) were largely nonsignificant. Results suggest that student engagement is a key element of program impact, though implementation is influenced by both school-level demographics and classroom contexts.

Meta-analysis of the effectiveness of school substance abuse prevention programs in Spain.

PubMed

Espada, José P; Gonzálvez, María T; Orgilés, Mireia; Lloret, Daniel; Guillén-Riquelme, Alejandro

2015-01-01

There has been an increase in adolescent substance use that has led to the development and implementation of prevention programs. New evidence is needed in order to improve them and optimize the resources. The aim of this paper is to use a meta-analysis to analyze the effectiveness of school drug prevention programs in Spain. Twenty-one studies that evaluated drug abuse prevention programs in schools, were published between 2002 and 2013, and that met the selection criteria were identified. Preventive program effectiveness was low ( d = 0.16), although it was higher at the follow-up ( d = 0.30). The programs were most effective in changing attitudes ( d = 0.44) towards drugs. The models of health education ( d = 0.48) and social learning ( d = 0.20) were also very effective, especially in combination with oral, written, and audiovisual support material ( d = 0.21) and the implementation of joint programs by health education professionals and faculty members ( d = 0.25). Is possible to determine the need for more rigorous evaluations of interventions to establish useful programs.

Effectiveness of the Surviving the Teens® Suicide Prevention and Depression Awareness Program: An Impact Evaluation Utilizing a Comparison Group

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strunk, Catherine M.; King, Keith A.; Vidourek, Rebecca A.; Sorter, Michael T.

2014-01-01

Youth suicide is a serious public health issue in the United States. It is currently the third leading cause of death for youth aged 10 to 19. School-based prevention programs may be an effective method of educating youth and enhancing their help-seeking. Most school-based suicide prevention programs have not been rigorously evaluated for their…

Development, implementation, and evaluation of a multi-addiction prevention program for primary school students in Hong Kong: the B.E.S.T. Teen Program.

PubMed

Shek, Daniel T L; Yu, Lu; Leung, Hildie; Wu, Florence K Y; Law, Moon Y M

Based on the evaluation findings of the B.E.S.T. Teen Program which aimed at promoting behavioral, emotional, social, and thinking competencies in primary school students, it is argued in this paper that promotion of psychosocial competence to prevent addiction in primary school students is a promising strategy. A total of 382 Primary 5 (Grade 5) and 297 Primary 6 (Grade 6) students from five primary schools in Hong Kong participated in the program. Different evaluation strategies were adopted to evaluate the program. First, objective outcome evaluation adopting a non-equivalent group pretest-posttest experimental-control group design was conducted to examine change in the students. Second, to gauge students' perceptions of the program, subjective outcome evaluation was conducted. The evaluation findings basically converged to tentatively suggest that young adolescents benefited from participating in the program. Implications on the development, implementation, and evaluation of addiction prevention programs for teenagers are discussed.

School and Community Predictors of Smoking: A Longitudinal Study of Canadian High Schools

PubMed Central

Watts, Allison; Brown, K. Stephen; Lee, Derrick; Sabiston, Catherine; Nykiforuk, Candace; Eyles, John; Manske, Steve; Campbell, H. Sharon; Thompson, Mary

2013-01-01

Objectives. We identified the most effective mix of school-based policies, programs, and regional environments associated with low school smoking rates in a cohort of Canadian high schools over time. Methods. We collected a comprehensive set of student, school, and community data from a national cohort of 51 high schools in 2004 and 2007. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to predict school and community characteristics associated with school smoking prevalence. Results. Between 2004 and 2007, smoking prevalence decreased from 13.3% to 10.7% in cohort schools. Predictors of lower school smoking prevalence included both school characteristics related to prevention programming and community characteristics, including higher cigarette prices, a greater proportion of immigrants, higher education levels, and lower median household income. Conclusions. Effective approaches to reduce adolescent smoking will require interventions that focus on multiple factors. In particular, prevention programming and high pricing for cigarettes sold near schools may contribute to lower school smoking rates, and these factors are amenable to change. A sustained focus on smoking prevention is needed to maintain low levels of adolescent smoking. PMID:23237165

School and community predictors of smoking: a longitudinal study of Canadian high schools.

PubMed

Lovato, Chris; Watts, Allison; Brown, K Stephen; Lee, Derrick; Sabiston, Catherine; Nykiforuk, Candace; Eyles, John; Manske, Steve; Campbell, H Sharon; Thompson, Mary

2013-02-01

We identified the most effective mix of school-based policies, programs, and regional environments associated with low school smoking rates in a cohort of Canadian high schools over time. We collected a comprehensive set of student, school, and community data from a national cohort of 51 high schools in 2004 and 2007. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to predict school and community characteristics associated with school smoking prevalence. Between 2004 and 2007, smoking prevalence decreased from 13.3% to 10.7% in cohort schools. Predictors of lower school smoking prevalence included both school characteristics related to prevention programming and community characteristics, including higher cigarette prices, a greater proportion of immigrants, higher education levels, and lower median household income. Effective approaches to reduce adolescent smoking will require interventions that focus on multiple factors. In particular, prevention programming and high pricing for cigarettes sold near schools may contribute to lower school smoking rates, and these factors are amenable to change. A sustained focus on smoking prevention is needed to maintain low levels of adolescent smoking.

School-based obesity prevention: a blueprint for taming the epidemic.

PubMed

Baranowski, Tom; Cullen, Karen W; Nicklas, Theresa; Thompson, Deborah; Baranowski, Janice

2002-01-01

To review the literature on school-based obesity prevention programs to identify what can be done to minimize the increasing levels of obesity. Twenty articles reporting school-based dietary or physical activity change programs were identified that used BMI or skinfolds as part of the evaluation. Seven studies obtained change in BMI and differed from those not finding change in 3 ways: program implementers were not classroom teachers; intervention targeted middle or high schools; and inactivity reduction was promoted. An 8-step research strategy was delineated to develop and evaluate programs with a maximum chance of taming the obesity epidemic.

School Safety Interventions: Best Practices and Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Astor, Ron Avi; Meyer, Heather Ann; Benbenishty, Rami; Marachi, Roxana; Rosemond, Michelle

2005-01-01

An awareness of the empirical knowledge concerning school violence and programs that have been supported by research is essential for the successful adaptation of school violence prevention programs. Yet, knowledge of national trends and model programs is not sufficient. School social workers must also balance the importance of research-supported…

Nurse-Led School-Based Child Obesity Prevention.

PubMed

Tucker, Sharon; Lanningham-Foster, Lorraine M

2015-12-01

School-based childhood obesity prevention programs have grown in response to reductions in child physical activity (PA), increased sedentariness, poor diet, and soaring child obesity rates. Multiple systematic reviews indicate school-based obesity prevention/treatment interventions are effective, yet few studies have examined the school nurse role in obesity interventions. Building on a previous study, this study examines a refined health messaging (Let's Go 5-2-1-0) program delivered to fourth and fifth graders (n = 72) by a school nurse with reinforcement on-site health coaching by senior nursing students. Two nursing schools and two elementary schools participated. Measures of PA, body mass index percentile, and self-reported health habits were collected at baseline (School A, September 2009 and School B, January 2010) and end of year (April 2010 for both schools). Findings included statistically significant increases in PA levels and improvements in child-reported health habits. School nurses can influence obesity prevention. Further research on adoption of school nurse-led obesity interventions is warranted. © The Author(s) 2015.

Design and Implementation of a Pilot Obesity Prevention Program in a Low-Resource School: Lessons Learned and Research Recommendations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baskin, Monica L.; Zunker, Christie; Worley, Courtney B.; Dial, Brenda; Kimbrough, Linda

2009-01-01

Purpose: This paper seeks to describe the design, implementation, and lessons learned from an obesity prevention pilot program delivered in a low resource school in the USA. Design/methodology/approach: A planned program evaluation was conducted to: document explicitly the process of designing and implementing the program; and assess the…

Process Evaluation of a School-Based Weight Gain Prevention Program: The Dutch Obesity Intervention in Teenagers (DOiT)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singh, A. S.; Chinapaw, M. J. M.; Brug, J.; van Mechelen, W.

2009-01-01

Health promotion programs benefit from an accompanying process evaluation since it can provide more insight in the strengths and weaknesses of a program. A process evaluation was conducted to assess the reach, implementation, satisfaction and maintenance of a school-based program aimed at the prevention of excessive weight gain among Dutch…

A universal harm-minimisation approach to preventing psychostimulant and cannabis use in adolescents: a cluster randomised controlled trial

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Psychostimulants and cannabis are two of the three most commonly used illicit drugs by young Australians. As such, it is important to deliver prevention for these substances to prevent their misuse and to reduce associated harms. The present study aims to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of the universal computer-based Climate Schools: Psychostimulant and Cannabis Module. Methods A cluster randomised controlled trial was conducted with 1734 Year 10 students (mean age = 15.44 years; SD = 0.41) from 21 secondary schools in Australia. Schools were randomised to receive either the six lesson computer-based Climate Schools program or their usual health classes, including drug education, over the year. Results The Climate Schools program was shown to increase knowledge of cannabis and psychostimulants and decrease pro-drug attitudes. In the short-term the program was effective in subduing the uptake and plateauing the frequency of ecstasy use, however there were no changes in meth/amphetamine use. In addition, females who received the program used cannabis significantly less frequently than students who received drug education as usual. Finally, the Climate Schools program was related to decreasing students’ intentions to use meth/amphetamine and ecstasy in the future, however these effects did not last over time. Conclusions These findings provide support for the use of a harm-minimisation approach and computer technology as an innovative platform for the delivery of prevention education for illicit drugs in schools. The current study indicated that teachers and students enjoyed the program and that it is feasible to extend the successful Climate Schools model to the prevention of other drugs, namely cannabis and psychostimulants. Trial registration Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12613000492752. PMID:24943829

Preliminary effectiveness of surviving the teens(®) suicide prevention and depression awareness program on adolescents' suicidality and self-efficacy in performing help-seeking behaviors.

PubMed

King, Keith A; Strunk, Catherine M; Sorter, Michael T

2011-09-01

Suicide ranks as the third leading cause of death among youth aged 15-24 years. Schools provide ideal opportunities for suicide prevention efforts. However, research is needed to identify programs that effectively impact youth suicidal ideation and behavior. This study examined the immediate and 3-month effect of Surviving the Teens® Suicide Prevention and Depression Awareness Program on students' suicidality and perceived self-efficacy in performing help-seeking behaviors. High school students in Greater Cincinnati schools were administered a 3-page survey at pretest, immediate posttest, and 3-month follow-up. A total of 1030 students participated in the program, with 919 completing matched pretests and posttests (89.2%) and 416 completing matched pretests and 3-month follow-ups (40.4%). Students were significantly less likely at 3-month follow-up than at pretest to be currently considering suicide, to have made a suicidal plan or attempted suicide during the past 3 months, and to have stopped performing usual activities due to feeling sad and hopeless. Students' self-efficacy and behavioral intentions toward help-seeking behaviors increased from pretest to posttest and were maintained at 3-month follow-up. Students were also more likely at 3-month follow-up than at pretest to know an adult in school with whom they felt comfortable discussing their problems. Nine in 10 (87.3%) felt the program should be offered to all high school students. The findings of this study lend support for suicide prevention education in schools. The results may be useful to school professionals interested in implementing effective suicide prevention programming to their students. © 2011, American School Health Association.

A universal harm-minimisation approach to preventing psychostimulant and cannabis use in adolescents: a cluster randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Vogl, Laura Elise; Newton, Nicola Clare; Champion, Katrina Elizabeth; Teesson, Maree

2014-06-18

Psychostimulants and cannabis are two of the three most commonly used illicit drugs by young Australians. As such, it is important to deliver prevention for these substances to prevent their misuse and to reduce associated harms. The present study aims to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of the universal computer-based Climate Schools: Psychostimulant and Cannabis Module. A cluster randomised controlled trial was conducted with 1734 Year 10 students (mean age = 15.44 years; SD = 0.41) from 21 secondary schools in Australia. Schools were randomised to receive either the six lesson computer-based Climate Schools program or their usual health classes, including drug education, over the year. The Climate Schools program was shown to increase knowledge of cannabis and psychostimulants and decrease pro-drug attitudes. In the short-term the program was effective in subduing the uptake and plateauing the frequency of ecstasy use, however there were no changes in meth/amphetamine use. In addition, females who received the program used cannabis significantly less frequently than students who received drug education as usual. Finally, the Climate Schools program was related to decreasing students' intentions to use meth/amphetamine and ecstasy in the future, however these effects did not last over time. These findings provide support for the use of a harm-minimisation approach and computer technology as an innovative platform for the delivery of prevention education for illicit drugs in schools. The current study indicated that teachers and students enjoyed the program and that it is feasible to extend the successful Climate Schools model to the prevention of other drugs, namely cannabis and psychostimulants. Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12613000492752.

Satisfaction with the program of school bullying prevention and mental health promotion - cross sectional study among primary school pupils in Mostar.

PubMed

Černi Obrdalj, Edita; Zadro, Kristina; Batić-Mujanović, Olivera; Zalihić, Amra

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of experience in school bullying and family violence, satisfaction with the preventive-promotional program, knowledge about methods for opposing violence and attitudes toward the role of the family physician in bullying prevention. The project was conducted by family physicians, nurses and sixth year medical students. The target group were 5th to 8th grade pupils of two primary schools randomly selected by computer. Basic information about the presence and types of bullying, the long-term consequences of violence and methods to oppose violent behavior was given as an interactive lecture to large groups of pupils. After the lecture, pupils received questionnaires about their experience of school violence, satisfaction with the program and their opinion about the role of the family physician in bullying prevention. The results of the short term outcome evaluation of the program show that younger pupils evaluate the program better than older ones. Furthermore, we found that the frequency of experienced violence is not connected with satisfaction with the program. Most students have never experienced violence in schools and families, 5th and 6th grade students showed greater satisfaction with training, better knowledge of help in case of violence and a more positive attitude towards medical help. We found no significant differences in pupil's satisfaction with the program, knowledge about methods of opposing violence and attitudes towards the role of the family physician in bullying prevention, in relation to the frequency of experience of family violence and school violence. Copyright © 2014 by Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Adherence to National Asthma Education and Prevention Program's "How Asthma-Friendly Is Your School?" Recommendations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Sherry Everett; Wheeler, Lani S.; Smith, Alisa M.; McManus, Tim

2009-01-01

School health policies and programs provide the framework for a safe and supportive environment for students with asthma. School Health Policies and Programs Study 2006 data were examined to assess whether schools nationwide have policies and programs consistent with the "How Asthma-Friendly Is Your School?" checklist from the National Asthma…

School-Based Smoking Prevention with Media Literacy: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bier, Melinda C.; Schmidt, Spring J.; Shields, David; Zwarun, Lara; Sherblom, Stephen; Pulley, Cynthia; Rucker, Billy

2011-01-01

School-based tobacco prevention programs have had limited success reducing smoking rates in the long term. Media literacy programs offer an innovative vehicle for delivery of potentially more efficacious anti-tobacco education. However, these programs have been neither widely implemented nor well evaluated. We conducted a pre-post evaluation of a…

A Quasi-Experimental Analysis of Schoolwide Violence Prevention Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnes, Tia Navelene; Leite, Walter; Smith, Stephen W.

2017-01-01

Violence prevention programs are commonplace in today's schools, though reviews of the literature reveal mixed empirical findings on their effectiveness. Often, these programs include a variety of components such as social skills training, student mentoring, and activities designed to build a sense of school community that have not been tested for…

An Effectiveness Study of a Culturally Enriched School-Based CBT Anxiety Prevention Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Lynn D.; Laye-Gindhu, Aviva; Bennett, Joanna L.; Liu, Yan; Gold, Stephenie; March, John S.; Olson, Brent F.; Waechtler, Vanessa E.

2011-01-01

Anxiety disorders are prevalent in the school-aged population and are present across cultural groups. Scant research exists on culturally relevant prevention and intervention programs for mental health problems in the Aboriginal populations. An established cognitive behavioral program, FRIENDS for Life, was enriched to include content that was…

Preventing Adolescents' Externalizing and Internalizing Symptoms: Effects of the Penn Resiliency Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cutuli, J. J.; Gillham, Jane E.; Chaplin, Tara M.; Reivich, Karen J.; Seligman, Martin E. P.; Gallop, Robert J.; Abenavoli, Rachel M.; Freres, Derek R.

2013-01-01

This study reports secondary outcome analyses from a past study of the Penn Resiliency Program (PRP), a cognitive-behavioral depression prevention program for middle-school aged children. Middle school students (N = 697) were randomly assigned to PRP, PEP (an alternate intervention), or control conditions. Gillham et al., (2007) reported analyses…

Truancy Assessment and Service Centers (TASC): Engaging Elementary School Children and Their Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhodes, Judith L. F.; Thomas, Johanna M.; Lemieux, Catherine M.; Cain, Daphne S.; Guin, Cecile C.

2010-01-01

This article reviews literature describing truancy and its correlates, and it analyzes the current research on truancy prevention programs. Few truancy prevention programs exist in elementary school settings. This article describes Truancy Assessment and Service Centers, a theory-driven program providing case management services to children in 85…

Evaluating Active Parental Consent Procedures for School Programming: Addressing the Sensitive Topic of Suicide Prevention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Totura, Christine M. Wienke; Kutash, Krista; Labouliere, Christa D.; Karver, Marc S.

2017-01-01

Background: Suicide is the second leading cause of death for adolescents. Whereas school-based prevention programs are effective, obtaining active consent for youth participation in public health programming concerning sensitive topics is challenging. We explored several active consent procedures for improving participation rates. Methods: Five…

Longitudinal impact of the Cyber Friendly Schools program on adolescents' cyberbullying behavior.

PubMed

Cross, Donna; Shaw, Thérèse; Hadwen, Kate; Cardoso, Patricia; Slee, Phillip; Roberts, Clare; Thomas, Laura; Barnes, Amy

2016-01-01

Cyberbullying is a major public health problem associated with serious mental, social, and academic consequences for young people. To date, few programs addressing cyberbullying have been developed and empirically tested. The Cyber Friendly Schools (CFS) group-randomized controlled trial measured the longitudinal impact of a whole-school online cyberbullying prevention and intervention program, developed in partnership with young people. Non-government secondary schools in Perth, Western Australia, (N = 35; 3,000+ students) were randomized to an intervention (n = 19) or usual practice control group (n = 16 schools). Students completed online questionnaires in 2010, 2011, and at 1-year follow-up in 2012, measuring their cyberbullying experiences during the previous school term. The intervention group received the program in Grades 8 and 9 (aged 13-14 years). Program effects were tested using two-part growth models. The program was associated with significantly greater declines in the odds of involvement in cyber-victimization and perpetration from pre- to the first post-test, but no other differences were evident between the study conditions. However, teachers implemented only one third of the program content. More work is needed to build teacher capacity and self-efficacy to effectively implement cyberbullying programs. Whole-school cyberbullying interventions implemented in conjunction with other bullying prevention programs may reduce cyber-victimization more than traditional school-based bullying prevention programs alone. Aggr. Behav. 42:166-180, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Teachers or Psychologists: Who Should Facilitate Depression Prevention Programs in Schools?

PubMed Central

Wahl, Melanie S.; Adelson, Jill L.; Patak, Margarete A.; Pössel, Patrick; Hautzinger, Martin

2014-01-01

The current study evaluates a depression prevention program for adolescents led by psychologists vs. teachers in comparison to a control. The universal school-based prevention program has shown its efficacy in several studies when implemented by psychologists. The current study compares the effects of the program as implemented by teachers versus that implemented by psychologists under real-life conditions. A total of 646 vocational track 8th grade students from Germany participated either in a universal prevention program, led by teachers (n = 207) or psychologists (n = 213), or a teaching-as-usual control condition (n = 226). The design includes baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up (at 6 and 12 months post-intervention). The cognitive-behavioral program includes 10 sessions held in a regular school setting in same-gender groups and is based on the social information-processing model of social competence. Positive intervention effects were found on the change in girls’ depressive symptoms up to 12 months after program delivery when the program was implemented by psychologists. No such effects were found on boys or when program was delivered by teachers. The prevention program can successfully be implemented for girls by psychologists. Further research is needed for explanations of these effects. PMID:24837667

The Results of Teaching Middle School Students Two Relaxation Techniques as Part of a Conflict Prevention Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dacey, John S.; And Others

1997-01-01

Boston College Conflict Prevention Program techniques for relaxation and self-control were taught to middle-school students in two Boston schools. Preliminary results from teacher interviews revealed that students spontaneously used these methods to calm their "fight-or-flight" reactions in real conflicts. Results also indicated that…

Evaluation of a Family-based Substance Abuse Prevention Program Targeted for the Middle School Years.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abbey, Antonia; Pilgrim, Colleen; Hendrickson, Peggy; Buresl, Sue

2000-01-01

Evaluates family-based substance abuse prevention program implemented in a rural community for families with middle school students. In comparison with nonparticipants, students had higher family cohesion, less family fighting, greater school attachment, higher self-esteem, and believed alcohol should be consumed at an older age, at one-year…

School-Based Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children with Emotional Disturbance: A Review of Treatment Components and Methodology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reddy, Linda A.; De Thomas, Courtney Anne; Newman, Erik; Chun, Victoria

2009-01-01

School practitioners and educators are frequently challenged by the diverse and pervasive academic, social, and behavioral needs of children at risk for and with emotional disturbance. The present article examines the outcome literature on school-based prevention and intervention programs by systematically reviewing the key treatment interventions…

Teacher Adherence and Its Relation to Teacher Attitudes and Student Outcomes in an Elementary School-Based Violence Prevention Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biggs, Bridget K.; Vernberg, Eric M.; Twemlow, Stuart W.; Fonagy, Peter; Dill, Edward J.

2008-01-01

This study examined variability in teachers' reported adherence to a school-based violence prevention program, Creating a Peaceful School Learning Environment, and investigated the relations of teacher adherence to teachers' attitudes related to the intervention and students' attitudes about and responses to bullying. The results provide evidence…

Increasing participation in prevention research: strategies for youths, parents, and schools.

PubMed

Hooven, Carole; Walsh, Elaine; Willgerodt, Mayumi; Salazar, Amy

2011-08-01

Subject participation is a critical concern for clinicians and researchers involved in prevention programs, especially for intensive interventions that require randomized assignment and lengthy youth and parent involvement. This article describes details of an integrated approach used to recruit and retain at-risk high school youths, their parents, and high schools to two different comprehensive, "indicated" prevention programs. Parent and youth recruitment and retention data for the two studies is provided in support of the approach described. A coordinated, multilevel approach, organized around cross-cutting issues, is described in detail as a response to the challenges of including vulnerable populations in intervention research. Methods are relevant to nurse clinicians who deliver prevention programs, and are important to clinical research that relies upon adequate participation in research programs. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Dynamics of tooth decay prevalence in children receiving long-term preventive program in school dental facilities].

PubMed

Avraamova, O G; Kulazhenko, T V; Gabitova, K F

2016-01-01

The paper presents the assessment of tooth decay prevalence in clinically homogenous groups of children receiving long-term preventive program (PP) in school dental facilities. Five-years PP were introduced in clinical practice in 2 Moscow schools. Preventive treatment was performed by dental hygienist. The results show that systematic preventive treatment in school dental offices starting from elementary school allows reducing dental caries incidence 46-53% and stabilize the incidence of caries complications. It should be mentioned though that analysis of individualized outcomes proves heterogeneity of study results despite of equal conditions of PP. Potentially significant hence is early diagnostics and treatment of initial caries forms as demineralization foci, especially in children with intensive tooth decay. Optimization of pediatric dentist and dental hygienist activity in school dental facilities is the main factor of caries prevention efficiency.

Implementation of CDC's School Health Index in 3 midwest middle schools: motivation for change.

PubMed

Sherwood-Puzzello, Catherine M; Miller, Michelle; Lohrmann, David; Gregory, Patricia

2007-08-01

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's School Health Index (SHI), a guide for completing a coordinated school-based program needs assessment relative to healthy eating, physical activity, a tobacco-free lifestyle, and prevention of other health risk behaviors and conditions, was used to assess current programming at 3 midwestern middle schools. Employing somewhat different procedures, data were collected from focus groups comprising school administrators, teachers, parents, community members, and students. Participants responded to SHI module questions and provided comments based on their perceptions. Both quantitative and qualitative data were recorded for each module, after which participants answered 3 planning questions intended to guide prioritization of actions to improve policies and programs based on importance, cost, time, commitment, and feasibility. Each school developed recommendations and strategies based on highest priority needs related to community involvement, professional development, health screenings, and health education materials in classrooms. The experience of completing the SHI in 3 different schools provided important insights about the data collection process as well as assessment results that have implications for the design and implementation of prevention programs.

Conducting Adolescent Violence Risk Assessments: A Framework for 419 School Counselors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernes, Kerry B.; Bardick, Angela D.

2007-01-01

There have been numerous publications devoted to preventing violence and bullying in schools, resulting in school counselors being well equipped with school-wide violence prevention ideas and programs. Despite these violence prevention efforts, some students may pose a threat to others and thus may require a comprehensive assessment for violence…

Are Substance Use Prevention Programs More Effective in Schools Making Adequate Yearly Progress? A Study of Project ALERT

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Heddy Kovach; Ringwalt, Chris L.; Shamblen, Stephen R.; Hanley, Sean M.; Flewelling, Robert L.

2011-01-01

This exploratory study sought to determine if a popular school-based drug prevention program might be effective in schools that are making adequate yearly progress (AYP). Thirty-four schools with grades 6 through 8 in 11 states were randomly assigned either to receive Project ALERT (n = 17) or to a control group (n = 17); of these, 10 intervention…

Project SOAR: a training program to increase school counselors' knowledge and confidence regarding suicide prevention and intervention.

PubMed

King, K A; Smith, J

2000-12-01

School counselors are often the lead individuals in school suicide prevention programs. All school counselors in Dallas, Texas, receive training through Project SOAR (Suicide, Options, Awareness, and Relief), a suicide prevention program. This study assessed Dallas school counselors' knowledge of suicidal risk factors and perceived ability to initiate appropriate steps when confronted with a suicidal student. A two-page, 44-item survey was distributed to all Dallas school counselors attending a mandatory meeting in spring 1999. A total of 186 school counselors (75%) responded. Most had been a school counselor for less than 10 years and one-half received initial SOAR training less than four years ago. The majority strongly agreed that they could recognize suicidal warning signs, assess a student's risk for suicide, and offer support to a suicidal student. In addition, most knew the intervention steps to take when a student assessed at high suicidal risk. When compared to school counselors nationwide, these counselors reported increased confidence in identifying students at suicidal risk.

Does a Gatekeeper Suicide Prevention Program Work in a School Setting? Evaluating Training Outcome and Moderators of Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tompkins, Tanya L.; Witt, Jody; Abraibesh, Nadia

2009-01-01

The current study sought to evaluate the suicide prevention gatekeeper training program QPR (Question, Persuade, and Refer) among school personnel using a non-equivalent control group design. Substantial gains were demonstrated from pre- to post-test for attitudes, knowledge, and beliefs regarding suicide and suicide prevention. Exploratory…

School-Based Prevention of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Early Adolescence: A Pilot of a Parent Intervention Component

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gillham, Jane E.; Reivich, Karen J.; Freres, Derek R.; Lascher, Marisa; Litzinger, Samantha; Shatte, Andrew; Seligman, Martin E. P.

2006-01-01

Previous studies suggest that school-based cognitive-behavioral interventions can reduce and prevent depressive symptoms in youth. This pilot study investigated the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral depression prevention program, the Penn Resiliency Program for Children and Adolescents (the PRP-CA), when combined with a parent intervention…

School Programs To Prevent Smoking: The National Cancer Institute Guide to Strategies That Succeed.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glynn, Thomas J.

This guide to school-based smoking prevention programs for educators is the product of five years of work to prevent cancer. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is currently funding 23 coordinated intervention trials directed at youth. Although not all the studies are complete, sufficient results are available to recommend the most effective…

School-Based Drug Prevention: What Kind of Drug Use Does It Prevent?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caulkins, Jonathan P.; Pacula, Rosalie Liccardo; Paddock, Susan; Chiesa, James

School-based drug prevention programs target not only the use of illicit drugs such as marijuana but also licit substances such as alcohol and tobacco. These programs thus have the potential of benefiting society not only by reducing the violence and criminal justice costs associated with abuse of alcohol and cigarettes. This opportunity for…

Using Elite Athletes to Promote Drug Abstinence: Evaluation of a Single-Session School-Based Drug Use Prevention Program Delivered by Junior Hockey Players

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wong, Jennifer

2016-01-01

School-based substance use prevention programs are a common method to approaching drug use in youths. Project SOS is a single-session drug prevention program developed by police officers and delivered by elite junior hockey players to students in grades 6 and 7. The current study evaluates the effects of Project SOS at achieving its objectives of…

Updating a Searchable Database of Dropout Prevention Programs and Policies in Nine Low-Income Urban School Districts in the Northeast and Islands Region. REL Technical Brief. REL 2012-No. 020

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myint-U, Athi; O'Donnell, Lydia; Phillips, Dawna

2012-01-01

This technical brief describes updates to a database of dropout prevention programs and policies in 2006/07 created by the Regional Education Laboratory (REL) Northeast and Islands and described in the Issues & Answers report, "Piloting a searchable database of dropout prevention programs in nine low-income urban school districts in the…

Partners in Prevention: Whole School Approaches to Prevent Adolescent Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Infections

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rubin, Marcia A., Ed.; Wooley, Susan F., Ed.

2006-01-01

This resource describes how pregnancy prevention efforts can be integrated into the various components of a school health program (the linkages between classroom instruction to prevent adolescent pregnancy and the school's health and mental health services, the necessary administrative policies, the type and extent of faculty and staff…

An ecological and theoretical deconstruction of a school-based obesity prevention program in Mexico.

PubMed

Safdie, Margarita; Cargo, Margaret; Richard, Lucie; Lévesque, Lucie

2014-08-10

Ecological intervention programs are recommended to prevent overweight and obesity in children. The National Institute of Public Health (INSP) in Mexico implemented a successful ecological intervention program to promote healthy lifestyle behaviors in school age children. This study assessed the integration of ecological principles and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) constructs in this effective school-based obesity prevention program implemented in 15 elementary schools in Mexico City. Two coders applied the Intervention Analysis Procedure (IAP) to "map" the program's integration of ecological principles. A checklist gauged the use of SCT theory in program activities. Thirty-two distinct intervention strategies were implemented in one setting (i.e., school) to engage four different target-groups (students, parents, school representatives, government) across two domains (Nutrition and Physical Activity). Overall, 47.5% of the strategies targeted the school infrastructure and/or personnel; 37.5% of strategies targeted a key political actor, the Public Education Secretariat while fewer strategies targeted parents (12.5%) and children (3%). More strategies were implemented in the Nutrition domain (69%) than Physical Activity (31%). The most frequently used SCT construct within both intervention domains was Reciprocal Determinism (e.g., where changes to the environment influence changes in behavior and these behavioral changes influence further changes to the environment); no significant differences were observed in the use of SCT constructs across domains. Findings provide insight into a promising combination of strategies and theoretical constructs that can be used to implement a school-based obesity prevention program. Strategies emphasized school-level infrastructure/personnel change and strong political engagement and were most commonly underpinned by Reciprocal Determinism for both Nutrition and Physical Activity.

Do Barriers to Crime Prevention Moderate the Effects of Situational Crime Prevention Policies on Violent Crime in High Schools?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sevigny, Eric L.; Zhang, Gary

2018-01-01

This study investigates how barriers to school-based crime prevention programming moderate the effects of situational crime prevention (SCP) policies on levels of violent crime in U.S. public high schools. Using data from the 2008 School Survey on Crime and Safety, we estimate a series of negative binomial regression models with interactions to…

The moderating effects of school climate on bullying prevention efforts.

PubMed

Low, Sabina; Van Ryzin, Mark

2014-09-01

Bullying prevention efforts have yielded mixed effects over the last 20 years. Program effectiveness is driven by a number of factors (e.g., program elements and implementation), but there remains a dearth of understanding regarding the role of school climate on the impact of bullying prevention programs. This gap is surprising, given research suggesting that bullying problems and climate are strongly related. The current study examines the moderating role of school climate on the impacts of a stand-alone bullying prevention curriculum. In addition, the current study examined 2 different dimensions of school climate across both student and staff perceptions. Data for this study were derived from a Steps to Respect (STR) randomized efficacy trial that was conducted in 33 elementary schools over a 1-year period. Schools were randomly assigned to intervention or wait-listed control condition. Outcome measures (pre-to-post) were obtained from (a) all school staff, (b) a randomly selected subset of 3rd-5th grade teachers in each school, and (c) all students in classrooms of selected teachers. Multilevel analyses revealed that psychosocial climate was strongly related to reductions in bullying-related attitudes and behaviors. Intervention status yielded only 1 significant main effect, although, STR schools with positive psychosocial climate at baseline had less victimization at posttest. Policies/administrative commitment to bullying were related to reduced perpetration among all schools. Findings suggest positive psychosocial climate (from both staff and student perspective) plays a foundational role in bullying prevention, and can optimize effects of stand-alone programs. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Adolescent Sexuality: Pregnancy, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, and Prevention.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santelli, John S.; And Others

1992-01-01

Special edition discusses adolescent sexuality, focusing on pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and prevention. The articles focus on demographics, risk factors, school-based risk reduction programs, contraception, early intervention, options, school-based prenatal and postpartum care programs, teenage parenting, abortion, HIV and AIDS,…

A school-based program implemented by community providers previously trained for the prevention of eating and weight-related problems in secondary-school adolescents: the MABIC study protocol.

PubMed

Sánchez-Carracedo, David; López-Guimerà, Gemma; Fauquet, Jordi; Barrada, Juan Ramón; Pàmias, Montserrat; Puntí, Joaquim; Querol, Mireia; Trepat, Esther

2013-10-12

The prevention of eating disorders and disordered eating are increasingly recognized as public health priorities. Challenges in this field included moving from efficacy to effectiveness and developing an integrated approach to the prevention of a broad spectrum of eating and weight-related problems. A previous efficacy trial indicated that a universal disordered eating prevention program, based on the social cognitive model, media literacy educational approach and cognitive dissonance theory, reduced risk factors for disordered eating, but it is unclear whether this program has effects under more real-world conditions. The main aim of this effectiveness trial protocol is to test whether this program has effects when incorporating an integrated approach to prevention and when previously-trained community providers implement the intervention. The research design involved a multi-center non-randomized controlled trial with baseline, post and 1-year follow-up measures. Six schools from the city of Sabadell (close to Barcelona) participated in the intervention group, and eleven schools from four towns neighboring Sabadell participated in the control group. A total of 174 girls and 180 boys in the intervention group, and 484 girls and 490 boys in the control group were registered in class lists prior to baseline. A total of 18 community providers, secondary-school class tutors, nurses from the Catalan Government's Health and School Program, and health promotion technicians from Sabadell City Council were trained and delivered the program. Shared risk factors of eating and weight-related problems were assessed as main measures. It will be vital for progress in disordered eating prevention to conduct effectiveness trials, which test whether interventions are effective when delivered by community providers under ecologically valid conditions, as opposed to tightly controlled research trials. The MABIC project will provide new contributions in this transition from efficacy to effectiveness and new data about progress in the integrated approach to prevention. Pending the results, the effectiveness trial meets the effectiveness standards set down by the Society for Prevention Research. This study will provide new evidence to improve and enhance disordered eating prevention programs. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN47682626.

Interventions Using Regular Activities to Engage High-Risk School-Age Youth: a Review of After-School Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean.

PubMed

Cid, Alejandro

2017-10-01

In this paper, I review an issue that is an urgent challenge in the development field-the effectiveness of after-school programs for preventing school-age youth violence in vulnerable settings in Latin American and the Caribbean. These programs have proliferated in the region and include sports, recreation, music, tutoring, and other focused activities. Given their popularity and because they target known risk factors for violence (such as drop-out from school, poor academic performance, lack of motivation, too much idle time, low quality and quantity of adult supervision, and social isolation), it is critical to examine empirically whether they can be effective prevention strategies. Unfortunately, most rigorous trials of after-school interventions to prevent youth violence have been conducted in developed countries, with far fewer in Latin America. In this review, a broad range of databases was searched systematically. Only six studies in five Latin American and Caribbean countries were identified. Reported results indicate at least some benefits for youth behavior, although not across all youth. Additional concerns regarding how these programs are implemented and whether specific components can be tied to violence prevention are noted. The need for more rigorous evaluation of these programs is noted.

Reaching High-Need Youth Populations With Evidence-Based Sexual Health Education in California.

PubMed

Campa, Mary I; Leff, Sarah Z; Tufts, Margaret

2018-02-01

To explore the programmatic reach and experience of high-need adolescents who received sexual health education in 3 distinct implementation settings (targeted-prevention settings, traditional schools, and alternative schools) through a statewide sexual health education program. Data are from youth surveys collected between September 2013 and December 2014 in the California Personal Responsibility Education Program. A sample of high-need participants (n = 747) provided data to examine the impact of implementation setting on reach and program experience. Implementation in targeted-prevention settings was equal to or more effective at providing a positive program experience for high-need participants. More than 5 times as many high-need participants were served in targeted-prevention settings compared with traditional schools. Reaching the same number of high-need participants served in targeted-prevention settings over 15 months would take nearly 7 years of programming in traditional schools. To maximize the reach and experience of high-need youth populations receiving sexual health education, state and local agencies should consider the importance of implementation setting. Targeted resources and efforts should be directed toward high-need young people by expanding beyond traditional school settings.

School-based suicide prevention: content, process, and the role of trusted adults and peers.

PubMed

Joshi, Shashank V; Hartley, Samantha N; Kessler, Moira; Barstead, Maura

2015-04-01

Suicide is a leading cause of preventable death in youth, and numerous curricula and other prevention and intervention programs have been developed in the last 15 years. Comprehensive suicide prevention planning should include the 4 components of health promotion, prevention/education, intervention, and postvention. School-based suicide prevention and mental health education programs have become more common as an efficient and cost-effective way to reach youth. Process considerations that are based on the principles of therapeutic engagement with patients and families can provide mental health professionals with strategies that can assist education professionals, students, and the larger school community simultaneously. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

In Preparation of the Nationwide Dissemination of the School-Based Obesity Prevention Program DOiT: Stepwise Development Applying the Intervention Mapping Protocol

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Nassau, Femke; Singh, Amika S.; van Mechelen, Willem; Brug, Johannes; Chin A. Paw, Mai J. M.

2014-01-01

Background: The school-based Dutch Obesity Intervention in Teenagers (DOiT) program is an evidence-based obesity prevention program. In preparation for dissemination throughout the Netherlands, this study aimed to adapt the initial program and to develop an implementation strategy and materials. Methods: We revisited the Intervention Mapping (IM)…

School-Based Education Programs for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse: A Cochrane Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walsh, Kerryann; Zwi, Karen; Woolfenden, Susan; Shlonsky, Aron

2018-01-01

Objective: To assess evidence of the effectiveness of school-based education programs for the prevention of child sexual abuse (CSA). The programs deliver information about CSA and strategies to help children avoid it and encourage help seeking. Methods: Systematic review including meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cluster…

Secondary Prevention Efforts at the Middle School Level: An Application of the Behavior Education Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lane, Kathleen Lynne; Capizzi, Andrea M.; Fisher, Marisa H.; Ennis, Robin Parks

2012-01-01

In this study we examine the impact of the Behavior Education Program (BEP; Hawken, MacLeod, & Rawlings, 2007) with four middle school students who were not responsive to a comprehensive primary prevention program including academic, behavioral and social components. To extend this line of inquiry we (a) conducted a functional behavioral…

Implementing and Evaluating School-Based Primary Prevention Programs and the Importance of Differential Effects on Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hussey, David L.; Flannery, Daniel J.

2007-01-01

In 2004, Second Step (Committee for Children, 2002), a violence prevention program, was implemented in the Cleveland Heights-University Heights school district for 1,416 K through second grade students. Both process and outcome measures were used to evaluate program impact and examine issues related to the implementation and evaluation of…

Taking School-Based Substance Abuse Prevention to Scale: District-Wide Implementation of Keep a Clear Mind

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jowers, Keri L.; Bradshaw, Catherine P.; Gately, Sherry

2007-01-01

Public schools are under increased pressure to implement evidence-based substance abuse prevention programs. A number of model programs have been identified, but little research has examined the effectiveness of these programs when "brought to scale" or implemented district-wide. The current paper summarizes the application of the Adelman and…

Effects of a School-Based Sexuality Education Program on Peer Educators: The Teen PEP Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jennings, J. M.; Howard, S.; Perotte, C. L.

2014-01-01

This study evaluated the impact of the Teen Prevention Education Program (Teen PEP), a peer-led sexuality education program designed to prevent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV among high school students. The study design was a quasi-experimental, nonrandomized design conducted from May 2007 to May…

Understanding How Programs Work to Prevent Overt Aggressive Behaviors: A Meta-Analysis of Mediators of Elementary School-Based Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dymnicki, Allison B.; Weissberg, Roger P.; Henry, David B.

2011-01-01

Several recent meta-analyses of universal school-based violence prevention studies indicate the overall positive impacts of these approaches on aggression. These studies, however, assess impacts on broadly defined measures of aggression. Furthermore, little research has analyzed the mechanisms through which these programs attempt to reduce overt…

Preventing Behavior Problems among Elementary Schoolchildren: Impact of a Universal School-Based Program in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hong, Lin; Yufeng, Wang; Agho, Kingsley; Jacobs, Jennifer

2011-01-01

Background: To evaluate the effect on problem behaviors of a universal school-based prevention curriculum of third grade students. Methods: Six regular classes in 1 elementary school were randomly assigned to an intervention (n = 208) or control (n = 209) group. A 13-session program was offered to students in the intervention group. The Achenbach…

Effect of Social Cognitive Theory-Based HIV Education Prevention Program among High School Students in Nanjing, China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Xiaoming; Zhang, Liying; Mao, Rong; Zhao, Qun; Stanton, Bonita

2011-01-01

This study was designed to evaluate potential preventive effects of a cultural adaption of the Focus on Kids (FOK) program among Chinese adolescents through a quasi-experimental intervention trial in Nanjing, China. High school students were assigned to either experimental groups (n = 140) or control groups (n = 164) by schools (with three schools…

A School-Based Program to Improve Life Skills and to Prevent HIV Infection in Multicultural Transgendered Youth in Hawai'i

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bopp, P. Jayne; Juday, Timothy R.; Charters, Cloudia W.

2004-01-01

Chrysalis is a weekly after-school drop-in group on O'ahu high school campuses for transgendered and questioning youth. Nine Chrysalis members, nine demographically matched TG youth, and five key informants participated in a study to evaluate program effectiveness in improving life skills and preventing HIV infection. Chrysalis members scored…

Evaluation of a Coordinated School-Based Obesity Prevention Program in a Hispanic Community: Choosing Healthy and Active Lifestyles for Kids/healthy Schools Healthy Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berger-Jenkins, Evelyn; Rausch, John; Okah, Ebiere; Tsao, Daisy; Nieto, Andres; Lyda, Elizabeth; Meyer, Dodi; McCord, Mary

2014-01-01

Background: Obesity is a public health concern that disproportionately affects underserved and minority communities. Purpose: To evaluate whether a comprehensive obesity prevention program that targets children and school staff in an underserved Hispanic community affects obesity related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among both students and…

Relationships between the Family Environment and School-Based Obesity Prevention Efforts: Can School Programs Help Adolescents Who Are Most in Need?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bauer, K. W.; Neumark-Sztainer, D.; Hannan, P. J.; Fulkerson, J. A.; Story, M.

2011-01-01

Identifying factors that contribute to students' behavior and weight improvements during school-based obesity prevention interventions is critical for the development of effective programs. The current study aims to determine whether the support and resources that adolescent girls received from their families were associated with improvements in…

Implementing three evidence-based program models: early lessons from the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Replication Study.

PubMed

Kelsey, Meredith; Layzer, Jean

2014-03-01

This article describes some of the early implementation challenges faced by nine grantees participating in the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Replication Study and their response to them. The article draws on information collected as part of a comprehensive implementation study. Sources include site and program documents; program officer reports; notes from site investigation, selection and negotiation; ongoing communications with grantees as part of putting the study into place; and semi-structured interviews with program staff. The issues faced by grantees in implementing evidence-based programs designed to prevent teen pregnancy varied by program model. Grantees implementing a classroom-based curriculum faced challenges in delivering the curriculum within the constraints of school schedules and calendars (program length and size of class). Grantees implementing a culturally tailored curriculum faced a series of challenges, including implementing the intervention as part of the regular school curriculum in schools with diverse populations; low attendance when delivered as an after-school program; and resistance on the part of schools to specific curriculum content. The third set of grantees, implementing a program in clinics, faced challenges in identifying and recruiting young women into the program and in retaining young women once they were in the program. The experiences of these grantees reflect some of the complexities that should be carefully considered when choosing to replicate evidence-based programs. The Teen Pregnancy Prevention replication study will provide important context for assessing the effectiveness of some of the more widely replicated evidence-based programs. Copyright © 2014 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. All rights reserved.

Dropout policies and trends for students with and without disabilities.

PubMed

Kemp, Suzanne E

2006-01-01

Students with and without disabilities are dropping out of school at an alarming rate. However, the precise extent of the problem remains elusive because individual schools, school districts, and state departments of education often use different definitional criteria and calculation methods. In addition, specific reasons why students drop out continues to be speculative and minimal research exists validating current dropout prevention programs for students with and without disabilities. This study examined methods secondary school principals used to calculate dropout rates, reasons they believed students dropped out of school, and what prevention programs were being used for students with and without disabilities. Results indicated that school districts used calculation methods that minimized dropout rates, students with and without disabilities dropped out for similar reasons, and few empirically validated prevention programs were being implemented. Implications for practice and directions for future research are discussed.

Examining the role of implementation quality in school-based prevention using the PATHS curriculum. Promoting Alternative THinking Skills Curriculum.

PubMed

Kam, Chi-Ming; Greenberg, Mark T; Walls, Carla T

2003-03-01

In order for empirically validated school-based prevention programs to "go to scale," it is important to understand the processes underlying program dissemination. Data collected in effectiveness trials, especially those measuring the quality of program implementation and administrative support, are valuable in explicating important factors influencing implementation. This study describes findings regarding quality of implementation in a recent effectiveness trial conducted in a high-risk, American urban community. This delinquency prevention trial is a locally owned intervention, which used the Promoting Alternative THinking Skills Curriculum as its major program component. The intervention involved 350 first graders in 6 inner-city public schools. Three schools implemented the intervention and the other 3 were comparison schools from the same school district. Although intervention effects were not found for all the intervention schools, the intervention was effective in improving children's emotional competence and reducing their aggression in schools which effectively supported the intervention. This study, utilizing data from the 3 intervention schools (13 classrooms and 164 students), suggested that 2 factors contributed to the success of the intervention: (a) adequate support from school principals and (b) high degree of classroom implementation by teachers. These findings are discussed in light of the theory-driven models in program evaluation that emphasized the importance of the multiple factors influencing the implementation of school-based interventions.

Characteristics of Students and Services in New York State Student Assistance and Prevention Counseling Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corrigan, Matthew J.; Newman, Lucy J.; Videka, Lynn; Loneck, Barry; Rajendran, Kushmand

2011-01-01

This article reports on a review of selected New York State school prevention program student case records. Methods: Data were extracted from Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) standardized Prevention Activity Summary forms. A total of 407 records from 12 high schools throughout New York State were reviewed. Results: The age…

Examining the Effects of School-Based Drug Prevention Programs on Drug Use in Rural Settings: Methodology and Initial Findings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, C. Hendricks; Guo, Jing; Singer, L. Terri; Downes, Katheryne; Brinales, Joseph M.

2007-01-01

Context: Although there have been substantial advances in knowledge about drug prevention over the last decade, the majority of school-based drug prevention studies have been conducted in urban settings. There is little knowledge about the effectiveness of such programs when they are implemented in rural populations. Purpose: To examine the…

A Clustered Randomized Controlled Trial of the Positive Prevention PLUS Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program.

PubMed

LaChausse, Robert G

2016-09-01

To determine the impact of Positive Prevention PLUS, a school-based adolescent pregnancy prevention program on delaying sexual intercourse, birth control use, and pregnancy. I randomly assigned a diverse sample of ninth grade students in 21 suburban public high schools in California into treatment (n = 2483) and control (n = 1784) groups that participated in a clustered randomized controlled trial. Between October 2013 and May 2014, participants completed baseline and 6-month follow-up surveys regarding sexual behavior and pregnancy. Participants in the treatment group were offered Positive Prevention PLUS, an 11-lesson adolescent pregnancy prevention program. The program had statistically significant impacts on delaying sexual intercourse and increasing the use of birth control. However, I detected no program effect on pregnancy rates at 6-month follow-up. The Positive Prevention PLUS program demonstrated positive impacts on adolescent sexual behavior. This suggests that programs that focus on having students practice risk reduction skills may delay sexual activity and increase birth control use.

Stepwise Development of a Text Messaging-Based Bullying Prevention Program for Middle School Students (BullyDown)

PubMed Central

Prescott, Tonya L; Espelage, Dorothy L

2016-01-01

Background Bullying is a significant public health issue among middle school-aged youth. Current prevention programs have only a moderate impact. Cell phone text messaging technology (mHealth) can potentially overcome existing challenges, particularly those that are structural (e.g., limited time that teachers can devote to non-educational topics). To date, the description of the development of empirically-based mHealth-delivered bullying prevention programs are lacking in the literature. Objective To describe the development of BullyDown, a text messaging-based bullying prevention program for middle school students, guided by the Social-Emotional Learning model. Methods We implemented five activities over a 12-month period: (1) national focus groups (n=37 youth) to gather acceptability of program components; (2) development of content; (3) a national Content Advisory Team (n=9 youth) to confirm content tone; and (4) an internal team test of software functionality followed by a beta test (n=22 youth) to confirm the enrollment protocol and the feasibility and acceptability of the program. Results Recruitment experiences suggested that Facebook advertising was less efficient than using a recruitment firm to recruit youth nationally, and recruiting within schools for the pilot test was feasible. Feedback from the Content Advisory Team suggests a preference for 2-4 brief text messages per day. Beta test findings suggest that BullyDown is both feasible and acceptable: 100% of youth completed the follow-up survey, 86% of whom liked the program. Conclusions Text messaging appears to be a feasible and acceptable delivery method for bullying prevention programming delivered to middle school students. PMID:27296471

Diffusion of school-based prevention programs in two urban districts: adaptations, rationales, and suggestions for change.

PubMed

Ozer, Emily J; Wanis, Maggie G; Bazell, Nickie

2010-03-01

The diffusion of school-based preventive interventions involves the balancing of high-fidelity implementation of empirically-supported programs with flexibility to permit local stakeholders to target the specific needs of their youth. There has been little systematic research that directly seeks to integrate research- and community-driven approaches to diffusion. The present study provides a primarily qualitative investigation of the initial roll-out of two empirically-supported substance and violence prevention programs in two urban school districts that serve a high proportion of low-income, ethnic minority youth. The predominant ethnic group in most of our study schools was Asian American, followed by smaller numbers of Latinos, African Americans, and European Americans. We examined the adaptations made by experienced health teachers as they implemented the programs, the elicitation of suggested adaptations to the curricula from student and teacher stakeholders, and the evaluation of the consistency of these suggested adaptations with the core components of the programs. Data sources include extensive classroom observations of curricula delivery and interviews with students, teachers, and program developers. All health teachers made adaptations, primarily with respect to instructional format, integration of real-life experiences into the curriculum, and supplementation with additional resources; pedagogical and class management issues were cited as the rationale for these changes. Students and teachers were equally likely to propose adaptations that met with the program developers' approval with respect to program theory and implementation logistics. Tensions between teaching practice and prevention science-as well as implications for future research and practice in school-based prevention-are considered.

Stepwise Development a Text Messaging-Based Bullying Prevention Program for Middle School Students (BullyDown).

PubMed

Ybarra, Michele L; Prescott, Tonya L; Espelage, Dorothy L

2016-06-13

Bullying is a significant public health issue among middle school-aged youth. Current prevention programs have only a moderate impact. Cell phone text messaging technology (mHealth) can potentially overcome existing challenges, particularly those that are structural (e.g., limited time that teachers can devote to non-educational topics). To date, the description of the development of empirically-based mHealth-delivered bullying prevention programs are lacking in the literature. To describe the development of BullyDown, a text messaging-based bullying prevention program for middle school students, guided by the Social-Emotional Learning model. We implemented five activities over a 12-month period: (1) national focus groups (n=37 youth) to gather acceptability of program components; (2) development of content; (3) a national Content Advisory Team (n=9 youth) to confirm content tone; and (4) an internal team test of software functionality followed by a beta test (n=22 youth) to confirm the enrollment protocol and the feasibility and acceptability of the program. Recruitment experiences suggested that Facebook advertising was less efficient than using a recruitment firm to recruit youth nationally, and recruiting within schools for the pilot test was feasible. Feedback from the Content Advisory Team suggests a preference for 2-4 brief text messages per day. Beta test findings suggest that BullyDown is both feasible and acceptable: 100% of youth completed the follow-up survey, 86% of whom liked the program. Text messaging appears to be a feasible and acceptable delivery method for bullying prevention programming delivered to middle school students.

Did we get our money's worth? Bridging economic and behavioral measures of program success in adolescent drug prevention.

PubMed

Griffith, Kevin N; Scheier, Lawrence M

2013-11-08

The recent U.S. Congressional mandate for creating drug-free learning environments in elementary and secondary schools stipulates that education reform rely on accountability, parental and community involvement, local decision making, and use of evidence-based drug prevention programs. By necessity, this charge has been paralleled by increased interest in demonstrating that drug prevention programs net tangible benefits to society. One pressing concern is precisely how to integrate traditional scientific methods of program evaluation with economic measures of "cost efficiency". The languages and methods of each respective discipline don't necessarily converge on how to establish the true benefits of drug prevention. This article serves as a primer for conducting economic analyses of school-based drug prevention programs. The article provides the reader with a foundation in the relevant principles, methodologies, and benefits related to conducting economic analysis. Discussion revolves around how economists value the potential costs and benefits, both financial and personal, from implementing school-based drug prevention programs targeting youth. Application of heterogeneous costing methods coupled with widely divergent program evaluation findings influences the feasibility of these techniques and may hinder utilization of these practices. Determination of cost-efficiency should undoubtedly become one of several markers of program success and contribute to the ongoing debate over health policy.

A randomized controlled trial testing the effectiveness of a universal school-based depression prevention program 'Op Volle Kracht' in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Tak, Yuli R; Van Zundert, Rinka Mp; Kuijpers, Rowella Cwm; Van Vlokhoven, Boukje S; Rensink, Hettie Fw; Engels, Rutger Cme

2012-01-10

The incidence of depressive symptoms increases during adolescence, from 10.0% to 24.5% at age 11 to 15, respectively. Experiencing elevated levels of depressive symptoms increases the risk of a depressive disorder in adulthood. A universal school-based depression prevention program Op Volle Kracht (OVK) was developed, based on the Penn Resiliency Program, aimed at preventing the increase of depressive symptoms during adolescence and enhancing positive development. In this study the effectiveness of OVK will be tested and possible mediators of program effects will be focus of study as well. The effectiveness of OVK will be tested in a randomized controlled trial with two conditions, intervention (OVK) and control condition (care as usual). Schools are randomly assigned to research conditions. OVK will be incorporated in the school curriculum, maximizing program attendance. OVK consists of 16 lessons of 50 min, given by trained psychologists to groups of 11-15 students. OVK contains Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, social skills training, problem solving and decision making. Outcomes are measured at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months follow up, to monitor long term program effects. Primary outcome is level of depressive symptoms, secondary outcomes are: anxiety, hopelessness, cognitive bias, substance use, truancy, life satisfaction, coping, self-efficacy, optimism, happiness, friendship, school performance and school attitude. The questionnaires for students will be administered in the school setting. Parents will complete a questionnaire at baseline only. In this paper the study into the effectiveness of the depression prevention program OVK was described. It is expected that OVK will prevent the increase in depressive symptoms during adolescence and enhance positive development in the intervention condition, compared to the control condition. If OVK will be effective, it can be implemented in the school context by which numerous adolescents can be reached. Netherlands Trial Register (NTR): NTR2879.

House fire injury prevention update. Part II. A review of the effectiveness of preventive interventions

PubMed Central

Warda, L.; Tenenbein, M.; Moffatt, M.

1999-01-01

Objective—To evaluate and summarize the house fire injury prevention literature. Methods—MEDLINE (1983 to March 1997) was searched by keyword: fire, burn, etiology, cause, prevention, epidemiology, and smoke detector/alarm. ERIC (1966 to March 1997) and PSYCLIT (1974 to June 1997) were searched by keyword: as above, and safety, skills, education, and training. Other sources included references of retrieved publications, review articles, and books; Injury Prevention hand search; government documents; and internet sources. Sources relevant to residential fire injury prevention were selected, evaluated, and summarized. Results—Forty three publications were selected for review, including seven randomized controlled trials, nine quasiexperiments, two natural experiments, 21 prospective cohort studies, two cross sectional surveys, one case report, and one program evaluation. These studies examined the following types of interventions: school (9), preschool (1), and community based educational programs (5); fire response training programs for children (7), blind adolescents (2), and mentally retarded adults (5) and children (1); office based counseling (4); home inspection programs (3); smoke detector giveaway campaigns (5); and smoke detector legislation (1). Conclusions—This review of house fire prevention interventions underscores the importance of program evaluation. There is a need for more rigorous evaluation of educational programs, particularly those targeted at schools. An evidence based, coordinated approach to house fire injury prevention is critical, given current financial constraints and the potential for program overload for communities and schools. PMID:10518271

Effectiveness of the surviving the Teens® suicide prevention and depression awareness program: an impact evaluation utilizing a comparison group.

PubMed

Strunk, Catherine M; King, Keith A; Vidourek, Rebecca A; Sorter, Michael T

2014-12-01

Youth suicide is a serious public health issue in the United States. It is currently the third leading cause of death for youth aged 10 to 19. School-based prevention programs may be an effective method of educating youth and enhancing their help-seeking. Most school-based suicide prevention programs have not been rigorously evaluated for their effectiveness. This evaluation employs a comparison group to measure whether program group participants differed significantly from comparison group participants on pretest-posttest measures while assessing the immediate impact of the Surviving the Teens® Suicide Prevention and Depression Awareness Program. Findings indicate several positive outcomes in program group students' suicide and depression knowledge, attitudes, confidence, and behavioral intentions compared with the comparison group. Suicide prevention specialists and prevention planners may benefit from study findings. © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.

Eating Disorders: Prevention through Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nagel, K. L.; Jones, Karen H.

1993-01-01

School prevention programs for teenage eating disorders should emphasize nutrition education (knowledge, attitudes, behavior) and living skills (self-concept, coping). Secondary prevention involves identifying early warning signs and places for referral; tertiary prevention creates a supportive school environment for recoverers with teachers as…

Obesity prevention programs and policies: practitioner and policy-maker perceptions of feasibility and effectiveness.

PubMed

Cleland, Verity; McNeilly, Briohny; Crawford, David; Ball, Kylie

2013-09-01

The aims of this study were to map obesity prevention activity being implemented by government, non-government, and community-based organizations; to determine practitioner and policy-maker perceptions of the feasibility and effectiveness of a range of evidence-based obesity prevention strategies; and to determine practitioner and policy-maker perceptions of preferred settings for obesity prevention strategies. This study involved a cross-sectional survey of 304 public health practitioners and policy-makers from government, non-government, and community organizations across Victoria, Australia. Participants reported their organizations' current obesity prevention programs and policies, their own perceptions of the feasibility and effectiveness of strategies to prevent obesity and their preferred settings for obesity prevention. Thirty-nine percent had an obesity prevention policy, and 92% were implementing obesity prevention programs. The most common programs focused on education, skill-building, and increasing access to healthy eating/physical activity opportunities. School curriculum-based initiatives, social support for physical activity, and family-based programs were considered the most effective strategies, whereas curriculum-based initiatives, active after-school programs, and providing access to and information about physical activity facilities were deemed the most feasible strategies. Schools were generally perceived as the most preferred setting for obesity prevention. Many organizations had obesity prevention programs, but far fewer had obesity prevention policies. Current strategies and those considered feasible and effective are often mismatched with the empirical literature. Systems to ensure better alignment between researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers, and identifying effective methods of translating empirical evidence into practice and policy are required. Copyright © 2012 The Obesity Society.

Schools, Families, and the Prevention of Child Maltreatment: Lessons That Can Be Learned From a Literature Review.

PubMed

Admon Livny, Karen; Katz, Carmit

2018-04-01

Child maltreatment is a worldwide social problem that receives considerable attention. However, prevention efforts remain rare, allowing the phenomenon to continue and spread. The aim of the current article is to systematically review evidence-based prevention efforts that address schools and families as key stakeholders for preventing child maltreatment. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, a thorough literature review revealed that only five programs matched the inclusion criteria for the current article. These programs were analyzed for several domains, including level of prevention, target population, participants, and the programs' outcomes. The current review highlights the urgent needs to develop, modify, and further evaluate prevention programs for child maltreatment in the context of the ecological model. More specifically, it illuminates the need to create and champion programs that enhance the collaboration between families and schools, both of which are key stakeholders within the phenomenon of child maltreatment. Collaboration between policymakers, researchers, and practitioners should guide future efforts by promoting cultural adaptation to such programs and by integrating children's perceptions to improve these efforts and to benefit everyone involved.

Effects of Participation in after-School Programs for Middle School Students: A Randomized Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gottfredson, Denise; Cross, Amanda Brown; Wilson, Denise; Rorie, Melissa; Connell, Nadine

2010-01-01

This study assessed the effects of attending an after-school program (ASP) on a range of outcomes for middle school youths. The program operated for 9 hr per week for 30 weeks and included attendance monitoring and reinforcement, academic assistance, a prevention curriculum, and recreational programming. Participants were 447 students randomly…

Implementation of School Policies to Prevent Youth Tobacco Use in Alabama

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geiger, Brian F.; Vaid, Isam; Beeson, Diane; Riddle, Barry

2012-01-01

Background: Public health professionals must monitor the effectiveness of school policies and programs to prevent youth initiation, promote quitting, and eliminate secondhand smoke. This analysis of school tobacco policies was preliminary to release of a state tobacco prevention and control plan for 2010-2015. Methods: University health educators…

Translating evidence based violence and drug use prevention to obesity prevention: development and construction of the pathways program.

PubMed

Sakuma, Kari-Lyn K; Riggs, Nathaniel R; Pentz, Mary Ann

2012-04-01

Effective school-based obesity prevention programs are needed to prevent and reduce the growing obesity risk among youth. Utilizing the evidence-rich areas of violence and substance use prevention, translation science may provide an efficient means for developing curricula across multiple health behaviors. This paper introduces Pathways to Health, a school-based obesity prevention program that was developed by translating from evidence-based violence and drug use prevention programs, Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies and the Midwestern Prevention Project STAR (STAR). We illustrate how a hypothesized underlying behavior change mechanism in two domains of risk behavior, violence and substance use, can be applied to obesity prevention. A 4-step translational process is provided and may be relevant for use in developing other curricula to address multiple health risk behaviors. Practical application and decision points are also provided.

Translating evidence based violence and drug use prevention to obesity prevention: development and construction of the Pathways program

PubMed Central

Sakuma, Kari-Lyn K.; Riggs, Nathaniel R.; Pentz, Mary Ann

2012-01-01

Effective school-based obesity prevention programs are needed to prevent and reduce the growing obesity risk among youth. Utilizing the evidence-rich areas of violence and substance use prevention, translation science may provide an efficient means for developing curricula across multiple health behaviors. This paper introduces Pathways to Health, a school-based obesity prevention program that was developed by translating from evidence-based violence and drug use prevention programs, Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies and the Midwestern Prevention Project STAR (STAR). We illustrate how a hypothesized underlying behavior change mechanism in two domains of risk behavior, violence and substance use, can be applied to obesity prevention. A 4-step translational process is provided and may be relevant for use in developing other curricula to address multiple health risk behaviors. Practical application and decision points are also provided. PMID:21987475

Developing a coordinated school health approach to child obesity prevention in rural Appalachia: results of focus groups with teachers, parents, and students.

PubMed

Schetzina, Karen E; Dalton, William T; Lowe, Elizabeth F; Azzazy, Nora; Vonwerssowetz, Katrina M; Givens, Connie; Stern, Harold P

2009-01-01

High prevalence rates of obesity, particularly among those residing in US rural areas, and associated physical and psychosocial health consequences, direct attention to the need for effective prevention programs. The current study describes an initial step in developing a school-based obesity prevention program in rural Appalachia, USA. The program, modeled on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Coordinated School Health (CSH) Program, includes a community-based participatory research approach to addressing the health needs specific to this region. Focus groups with teachers, parents, and 4th grade students were used to understand perceptions and school policy related to nutrition, physical activity, and the role of the school in obesity prevention. Results revealed that these community stakeholders were concerned about the problem of child obesity and supported the idea of their school doing more to improve the diet and physical activity of its students. Specifically, all groups thought that foods and drinks consumed by students at school should be healthier and that they should have more opportunities for physical activity. However, they cited limitations of the school environment, academic pressures, and lack of parental support as potential barriers to making such changes. Parents were most concerned that their children were not getting enough to eat and they and the teachers were not in favor of BMI screening at the school. Parents were in favor of increasing physical activity during school and thought that parent volunteers should help students select foods in the cafeteria. Students cited examples of how diet and physical activity affect their health and school performance, and thought that they should have more physical education time and recess. The data collected in the current study contributed to the limited knowledge base regarding rural populations as well as identified strengths and potential barriers to assist with the development of a pilot program based on the CSH model, Winning with Wellness.

Keys to a Safe, Secure School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennedy, Mike

2002-01-01

Outlines 10 steps that school administrators can take to make their schools safer and more secure for students and staff. These steps encompass crime prevention through environmental design, crisis planning, entrances, lighting, police presence, prevention programs, rapport with students, smaller schools, technology implementation, and staff…

Utilizing tenets of inoculation theory to develop and evaluate a preventive alcohol education intervention.

PubMed

Duryea, E J

1983-04-01

With the advent of the Surgeon General's Report, Healthy People, a renewed interest in and concern for the health-risky practices of the school aged has emerged. Moreover, because the mortality rates for the 15 to 24 year age group continues to increase while the mortality rates for every other age group continues to decline, a school health education imperative has become prevention-based interventions. The experimental, prevention-based alcohol education program reported here describes one such intervention directed at 9th grade students. The program was grounded on the principles of Inoculation Theory and evaluated using a Solomon Four-Group Design. Results indicate that the formulation of preventive alcohol education programs utilizing Inoculation Theory in a school setting is both feasible and productive in achieving designated objectives. Longitudinal assessment of the subjects with regard to their alcohol-related behavior is continuing throughout their high school careers.

Fire Inspection Guide for Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Virginia State Corp. Commission, Richmond.

A functional explanation of the "School Fire Prevention Inspection Form" is provided for use by local school and fire department personnel in the Virginia School Fire Prevention Inspection Program. Many helpful suggestions are made for safeguarding occupants of public school buildings from fire hazards. Items discussed are--(1) exit doors, (2)…

The Evaluation of School-Based Violence Prevention Programs: A Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park-Higgerson, Hyoun-Kyoung; Perumean-Chaney, Suzanne E.; Bartolucci, Alfred A.; Grimley, Diane M.; Singh, Karan P.

2008-01-01

Background: Youth violence and related aggressive behaviors have become serious public health issues with physical, economic, social, and psychological impacts and consequences. This study identified and evaluated the characteristics of successful school-based violence prevention programs. Methods: Twenty-six randomized controlled trial (RCT),…

Interdisciplinary action supporting sexual assault prevention efforts in rural elementary schools.

PubMed

Hayward, K S; Pehrsson, D E

2000-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate if knowledge is gained by rural, elementary school-aged children of sexual assault prevention concepts following implementation of an interdisciplinary prevention program. Rural children (N = 294 pretest and N = 301 posttest) were tested before and after delivery of a theater program developed for teaching sexual assault prevention concepts. The program was delivered to children enrolled in the 3rd and 4th grades of 3 rural elementary schools. Analysis of variance results indicate an increase in knowledge gained in all age groups. Significant difference in knowledge gained occurred in concept areas related to touch by authority figures, secrets, uncomfortable touch by individuals known to them, strangers, and boys' risk of abuse. Results support the need for ongoing interdisciplinary efforts to teach children sexual assault prevention concepts.

Immunization Services for Adolescents within Comprehensive School Health Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vernon, Mary E.; Bryan, Gloria; Hunt, Pete; Allensworth, Diane; Bradley, Beverly

1997-01-01

Discusses school health services, adolescent immunization, current school immunization practices, and support for school-based immunization programs. Children and adolescents can receive preventive health services, including immunizations and monitoring of immunization levels. Expanding school health services could improve the immunization levels…

Proximate Effects of a Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Program in Elementary School Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hebert, Martine; Lavoie, Francine; Piche, Christiane; Poitras, Michele

2001-01-01

The effects of the sexual child abuse prevention program ESPACE were evaluated with 133 Canadian children (grades 1-3). Children participating in the prevention program showed greater preventive knowledge and skills relative to children not participating. Follow-up data showed knowledge gains were maintained while the preventive skill gains may…

Can we build an efficient response to the prescription drug abuse epidemic? Assessing the cost effectiveness of universal prevention in the PROSPER trial.

PubMed

Crowley, D Max; Jones, Damon E; Coffman, Donna L; Greenberg, Mark T

2014-05-01

Prescription drug abuse has reached epidemic proportions. Nonmedical prescription opioid use carries increasingly high costs. Despite the need to cultivate efforts that are both effective and fiscally responsible, the cost-effectiveness of universal evidence-based-preventive-interventions (EBPIs) is rarely evaluated. This study explores the performance of these programs to reduce nonmedical prescription opioid use. Sixth graders from twenty-eight rural public school districts in Iowa and Pennsylvania were blocked by size and geographic location and then randomly assigned to experimental or control conditions (2002-2010). Within the intervention communities, prevention teams selected a universal family and school program from a menu of EBPIs. All families were offered a family-based program in the 6th grade and received one of three school-based programs in 7th-grade. The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of each school program by itself and with an additional family-based program were assessed using propensity and marginal structural models. This work demonstrates that universal school-based EBPIs can efficiently reduce nonmedical prescription opioid use. Further, findings illustrate that family-based programs may be used to enhance the cost-effectiveness of school-based programs. Universal EBPIs can effectively and efficiently reduce nonmedical prescription opioid use. These programs should be further considered when developing comprehensive responses to this growing national crisis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Process evaluation in relation to effectiveness assessment: experiences with school-based programs].

PubMed

Ariza, Carles; Villalbí, Joan R; Sánchez-Martínez, Francesca; Nebot, Manel

2011-06-01

Evaluation of public health interventions usually focus on the quality of design and research methods, and less on the quality of the intervention or process evaluation. In process evaluation of school-based interventions, key issues are how completely the intervention is carried out and adherence to the protocol. In addition, exploration of intermediate variables, such as those that influence (and often predict) preventable behavior, is highly useful. This article describes the basic concepts in this topic, using examples of the effectiveness of some preventive interventions carried out in schools. The interventions discussed were mainly quasi-experimental studies, based on data from programs promoted by public health teams in the city of Barcelona. Data from process evaluation of preventive programs in secondary schools that underwent formal assessment of their effectiveness is provided. The examples are drawn from preventive programs of HIV infection or unprotected sexual intercourse (PRESSEC program) and drug consumption prevention (the PASE, PASE.bcn and x kpts programs). These examples show why the intervention process influences the impact of the programs and their results. Thorough planning of process evaluation is essential to obtain valid indicators that will identify, in the effectiveness evaluation of the intervention, the most efficacious strategies to obtain positive outcomes. Copyright © 2011 Sociedad Española de Salud Pública y Administración Sanitaria. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Contribution of formative research to design an environmental program for obesity prevention in schools in Mexico City.

PubMed

Bonvecchio, Anabelle; Théodore, Florence L; Safdie, Margarita; Duque, Tiffany; Villanueva, María Ángeles; Torres, Catalina; Rivera, Juan

2014-01-01

This paper describes the methods and key findings of formative research conducted to design a school-based program for obesity prevention. Formative research was based on the ecological model and the principles of social marketing. A mixed method approach was used. Qualitative (direct observation, indepth interviews, focus group discussions and photo-voice) and quantitative (closed ended surveys, checklists, anthropometry) methods were employed. Formative research key findings, including barriers by levels of the ecological model, were used for designing a program including environmental strategies to discourage the consumption of energy dense foods and sugar beverages. Formative research was fundamental to developing a context specific obesity prevention program in schools that seeks environment modification and behavior change.

Effectiveness of School-Based Bullying Intervention Programs in Primary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dogini, Eric U.

2012-01-01

Bullying behavior has reached pandemic proportions and is a growing concern in primary school. Most intervention programs in primary school are focused on bullying prevention or principally on the behavior of the bully. The purpose of this study was to explore whether a school-based bullying intervention program is an effective method for reducing…

An Evaluation of Immediate Outcomes and Fidelity of a Drug Abuse Prevention Program in Continuation High Schools: Project towards No Drug Abuse (TND)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lisha, Nadra E.; Sun, Ping; Rohrbach, Louise A.; Spruijt-Metz, Donna; Unger, Jennifer B.; Sussman, Steve

2012-01-01

The present study provides an implementation fidelity, process, and immediate outcomes evaluation of Project Towards No Drug Abuse (TND), a drug prevention program targeting continuation high school youth (n = 1426) at risk for drug abuse. A total of 24 schools participated in three randomized conditions: TND Only, TND and motivational…

What Works to Prevent Adolescent Smoking? A Systematic Review of the National Cancer Institute's Research-Tested Intervention Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sherman, Elyse J.; Primack, Brian A.

2009-01-01

Background: Cigarette use remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Although school is an ideal setting for antismoking interventions, school-based programs have not been successful in the long term. The purpose of this study was to explore characteristics of programs deemed to be successful short-term Research-Tested…

Middle School Youth: Satisfaction with and Responses to a Dating Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elias-Lambert, Nada; Black, Beverly; Sharma, Yasoda

2010-01-01

This study examined how group composition influences students' level of satisfaction with a dating violence and sexual assault prevention program. A 10- to 12-session program was presented to 396 urban African American middle school students in mixed- and same-gender groups. Both males and females were significantly more satisfied with the…

Effects of the Positive Action program on achievement and discipline: two matched-control comparisons.

PubMed

Flay, B R; Allred, C G; Ordway, N

2001-06-01

This paper reports on the effectiveness of an integrated comprehensive school model for character development, problem behavior prevention, and academic achievement enhancement. The Positive Action program consists of a school curriculum, together with schoolwide climate, family, and community components. As evaluated here, the yearly K-6 curriculum consists of over 140 fifteen-to-twenty-minute lessons per year delivered in school classrooms on an almost daily basis. The program is based on theories of self-concept, learning, behavior, and school ecology. We use a matched control design and school-level achievement and disciplinary data to evaluate program effects on student performance and behavior in two separate school districts. The program improved achievement by 16% in one district and 52% in another, and reduced disciplinary referrals by 78% in one district and 85% in the other. We discuss implications of these replicated findings for the prevention of substance abuse and violence, the improvement of school performance, and the reform of American schools.

Protecting Youth, Preventing AIDS: A Guide for Effective High School HIV Prevention Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freudenberg, Nicholas; Radosh, Alice

This guidebook is for school administrators, teachers, health care workers, parents, and students who want to help their schools prevent HIV, sexually transmitted diseases, and unwanted pregnancy among young people. The experience in more than 120 high schools in New York City has been the basis for the guide, which was developed with the help of…

Influence of General Self-Efficacy on the Effects of a School-Based Universal Primary Prevention Program of Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents: A Randomized and Controlled Follow-up Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Possel, Patrick; Baldus, Christiane; Horn, Andrea B.; Groen, Gunter; Hautzinger, Martin

2005-01-01

Background: Depressive disorders in adolescents are a widespread and increasing problem. Prevention seems a promising and feasible approach. Methods: We designed a cognitive-behavioral school-based universal primary prevention program and followed 347 eighth-grade students participating in a randomized controlled trial for three months. Results:…

Dropout Prevention Programs in Nine Mid-Atlantic Region School Districts: Additions to a Dropout Prevention Database. Issues & Answers. REL 2011-No. 103

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burzichelli, Claudia; Mackey, Philip E.; Bausmith, Jennifer

2011-01-01

The current study replicates work of Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Northeast and Islands. It describes dropout prevention programs in nine Mid-Atlantic Region (Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) school districts serving communities with populations of 24,742-107,250 (as of July 2008). All nine…

Dropout Prevention Programs in Nine Mid-Atlantic Region School Districts: Additions to a Dropout Prevention Database. Summary. Issues & Answers. REL 2011-No. 103

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burzichelli, Claudia; Mackey, Philip E.; Bausmith, Jennifer

2011-01-01

The current study replicates work of Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Northeast and Islands. It describes dropout prevention programs in nine Mid-Atlantic Region (Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) school districts serving communities with populations of 24,742-107,250 (as of July 2008). All nine…

Promoting life skills and preventing tobacco use among low-income Mumbai youth: effects of Salaam Bombay Foundation intervention.

PubMed

Sorensen, Glorian; Gupta, Prakash C; Nagler, Eve; Viswanath, Kasisomayajula

2012-01-01

In response to India's growing tobacco epidemic, strategies are needed to decrease tobacco use among Indian youth, particularly among those who are economically disadvantaged. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a school-based life-skills tobacco control program for youth of low socio-economic status in Mumbai and the surrounding state of Maharashtra. We hypothesized that compared to youth in control schools, youth exposed to the program would have greater knowledge of effects of tobacco use; be more likely to take action to prevent others from using tobacco; demonstrate more positive life skills and attitudes; and be less likely to report tobacco use. Using a quasi-experimental design, we assessed program effectiveness by comparing 8(th) and 9(th) grade students in intervention schools to 8(th) grade students in comparable schools that did not receive the program. Across all schools, 1851 students completed a survey that assessed core program components in early 2010. The program consisted of activities focused on building awareness about the hazards of tobacco, developing life skills, and advocacy development. The primary outcome measure was self-reported tobacco use in the last 30 days. Findings indicate that 4.1% of 8(th) grade intervention students (OR = 0.51) and 3.6% of 9(th) grade intervention students (OR = 0.33) reported using tobacco at least once in the last 30 days, compared to 8.7% of students in the control schools. Intervention group students were also significantly more knowledgeable about tobacco and related legislation, reported more efforts to prevent tobacco use among others, and reported stronger life skills and self-efficacy than students in control schools. Limitations to the study include schools not being randomly assigned to condition and tobacco use being measured by self-report. This program represents an effective model of school-based tobacco use prevention that low-income schools in India and other low- and middle-income countries can replicate.

Prevention of Targeted School Violence by Responding to Students' Psychosocial Crises: The NETWASS Program.

PubMed

Leuschner, Vincenz; Fiedler, Nora; Schultze, Martin; Ahlig, Nadine; Göbel, Kristin; Sommer, Friederike; Scholl, Johanna; Cornell, Dewey; Scheithauer, Herbert

2017-01-01

The standardized, indicated school-based prevention program "Networks Against School Shootings" combines a threat assessment approach with a general model of prevention of emergency situations in schools through early intervention in student psychosocial crises and training teachers to recognize warning signs of targeted school violence. An evaluation study in 98 German schools with 3,473 school staff participants (M age  = 46.2 years) used a quasi-experimental comparison group design with three measurement points (pre, post, and 7 months followup) with schools randomly allocated to implementation conditions. The study found increases in teachers' expertise and evaluation skills, enhanced abilities to identify students experiencing a psychosocial crisis, and positive secondary effects (e.g., teacher-student interaction, feelings of safety). © 2017 The Authors. Child Development © 2017 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Youth empowerment solutions for violence prevention.

PubMed

Reischl, Thomas M; Zimmerman, Marc A; Morrel-Samuels, Susan; Franzen, Susan P; Faulk, Monique; Eisman, Andria B; Roberts, Everett

2011-12-01

The limited success of youth violence prevention interventions suggests that effective prevention needs to address causes at multiple levels of analysis and empower youth in developing and implementing prevention programs. In this article, we review published studies of youth violence prevention efforts that engage youth in developing or implementing violence prevention activities. The reviewed studies suggest the promise of youth empowerment strategies and the need for systematic outcome studies of empowerment programs. After reviewing empowerment theory applied to youth violence prevention programs, we present a case study of the Youth Empowerment Solutions (YES) for Peaceful Communities program. YES engages middle-school youth in an after-school and summer program that includes a culturally tailored character development curriculum and empowers the youth to plan and implement community improvement projects with assistance from adult neighborhood advocates. The case study focuses on outcome evaluation results and presents evidence of the YES program effects on community-level outcomes (eg, property improvements, violent crime incidents) and on individual-level outcomes (eg, conflict avoidance, victimization). The literature review and the case study suggest the promise of engaging and empowering youth to plan and implement youth violence prevention programs.

School-Based Health Clinics: An Analysis of the Johns Hopkins Study. Research Developments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demsko, Tobin W.

School-based health clinics, adolescent pregnancy prevention programs offering comprehensive health services, represent the latest initiative to reduce the incidence of teenage pregnancy. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University designed and administered a pregnancy prevention program which offered sexuality education and family planning services…

Connect: An Effective Community-Based Youth Suicide Prevention Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bean, Gretchen; Baber, Kristine M.

2011-01-01

Youth suicide prevention is an important public health issue. However, few prevention programs are theory driven or systematically evaluated. This study evaluated Connect, a community-based youth suicide prevention program. Analysis of pre and posttraining questionnaires from 648 adults and 204 high school students revealed significant changes in…

School-Based Practices and Programs That Promote Safe and Drug-Free Schools. CASE/CCBD Mini-Library Series on Safe, Drug-Free, and Effective Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guthrie, Patricia M.

This monograph focuses on school-based practices and programs that promote safe and drug-free schools. It begins with a description of the key characteristics of schools with effective programs and provides a model for school-wide support. Necessary steps for developing an effective system of universal prevention are listed and include: (1)…

Building Local Infrastructure for Coordinated School Health Programs: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoltz, Ann D.; Coburn, Sheri; Knickelbein, Ann

2009-01-01

Coordinated school health programs (CSHPs) provide an organizational framework for school health practice by combining health education, health promotion, disease prevention, and access to health services in an integrated, systemic manner. This project examined the effects of a regional 2-year training program to increase local school districts'…

A Community-Based Volunteer After-School Activity Program Created for Middle School Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greaser, Thomas C., Jr.

This practicum was designed to provide an after-school activity program to middle school students not engaged in interscholastic sports. Utilizing community volunteers, an enrichment-prevention program that featured 19 different activities in 2 class sessions per week over a 10-week period was developed and implemented. Activities included…

Effectiveness of school- and family-based interventions to prevent gaming addiction among grades 4–5 students in Bangkok, Thailand

PubMed Central

Apisitwasana, Nipaporn; Perngparn, Usaneya; Cottler, Linda B

2018-01-01

Purpose This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of Participatory Learning School and Family Based Intervention Program for Preventing Game Addiction by Developing Self-Regulation of gaming addiction among students of grades 4 and 5 in Bangkok. Methods A quasi-experimental study was implemented among students of grades 4 and 5 at primary schools in Bangkok selected through multistage random sampling. Two comparable schools were randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group. Then, 310 students in the randomly selected classrooms were allocated to each group. The intervention group received the self-regulation program with school and family involvement to prevent gaming addiction. Master teachers attended in-house training on prevention of gaming addiction in children. Parents of these children received a gaming addiction prevention manual and guidelines. The program lasted 8 weeks. The control group received no intervention. Knowledge and Attitude About Gaming Questionnaire, Game Addiction Screening Test (GAST), and Game Addiction Protection Scale were utilized to assess subjects at baseline, immediately after, and 3 months post-intervention. Descriptive statistics, chi-square, and independent t-test were used to describe characteristics of the participants, and repeated measures ANOVA was analyzed to test the effectiveness of the intervention. Results The findings revealed that there were significant differences in knowledge, attitude, self-regulation, and gaming addiction behaviors (p < 0.05) immediately and 3 months post-intervention. Positive effects of the intervention included increase in knowledge, attitude, and self-regulation, whereas the GAST score was significantly decreased (p < 0.05) immediately and 3 months after the program. Conclusion The program based on self-regulation and school and family participation is effective for preventing gaming addiction in students of grades 4 and 5 in Bangkok, Thailand. PMID:29695939

Effectiveness of school- and family-based interventions to prevent gaming addiction among grades 4-5 students in Bangkok, Thailand.

PubMed

Apisitwasana, Nipaporn; Perngparn, Usaneya; Cottler, Linda B

2018-01-01

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of Participatory Learning School and Family Based Intervention Program for Preventing Game Addiction by Developing Self-Regulation of gaming addiction among students of grades 4 and 5 in Bangkok. A quasi-experimental study was implemented among students of grades 4 and 5 at primary schools in Bangkok selected through multistage random sampling. Two comparable schools were randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group. Then, 310 students in the randomly selected classrooms were allocated to each group. The intervention group received the self-regulation program with school and family involvement to prevent gaming addiction. Master teachers attended in-house training on prevention of gaming addiction in children. Parents of these children received a gaming addiction prevention manual and guidelines. The program lasted 8 weeks. The control group received no intervention. Knowledge and Attitude About Gaming Questionnaire, Game Addiction Screening Test (GAST), and Game Addiction Protection Scale were utilized to assess subjects at baseline, immediately after, and 3 months post-intervention. Descriptive statistics, chi-square, and independent t -test were used to describe characteristics of the participants, and repeated measures ANOVA was analyzed to test the effectiveness of the intervention. The findings revealed that there were significant differences in knowledge, attitude, self-regulation, and gaming addiction behaviors ( p < 0.05) immediately and 3 months post-intervention. Positive effects of the intervention included increase in knowledge, attitude, and self-regulation, whereas the GAST score was significantly decreased ( p < 0.05) immediately and 3 months after the program. The program based on self-regulation and school and family participation is effective for preventing gaming addiction in students of grades 4 and 5 in Bangkok, Thailand.

The School Food Environment and Obesity Prevention: Progress Over the Last Decade.

PubMed

Welker, Emily; Lott, Megan; Story, Mary

2016-06-01

The school food environment-including when and where children obtain food and the types of options available during the school day-plays an important role in children's consumption patterns. Thus, childhood obesity prevention efforts often focus on altering the school food environment as a mechanism for improving student dietary intake. This review examines the role school food programs and policies play in improving children's diet, weight, and health. Overall, research suggests that significant improvements have been made in school nutrition policies and programs. Due to the recent program changes made as a result of the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, an emphasis was placed on research conducted over the past decade and especially on the evaluation of foods and beverages served and sold since implementation of this national law. This review also examines remaining gaps in the literature and opportunities for further improvements in school food programs and policies.

Preventing School Problems--Promoting School Success: Strategies and Programs That Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minke, Kathleen M., Ed.; Bear, George C., Ed.

This book discusses the prevention of problems and the promotion of success for school children today. Chapters include: (1) "Preventing Aggression and Violence" (George G. Bear, Carolyn Webster-Stratton, Michael J. Furlong, and Sabrina Rhee); (2) "Promoting Social and Emotional Competence in Children" (Joseph E. Zins, Maurice J. Elias, Mark T.…

School-Based Obesity Prevention: Research, Challenges, and Recommendations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Budd, Geraldine M.; Volpe, Stella L.

2006-01-01

Childhood overweight is one of the most serious problems currently affecting individual and public health. Schools represent a logical site for prevention because children spend 6-8 hours a day there during most of the year. Although reports of school-based overweight or obesity prevention programs exist, there are no summaries specifying which…

The School-Based Health Center as a Resource for Prevention and Health Promotion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Michael B.; Bolen, Larry M.

2007-01-01

The importance of school-based health centers (SBHCs) in overall prevention and health promotion programming is growing as they become increasingly common in schools. SBHCs can improve access to comprehensive physical and mental health services for children and families, and make a significant contribution to universal prevention efforts in…

Child and Adolescent Suicidal Behavior: School-Based Prevention, Assessment, and Intervention. Practical Intervention in the Schools Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, David N.

2011-01-01

Meeting a crucial need, this book distills the best current knowledge on child and adolescent suicide prevention into comprehensive guidelines for school-based practitioners. The author draws on extensive research and clinical experience to provide best-practice recommendations for developing schoolwide prevention programs, conducting risk…

Integrated Models of School-Based Prevention: Logic and Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Domitrovich, Celene E.; Bradshaw, Catherine P.; Greenberg, Mark T.; Embry, Dennis; Poduska, Jeanne M.; Ialongo, Nicholas S.

2010-01-01

School-based prevention programs can positively impact a range of social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes. Yet the current climate of accountability pressures schools to restrict activities that are not perceived as part of the core curriculum. Building on models from public health and prevention science, we describe an integrated approach to…

Building Life Options: School-Community Collaborations for Pregnancy Prevention in the Middle Grades.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Archer, Elayne; Cahill, Michele

This handbook was written to encourage and assist school districts, schools, and community-based organizations to respond to the growing need for adolescent pregnancy prevention activities in the middle grades. It reflects the experiences of adolescent pregnancy prevention programs across the country, particularly those of the eight Urban Middle…

The Cost and Effectiveness of School-Based Preventive Dental Care.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klein, Stephen P.; And Others

1985-01-01

The cost and effectiveness of various types and combinations of school-based preventive dental care procedures were assessed in the National Preventive Dentistry Demonstration Program, a four-year study involving more than 20,000 students, from ten schools nationwide. Communal water fluoridation was reaffirmed as the most cost-effective means of…

Examining the utility of a train-the-trainer model for dissemination of sexual violence prevention in schools.

PubMed

Weingarten, Christine; Rabago, Jina; Reynolds, Jasmine; Gates, Kalani; Yanagida, Evie; Baker, Charlene

2018-06-01

Rates of childhood sexual abuse are unacceptably high, with potentially long-lasting consequences for those who have been victimized. Currently, there are a number of sexual violence prevention programs that have been developed to lower rates of victimization, increase awareness, and connect victims with resources. Within this area of research, there has been less focus on effective methods of program dissemination. For example, school-based sexual violence prevention programs have had positive outcomes; however, little is known about how these programs are disseminated. The train-the-trainer model of dissemination utilizes master trainers to equip others to implement programs, thereby allowing more adults to teach and subsequently more children to receive the program. This study used survey data from teachers and other school personnel (n = 127) to analyze the utility of a train-the-trainer model of dissemination for a sexual violence prevention program in the state of Hawai'i. Through responses of people who were trained to implement the program (59.8% of whom did implement), aspects of the training, the program itself, and factors affecting whether a person implemented the program were explored. Results suggest that time spent in training, job position, and time in that position predicted whether a person trained to implement the sexual violence prevention program followed through with teaching the program to students. Additionally, 54.7% of people who did implement the program had at least one student disclose sexual violence to them, indicating the importance of sexual violence prevention programming and dissemination of these programs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Typology of delivery quality: latent profile analysis of teacher engagement and delivery techniques in a school-based prevention intervention, keepin’ it REAL curriculum

PubMed Central

Shin, YoungJu; Miller-Day, Michelle; Pettigrew, Jonathan; Hecht, Michael L.; Krieger, Janice L.

2014-01-01

Enhancing the delivery quality of school-based, evidence-based prevention programs is one key to ensuring uniform program effects on student outcomes. Program evaluations often focus on content dosage when implementing prevention curricula, however, less is known about implementation quality of prevention content, especially among teachers who may or may not have a prevention background. The goal of the current study is to add to the scholarly literature on implementation quality for a school-based substance use prevention intervention. Twenty-five schools in Ohio and Pennsylvania implemented the original keepin’ REAL (kiR) substance use prevention curriculum. Each of the 10, 40–45 min lessons of the kiR curriculum was video recorded. Coders observed and rated a random sample of 276 videos reflecting 78 classes taught by 31 teachers. Codes included teachers’ delivery techniques (e.g. lecture, discussion, demonstration and role play) and engagement with students (e.g. attentiveness, enthusiasm and positivity). Based on the video ratings, a latent profile analysis was run to identify typology of delivery quality. Five profiles were identified: holistic approach, attentive teacher-orientated approach, enthusiastic lecture approach, engaged interactive learning approach and skill practice-only approach. This study provides a descriptive typology of delivery quality while implementing a school-based substance use prevention intervention. PMID:25274721

Student Athletes Work toward a Drug-Free School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oberman, Jerome P.

1989-01-01

Describes the Student Athlete Leadership Program (SALP), part of the Long Beach (New York) City School District's comprehensive drug education program. SALP trains high-profile high school athletes to conduct drug and alcohol prevention activities in the elementary schools. (FMW)

Addressing Safety in Schools: CDC's Division of Adolescent & School Health

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007

2007-01-01

The mission of the Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) is to prevent the most serious health risks among children, adolescents, and young adults. Its goal is to prevent unintentional injuries and violence by enabling the nation's schools to address safety through coordinated school health programs. It attempts to achieve this goal…

School Culture Benchmarks: Bridges and Barriers to Successful Bullying Prevention Program Implementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coyle, H. Elizabeth

2008-01-01

A substantial body of research indicates that positive school culture benchmarks are integrally tied to the success of school reform and change in general. Additionally, an emerging body of research suggests a similar role for school culture in effective implementation of school violence prevention and intervention efforts. However, little…

Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Program: Benefits of Improving Air Quality in the School Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. Office of Radiation and Indoor Air.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed the Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools (IAQ TfS) Program to help schools prevent, identify, and resolve their IAQ problems. This publication describes the program and its advantages, explaining that through simple, low-cost measures, schools can: reduce IAQ-related health risks and…

Integration of Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Secret Service/Department of Education Threat Assessment Models into a Conceptual Framework for Prevention of School Violence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Augustyniak, Kristine M.

2005-01-01

Professionals entered the 21st century with a heightened call to address school safety. Though notable contributions have been made to insure peaceful school communities through a wide range of primary and secondary prevention programs, research suggests that these programs are often an insufficient response to students who are at increased risk…

Parent Groups, Preventive Mental Health in the Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beck, Frances W.; Bornman, Kemper L.

1978-01-01

This paper describes an approach utilized by Margaret Dumas Mental Health Center to produce an effective preventive mental health program with the school incorporating the concept of clear communication and consultation between the school and mental health personnel. (Author)

Follow These Step-by-Step Instructions to Prevent Avoidable Tumbles at School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pater, Robert; And Others

1987-01-01

Almost a quarter of disabling work injuries among school employees are caused by slips and falls. Outlines prevention steps and safety programs that can help lower the possibilities of accidents from falls in schools. (MD)

The Relation of Dropout Prevention Programs in West Virginia Schools to Dropout Rates and Principal Perceptions of Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cline, Vicky Callison

2016-01-01

This study used non-experimental survey research to gather data on the kinds of dropout prevention programs in place in West Virginia high schools in 2014-15 and to evaluate their effectiveness based on possible relationships between principals' perceptions of the programs and graduation rates. The study focused on nine of 15 effective strategies…

Evaluation of Jump into Action: A Program to Reduce the Risk of Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus in School Children on the Texas-Mexico Border.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holcomb, J. David; Lira, Juanita; Kingery, Paul M.; Smith, D. W.; Lane, Dorothy; Goodway, Jackie

1998-01-01

Evaluated Jump into Action, a non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM)-prevention program that encouraged students to eat well and exercise regularly to reduce NIDDM risks. Surveys of predominantly Hispanic fifth graders and their teachers at Texas-Mexico border schools indicated that the program increased NIDDM-prevention knowledge and…

School-Based Prevention of Depressive Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Study of the Effectiveness and Specificity of the Penn Resiliency Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gillham, Jane E.; Reivich, Karen J.; Freres, Derek R.; Chaplin, Tara M.; Shatte, Andrew J.; Samuels, Barbra; Elkon, Andrea G. L.; Litzinger, Samantha; Lascher, Marisa; Gallop, Robert; Seligman, Martin E. P.

2007-01-01

The authors investigated the effectiveness and specificity of the Penn Resiliency Program (PRP; J. E. Gillham, L. H. Jaycox, K. J. Reivich, M. E. P. Seligman, & T. Silver, 1990), a cognitive-behavioral depression prevention program. Children (N = 697) from 3 middle schools were randomly assigned to PRP, Control (CON), or the Penn Enhancement …

Hui Malama O Ke Kai: A Positive Prevention-Based Youth Development Program Based on Native Hawaiian Values and Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hishinuma, Earl S.; Chang, Janice Y.; Sy, Angela; Greaney, Malia F.; Morris, Katherine A.; Scronce, Ami C.; Rehuher, Davis; Nishimura, Stephanie T.

2009-01-01

Evaluation of after-school programs that are culturally and place-based and promote positive youth development among minority and indigenous youths has not been widely published. The present evaluation is the first of its kind of an after-school, youth-risk prevention program called Hui Malama O Ke Kai (HMK), that emphasizes Native Hawaiian values…

Impact of a School-Based Sexual Abuse Prevention Education Program on the Knowledge and Attitude of High School Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ogunfowokan, Adesola A.; Fajemilehin, Reuben B.

2012-01-01

Sexual abuse has been considered a public health issue because of the various health implications resulting from it. The school nurse has a responsibility in assisting the high school girl to prevent victimization. This study adopted a quasi-experimental design in which a sexual abuse prevention education package was developed and used to educate…

Did We Get Our Money’s Worth? Bridging Economic and Behavioral Measures of Program Success in Adolescent Drug Prevention

PubMed Central

Griffith, Kevin N.; Scheier, Lawrence M.

2013-01-01

The recent U.S. Congressional mandate for creating drug-free learning environments in elementary and secondary schools stipulates that education reform rely on accountability, parental and community involvement, local decision making, and use of evidence-based drug prevention programs. By necessity, this charge has been paralleled by increased interest in demonstrating that drug prevention programs net tangible benefits to society. One pressing concern is precisely how to integrate traditional scientific methods of program evaluation with economic measures of “cost efficiency”. The languages and methods of each respective discipline don’t necessarily converge on how to establish the true benefits of drug prevention. This article serves as a primer for conducting economic analyses of school-based drug prevention programs. The article provides the reader with a foundation in the relevant principles, methodologies, and benefits related to conducting economic analysis. Discussion revolves around how economists value the potential costs and benefits, both financial and personal, from implementing school-based drug prevention programs targeting youth. Application of heterogeneous costing methods coupled with widely divergent program evaluation findings influences the feasibility of these techniques and may hinder utilization of these practices. Determination of cost-efficiency should undoubtedly become one of several markers of program success and contribute to the ongoing debate over health policy. PMID:24217178

Professional Attitudes of the Teachers in Implementation of a School-Based Programme about Prevention of the Use Psychoactive Substances in 5-7 Grade

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kozhuharova, Penka Petkova

2015-01-01

The subject of the research is the planning, implementation and evaluation of the program about prevention of the use of psychoactive substances among students 5-7 grade. The study was conducted by survey method with 314 teachers who teach in twenty-six schools. The qualification of the teachers to work with the program about prevention was…

A school-based program implemented by community providers previously trained for the prevention of eating and weight-related problems in secondary-school adolescents: the MABIC study protocol

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The prevention of eating disorders and disordered eating are increasingly recognized as public health priorities. Challenges in this field included moving from efficacy to effectiveness and developing an integrated approach to the prevention of a broad spectrum of eating and weight-related problems. A previous efficacy trial indicated that a universal disordered eating prevention program, based on the social cognitive model, media literacy educational approach and cognitive dissonance theory, reduced risk factors for disordered eating, but it is unclear whether this program has effects under more real-world conditions. The main aim of this effectiveness trial protocol is to test whether this program has effects when incorporating an integrated approach to prevention and when previously-trained community providers implement the intervention. Methods/design The research design involved a multi-center non-randomized controlled trial with baseline, post and 1-year follow-up measures. Six schools from the city of Sabadell (close to Barcelona) participated in the intervention group, and eleven schools from four towns neighboring Sabadell participated in the control group. A total of 174 girls and 180 boys in the intervention group, and 484 girls and 490 boys in the control group were registered in class lists prior to baseline. A total of 18 community providers, secondary-school class tutors, nurses from the Catalan Government’s Health and School Program, and health promotion technicians from Sabadell City Council were trained and delivered the program. Shared risk factors of eating and weight-related problems were assessed as main measures. Discussion It will be vital for progress in disordered eating prevention to conduct effectiveness trials, which test whether interventions are effective when delivered by community providers under ecologically valid conditions, as opposed to tightly controlled research trials. The MABIC project will provide new contributions in this transition from efficacy to effectiveness and new data about progress in the integrated approach to prevention. Pending the results, the effectiveness trial meets the effectiveness standards set down by the Society for Prevention Research. This study will provide new evidence to improve and enhance disordered eating prevention programs. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN47682626 PMID:24118981

School climate and teachers' beliefs and attitudes associated with implementation of the positive action program: a diffusion of innovations model.

PubMed

Beets, Michael W; Flay, Brian R; Vuchinich, Samuel; Acock, Alan C; Li, Kin-Kit; Allred, Carol

2008-12-01

Teacher- and school-level factors influence the fidelity of implementation of school-based prevention and social character and development (SACD) programs. Using a diffusion of innovations framework, the relationships among teacher beliefs and attitudes towards a prevention/SACD program and the influence of a school's administrative support and perceptions of school connectedness, characteristics of a school's climate, were specified in two cross-sectional mediation models of program implementation. Implementation was defined as the amount of the programs' curriculum delivered (e.g., lessons taught), and use of program-specific materials in the classroom (e.g., ICU boxes and notes) and in relation to school-wide activities (e.g., participation in assemblies). Teachers from 10 elementary schools completed year-end process evaluation reports for year 2 (N = 171) and 3 (N = 191) of a multi-year trial. Classroom and school-wide material usage were each favorably associated with the amount of the curriculum delivered, which were associated with teachers' attitudes toward the program which, in turn, were related to teachers' beliefs about SACD. These, in turn, were associated with teachers' perceptions of school climate. Perceptions of school climate were indirectly related to classroom material usage and both indirectly and directly related to the use of school-wide activities. Program developers need to consider the importance of a supportive environment on program implementation and attempt to incorporate models of successful school leadership and collaboration among teachers that foster a climate promoting cohesiveness, shared visions, and support.

Eating Disorder Intervention, Prevention, and Treatment: Recommendations for School Counselors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bardick, Angela D.; Bernes, Kerry B.; McCulloch, Ariana R. M.; Witko, Kim D.; Spriddle, Jennifer W.; Roest, Allison R.

2004-01-01

School counselors are in daily contact with the highest risk group for developing eating disorders--children and adolescents. School counselors are in a position to identify at-risk individuals, implement effective school-based prevention programs, make appropriate referrals, and provide support for recovering individuals. An overview of a theory…

Aligning Comprehensive School Counseling Programs and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports to Maximize School Counselors' Efforts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodman-Scott, Emily; Betters-Bubon, Jennifer; Donohue, Peg

2015-01-01

School counselors are tasked with contributing to a safe and preventative school climate serving students' academic, career, and social/emotional needs through comprehensive school counseling program implementation. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) prioritizes a positive school climate, is widely implemented in the United…

Parent Interest in a School-Based, School Nurse-Led Weight Management Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kubik, Martha Y.; Lee, Jiwoo

2014-01-01

Because one in three children is already overweight or obese, school-based interventions targeting secondary obesity prevention merit consideration. This study assessed parent interest in participating in a school-based, school nurse-led weight management program for young school-aged children. A random sample of parents ("n" = 122) of…

Implementing a comprehensive program for the prevention of conduct problems in rural communities: the Fast Track experience. The Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group.

PubMed

Bierman, K L

1997-08-01

Childhood conduct problems are predictive of a number of serious long-term difficulties (e.g., school failure, delinquent behavior, and mental health problems), making the design of effective prevention programs a priority. The Fast Track Program is a demonstration project currently underway in four demographically diverse areas of the United States, testing the feasibility and effectiveness of a comprehensive, multicomponent prevention program targeting children at risk for conduct disorders. This paper describes some lessons learned about the implementation of this program in a rural area. Although there are many areas of commonality in terms of program needs, program design, and implementation issues in rural and urban sites, rural areas differ from urban areas along the dimensions of geographical dispersion and regionalism, and community stability and insularity. Rural programs must cover a broad geographical area and must be sensitive to the multiple, small and regional communities that constitute their service area. Small schools, homogeneous populations, traditional values, limited recreational, educational and mental health services, and politically conservative climates are all more likely to emerge as characteristics of rural rather than urban sites (Sherman, 1992). These characteristics may both pose particular challenges to the implementation of prevention programs in rural areas, as well as offer particular benefits. Three aspects of program implementation are described in detail: (a) community entry and program initiation in rural areas, (b) the adaptation of program components and service delivery to meet the needs of rural families and schools, and (c) issues in administrative organization of a broadly dispersed tricounty rural prevention program.

Meta-Analysis on Dating Violence Prevention among Middle and High Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ting, Siu-Man Raymond

2009-01-01

Meta-analysis was applied to study the empirical research from 1990-2007 regarding the effectiveness of the dating violence prevention programs in middle and high schools on students' knowledge and attitudes. The results show that overall the program participants improved their knowledge and attitudes towards dating violence. Implications for…

A Meta-Analytic Review of School-Based Prevention for Cannabis Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Porath-Waller, Amy J.; Beasley, Erin; Beirness, Douglas J.

2010-01-01

This investigation used meta-analytic techniques to evaluate the effectiveness of school-based prevention programming in reducing cannabis use among youth aged 12 to 19. It summarized the results from 15 studies published in peer-reviewed journals since 1999 and identified features that influenced program effectiveness. The results from the set of…

Olweus Bullying Prevention Program: Components Implemented by Elementary Classroom and Specialist Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cecil, Heather; Molnar-Main, Stacie

2015-01-01

We investigated implementation fidelity of programmatic activities of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP) among 2,022 teachers, 88.5% female, from 88 elementary schools located in Pennsylvania. Results indicated that the majority of respondents had attended the school kick-off event, posted the rules in the classroom, and explained the…

School-Based Prevention of Bullying and Relational Aggression in Adolescence: The Fairplayer.manual

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scheithauer, Herbert; Hess, Markus; Schultze-Krumbholz, Anja; Bull, Heike Dele

2012-01-01

The fairplayer.manual is a school-based program to prevent bullying. The program consists of fifteen to seventeen consecutive ninety-minute lessons using cognitive-behavioral methods, methods targeting group norms and group dynamics, and discussions on moral dilemmas. Following a two-day training session, teachers, together with skilled…

Adolescents' Attitudes about Obesity and What They Want in Obesity Prevention Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Louise F.

2007-01-01

Obesity is a major pediatric public health problem. Adolescents are a priority population for intervention strategies. School nurses are in key positions to design intervention strategies to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent adolescent obesity in the students they serve. To design effective programs, school nurses need to know what components…

The Effects of Project Success on Student Academic Performance: A Quasi-Experimental Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shamblen, Stephen R.; Ringwalt, Chris

2008-01-01

Project SUCCESS (PS) is a substance use prevention program that targets indicated high school students. We used archival data to explore the program's effects on students' academic achievement and disciplinary problems. It is essential to demonstrate such effects, if prevention curricula are to survive in schools that face multiple competing…

Adolescent Help-Seeking and the Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program: An Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freedenthal, Stacey

2010-01-01

The Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program has gained national and international recognition for its school- and community-based activities. After the introduction of Yellow Ribbon to a Denver-area high school, staff and adolescents were surveyed to determine if help-seeking behavior had increased. Using a prepost intervention design, staff at…

High School Students' Perceptions of Alcohol Prevention Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ogenchuk, Marcella

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore Grade 11 students' perceptions of programs related to the prevention of alcohol use in high school settings through an analysis of quantitative and qualitative data elicited from student questionnaires (n=452) and focus groups. It was found that students felt a need for increased information on alcohol…

Vocal Abuse Prevention Practices: A National Survey of School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNamara, Anne P.; Perry, Cecyle K.

1994-01-01

A national survey of 145 school-based speech-language pathologists found that more than 80% did not have vocal abuse prevention programs, primarily because of time constraints and low priority assigned to voice problems. Existing programs were primarily for elementary asymptomatic and symptomatic children. Characteristics associated with…

Using community-based participatory research to develop the PARTNERS youth violence prevention program.

PubMed

Leff, Stephen S; Thomas, Duane E; Vaughn, Nicole A; Thomas, Nicole A; MacEvoy, Julie Paquette; Freedman, Melanie A; Abdul-Kabir, Saburah; Woodlock, Joseph; Guerra, Terry; Bradshaw, Ayana S; Woodburn, Elizabeth M; Myers, Rachel K; Fein, Joel A

2010-01-01

School-based violence prevention programs have shown promise for reducing aggression and increasing children's prosocial behaviors. Prevention interventions within the context of urban after-school programs provide a unique opportunity for academic researchers and community stakeholders to collaborate in the creation of meaningful and sustainable violence prevention initiatives. This paper describes the development of a collaborative between academic researchers and community leaders to design a youth violence prevention/leadership promotion program (PARTNERS Program) for urban adolescents. Employing a community-based participatory research (CBPR) model, this project addresses the needs of urban youth, their families, and their community. Multiple strategies were used to engage community members in the development and implementation of the PARTNERS Program. These included focus groups, pilot testing the program in an after-school venue, and conducting organizational assessments of after-school sites as potential locations for the intervention. Community members and academic researchers successfully worked together in all stages of the project development. Community feedback helped the PARTNERS team redesign the proposed implementation and evaluation of the PARTNERS Program such that the revised study design allows for all sites to obtain the intervention over time and increases the possibility of building community capacity and sustainability of programs. Despite several challenges inherent to CBPR, the current study provides a number of lessons learned for the continued development of relationships and trust among researchers and community members, with particular attention to balancing the demand for systematic implementation of community-based interventions while being responsive to the immediate needs of the community.

School violence, role of the school nurse in prevention: position statement.

PubMed

2014-05-01

It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) that registered professional school nurses (hereinafter referred to as school nurses) advance safe school environments by promoting the prevention and reduction of school violence. School nurses collaborate with school personnel, health care providers, parents, and community members to identify and implement evidence-based educational programs promoting violence prevention. The curriculum used should improve students' communication, behavior management, and conflict resolution skills. School nurses assess and refer at-risk students in need of evaluation and treatment for symptoms of aggression and victimization.

Multisite cost analysis of a school-based voluntary alcohol and drug prevention program.

PubMed

Kilmer, Beau; Burgdorf, James R; D'Amico, Elizabeth J; Miles, Jeremy; Tucker, Joan

2011-09-01

This article estimates the societal costs of Project CHOICE, a voluntary after-school alcohol and other drug prevention program for adolescents. To our knowledge, this is the first cost analysis of an after-school program specifically focused on reducing alcohol and other drug use. The article uses microcosting methods based on the societal perspective and includes a number of sensitivity analyses to assess how the results change with alternative assumptions. Cost data were obtained from surveys of participants, facilitators, and school administrators; insights from program staff members; program expenditures; school budgets; the Bureau of Labor Statistics; and the National Center for Education Statistics. From the societal perspective, the cost of implementing Project CHOICE in eight California schools ranged from $121 to $305 per participant (Mdn = $238). The major cost drivers included labor costs associated with facilitating Project CHOICE, opportunity costs of displaced class time (because of in-class promotions for Project CHOICE and consent obtainment), and other efforts to increase participation. Substituting nationally representative cost information for wages and space reduced the range to $100-$206 (Mdn = $182), which is lower than the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's estimate of $262 per pupil for the "average effective school-based program in 2002." Denominating national Project CHOICE costs by enrolled students instead of participants generates a median per-pupil cost of $21 (range: $14-$28). Estimating the societal costs of school-based prevention programs is crucial for efficiently allocating resources to reduce alcohol and other drug use. The large variation in Project CHOICE costs across schools highlights the importance of collecting program cost information from multiple sites.

Multisite Cost Analysis of a School-Based Voluntary Alcohol and Drug Prevention Program*

PubMed Central

Kilmer, Beau; Burgdorf, James R.; D'amico, Elizabeth J.; Miles, Jeremy; Tucker, Joan

2011-01-01

Objective: This article estimates the societal costs of Project CHOICE, a voluntary after-school alcohol and other drug prevention program for adolescents. To our knowledge, this is the first cost analysis of an after-school program specifically focused on reducing alcohol and other drug use. Method: The article uses microcosting methods based on the societal perspective and includes a number of sensitivity analyses to assess how the results change with alternative assumptions. Cost data were obtained from surveys of participants, facilitators, and school administrators; insights from program staff members; program expenditures; school budgets; the Bureau of Labor Statistics; and the National Center for Education Statistics. Results: From the societal perspective, the cost of implementing Project CHOICE in eight California schools ranged from $121 to $305 per participant (Mdn = $238). The major cost drivers included labor costs associated with facilitating Project CHOICE, opportunity costs of displaced class time (because of in-class promotions for Project CHOICE and consent obtainment), and other efforts to increase participation. Substituting nationally representative cost information for wages and space reduced the range to $100–$206 (Mdn = $182), which is lower than the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's estimate of $262 per pupil for the "average effective school-based program in 2002." Denominating national Project CHOICE costs by enrolled students instead of participants generates a median per-pupil cost of $21 (range: $14—$28). Conclusions: Estimating the societal costs of school-based prevention programs is crucial for efficiently allocating resources to reduce alcohol and other drug use. The large variation in Project CHOICE costs across schools highlights the importance of collecting program cost information from multiple sites. PMID:21906509

POLICIES AND GUIDELINES FOR THE TRAINING OF DENTAL AUXILIARIES.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Dental Association, Chicago, IL. Council on Dental Education.

ALTHOUGH THE DENTAL PROFESSION NOW SEEKS SUPPORT FOR AUXILIARY TRAINING PROGRAMS FROM EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTES OTHER THAN DENTAL SCHOOLS, IT IS CONCERNED THAT TRAINING IN NONDENTAL SCHOOL SETTINGS SUCH AS JUNIOR COLLEGES, TECHNICAL INSTITUTES, UNIVERSITY EXTENSION PROGRAMS, AND POST-HIGH SCHOOL VOCATIONAL PROGRAMS PREVENTS TRAINEE EXPOSURE TO…

Validity of surveys to assess safe routes to school programs

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Safe Routes to School programs are designed to make walking and bicycling to school safe and accessible for children. These programs promote children's physical activity and show promise for obesity prevention. However, there are few validated surveys to measure important outcomes such as student tr...

Safety Handbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD.

Safety policies, procedures, and related information are presented in this manual to assist school personnel in a continuing program of accident prevention. Chapter 1 discusses safety education and accident prevention in general. Chapter 2 covers traffic regulations relating to school safety patrols, school bus transportation, bicycles, and…

Cherokee Choices: a diabetes prevention program for American Indians.

PubMed

Bachar, Jeffrey J; Lefler, Lisa J; Reed, Lori; McCoy, Tara; Bailey, Robin; Bell, Ronny

2006-07-01

In 1999, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health 2010 (REACH 2010) funds to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to develop a community-based intervention to improve the health of this rural, mountainous community in North Carolina. During the first year of the Cherokee Choices program, team members conducted formative research, formed coalitions, and developed a culturally appropriate community action plan for the prevention of type 2 diabetes, particularly among children. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has higher rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes than the U.S. and North Carolina general populations. The Cherokee Choices program includes three main components: elementary school mentoring, worksite wellness for adults, and church-based health promotion. A social marketing strategy, including television advertisements and a television documentary series, supports the three components. School policy was altered to allow Cherokee Choices to have class time and after-school time devoted to health promotion activities. School staff have shown an interest in improving their health through attendance at fitness sessions. The credibility of the program has been validated through multiple invitations to participate in school events. Participants in the worksite wellness program have met dietary and physical activity goals, had reductions in body fat, and expressed enthusiasm for the program. A subcoalition has been formed to expand the worksite wellness component and link prevention efforts to health care cost reduction. Participants in the church program have walked more than 31,600 miles collectively.

A Preventive Intervention Program for Urban African American Youth Attending an Alternative Education Program: Background, Implementation, and Feasibility.

PubMed

Carswell, Steven B; Hanlon, Thomas E; O'Grady, Kevin E; Watts, Amy M; Pothong, Pattarapan

2009-01-01

This paper presents background, implementation, and feasibility findings associated with planning and conducting an after-school intervention program in an alternative education setting designed to prevent the initiation and escalation of violence and substance abuse among urban African American youth at high risk for life-long problem behaviors. Evolving from earlier preventive interventions implemented in clinic and school settings, the program, entitled The Village Model of Care, consisted of structured group mentoring, parental support, and community outreach services administered to alternative education students and their primary caregiver(s) during the school year. Over a two-year intake period, 109 youth participated in the present process evaluation study. Findings from the study not only provided relevant demographic information on the characteristics of youth likely to be included in such programs but also indicated the importance of including the family in the rehabilitation effort and the need for school administrative system support for the underlying alternative education approach. The information presented in this report has a direct bearing on the planning of future prevention efforts conducted in similar settings that are aimed at reducing problem behaviors and promoting positive lifestyles among high-risk youth.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of a school-based cannabis prevention program.

PubMed

Ariza, Carles; Pérez, Anna; Sánchez-Martínez, Francesca; Diéguez, Marta; Espelt, Albert; Pasarín, M Isabel; Suelves, Josep M; De la Torre, Rafael; Nebot, Manuel

2013-09-01

The effectiveness of a cannabis prevention program in high school students was assessed. A quasi-experimental study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention implemented in an intervention group (IG) with 39 schools compared with a control group (CG) of 47 schools not exposed to the intervention. Of 224 secondary schools in Barcelona, 86 were assessed in the 2005-2006 school year through a personal questionnaire administered at baseline and 15 months after the intervention. Participants consisted of 4848 ninth graders (14-15 year-olds), 2803 assigned to the IG and 2043 to the CG, according to the type and size of the school and the socioeconomic status of the school's neighborhood. The intervention consisted of a school-based cannabis prevention program (xkpts.com), with four sessions and 16 activities, implemented over 6-10h, with materials for parents and web-based student involvement. Last-month cannabis use was assessed at baseline and at 15 months' follow-up. Process evaluation indicators were assessed. At 15 months follow-up, 8.2% of boys and 8.3% of girls in the IG became last-month cannabis users versus 11.8% of boys and 11.6% of girls in the CG. These differences were statistically significant (p=0.003), representing a 29% reduction in last-month cannabis users in the IG compared with the CG. The incidence of last-month cannabis use was lowest in classrooms that adhered to the program protocol. The xkpts.com program was effective in preventing progression to last-month cannabis use. Effectiveness was higher in classrooms that adhered closely to the protocol. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gender roles, physical and sexual violence prevention in primary extend to secondary school in Samutsakorn Province, Thailand.

PubMed

Chamroonsawasdi, Kanittha; Suparp, Jarueyporn; Kittipichai, Wirin; Khajornchaikul, Piyathida

2010-03-01

To enhance positive attitude and life skills on gender roles to prevent physical and sexual violence. A whole school-based participatory learning program using a quasi-experimental study with pre and post test design was conducted among 2 schools during June-September, 2005. The experimental group, were 134 students in a primary school and 179 students in a secondary school. While the control group, were 122 students in a primary school and 95 students in a secondary school. Means score of attitude toward gender roles before implementation in the experimental group was significantly lower than the control group (p < 0.05). After implementation, the means score in the experimental group was not significantly different from the control group (p > 0.05). Means paired different score (after-before) between the two groups was significantly different (p = 0.002). A whole school-based program on gender roles and violence prevention is suitable for youths and should be merged as school curricula and expanded as a nationwide program at all level of education. Gender equity should be taught at an early childhood. Parental involvement in school-based activities should be negotiated.

Toward More Effective Drug Prevention Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellickson, Phyllis L.; Robyn, Abby E.

This report discusses guidelines for developing drug prevention programs. It reflects knowledge acquired in developing and implementing Project ALERT, an adolescent drug prevention program currently being evaluated with more than 6,500 students in California and Oregon schools. The guidelines discussed are based on information about the…

Promoting physical activity among youth through community-based prevention marketing.

PubMed

Bryant, Carol A; Courtney, Anita H; McDermott, Robert J; Alfonso, Moya L; Baldwin, Julie A; Nickelson, Jen; McCormack Brown, Kelli R; Debate, Rita D; Phillips, Leah M; Thompson, Zachary; Zhu, Yiliang

2010-05-01

Community-based prevention marketing (CBPM) is a program planning framework that blends community-organizing principles with a social marketing mind-set to design, implement, and evaluate public health interventions. A community coalition used CBPM to create a physical activity promotion program for tweens (youth 9-13 years of age) called VERB Summer Scorecard. Based on the national VERB media campaign, the program offered opportunities for tweens to try new types of physical activity during the summer months. The VERB Summer Scorecard was implemented and monitored between 2004 and 2007 using the 9-step CBPM framework. Program performance was assessed through in-depth interviews and a school-based survey of youth. The CBPM process and principles used by school and community personnel to promote physical activity among tweens are presented. Observed declines may become less steep if school officials adopt a marketing mind-set to encourage youth physical activity: deemphasizing health benefits but promoting activity as something fun that fosters spending time with friends while trying and mastering new skills. Community-based programs can augment and provide continuity to school-based prevention programs to increase physical activity among tweens.

Advancing School-Based Interventions through Economic Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olsson, Tina M.; Ferrer-Wreder, Laura; Eninger, Lilianne

2014-01-01

Commentators interested in school-based prevention programs point to the importance of economic issues for the future of prevention efforts. Many of the processes and aims of prevention science are dependent upon prevention resources. Although economic analysis is an essential tool for assessing resource use, the attention given economic analysis…

Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Misuse Prevention and Cessation Programming for Alternative High School Youth: A Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sussman, Steve; Arriaza, Bridget; Grigsby, Timothy J.

2014-01-01

Background: Relative to youth in regular high schools, alternative high school (AHS) youth are at high risk for alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) misuse. Prevention and cessation efforts are needed for this population. Methods: A systematic, exhaustive literature search was completed to identify ATOD misuse prevention and cessation research…

A video-based transdiagnostic REBT universal prevention program for internalizing problems in adolescents: study protocol of a cluster randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Păsărelu, Costina Ruxandra; Dobrean, Anca

2018-04-13

Internalizing problems are the most prevalent mental health problems in adolescents. Transdiagnostic programs are promising manners to treat multiple problems within the same protocol, however, there is limited research regarding the efficacy of such programs delivered as universal prevention programs in school settings. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the efficacy of a video-based transdiagnostic rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT) universal prevention program, for internalizing problems. The second objective of the present paper will be to investigate the subsequent mechanisms of change, namely maladaptive cognitions. A two-arm parallel randomized controlled trial will be conducted, with two groups: a video-based transdiagnostic REBT universal prevention program and a wait list control. Power analysis indicated that the study will involve 338 participants. Adolescents with ages between 12 and 17 years old, from several middle schools and high schools, will be invited to participate. Assessments will be conducted at four time points: baseline (T 1 ), post-intervention (T 2 ), 3 months follow-up (T 3 ) and 12 months follow-up (T 4 ). Intent-to-treat analysis will be used in order to investigate significant differences between the two groups in both primary and secondary outcomes. This is the first randomized controlled trial that aims to investigate the efficacy and mechanisms of change of a video-based transdiagnostic REBT universal prevention program, delivered in a school context. The present study has important implications for developing efficient prevention programs, interactive, that will aim to target within the same protocol both anxiety and depressive symptoms. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02756507 . Registered on 25 April 2016.

Teachers' Perceptions of School Organizational Climate as Predictors of Dosage and Quality of Implementation of a Social-Emotional and Character Development Program.

PubMed

Malloy, Margaret; Acock, Alan; DuBois, David L; Vuchinich, Samuel; Silverthorn, Naida; Ji, Peter; Flay, Brian R

2015-11-01

Organizational climate has been proposed as a factor that might influence a school's readiness to successfully implement school-wide prevention programs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of teachers' perceptions of three dimensions of school organizational climate on the dosage and quality of teacher implementation of Positive Action, a social-emotional and character development (SECD) program. The dimensions measured were teachers' perceptions of (a) the school's openness to innovation, (b) the extent to which schools utilize participatory decision-making practices, and (c) the existence of supportive relationships among teachers (teacher-teacher affiliation). Data from 46 teachers in seven schools enrolled in the treatment arm of a longitudinal, cluster-randomized, controlled trial were analyzed. Teacher perceptions of a school's tendency to be innovative was associated with a greater number of lessons taught and self-reported quality of delivery, and teacher-teacher affiliation was associated with a higher use of supplementary activities. The findings suggest that perceptions of a school's organizational climate impact teachers' implementation of SECD programs and have implications for school administrators and technical assistance providers as they work to implement and sustain prevention programs in schools.

Violence Prevention in Middle School: A Preliminary Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

KIllam, Wendy K.; Roland, Catherine B.; Weber, Bill

2014-01-01

Violence in schools continues reflecting violence within society. There is a growing need for violence prevention programs within the schools that provide students with the skills needed to cope with interpersonal and relationship is-sues effectively. This study was conducted at a middle school and there were 345 middle school students (6th to 8th…

Preventing Poor Mental Health and School Dropout of Mexican American Adolescents Following the Transition to Junior High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzales, Nancy A.; Dumka, Larry E.; Deardorff, Julianna; Carter, Sara Jacobs; McCray, Adam

2004-01-01

This study provided an initial test of the Bridges to High School Program, an intervention designed to prevent school disengagement and negative mental health trajectories during the transition to junior high school. The intervention included an adolescent coping skills intervention, a parenting skills intervention, and a family strengthening…

Prevention in Action. 1991 Exemplary Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors, Inc.

Eight exemplary programs for preventing alcohol and other drug abuse are presented in this document. These programs are summarized: (1) SUPER II Early Intervention Program, Atlanta, Georgia, which serves primarily inner-city youth ages 11-17 and their families through community agencies, juvenile courts, alternative schools, and public housing;…

Curbing Teen Dating Violence: Evidence from a School Prevention Program. RB-9194-CDC

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaycox, Lisa H.; McCaffrey, Daniel F.; Weidmer Ocampo, Beverly; Marshall, Grant N.; Collins, Rebecca L.; Hickman, Laura J.; Quigley, Denise D.

2006-01-01

This research brief summarizes a survey about the effectiveness of programs from Break the Cycle, a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing and fielding dating-violence prevention programs. The study evaluated "Ending Violence," a three-class-session prevention program. Developed by a Los Angeles-based nonprofit group called Break…

Dissonance-based prevention of eating disorder risk factors in middle school girls: results from two pilot trials.

PubMed

Rohde, Paul; Auslander, Beth A; Shaw, Heather; Raineri, Kate M; Gau, Jeff M; Stice, Eric

2014-07-01

Although several eating disorder prevention programs reduce eating disorder risk factors and symptoms for female high school and college students, few efficacious prevention programs exist for female middle school students, despite the fact that body image and eating disturbances often emerge then. Two pilot trials evaluated a new dissonance-based eating disorder prevention program for middle school girls with body image concerns. Female middle school students with body dissatisfaction from two sites [Study 1: N = 81, M age = 12.1, standard deviation (SD) = 0.9; Study 2: N = 52, M age = 12.5, SD = 0.8] were randomized to a dissonance intervention (MS Body Project) or educational brochure control; Study 2 included a 3-month follow-up. Intervention participants showed significant post-test reductions in only one of the six variables with both Studies 1 and 2 (i.e., pressure to be thin and negative affect, respectively), though post-test effect sizes suggested medium reductions in eating disorder risk factors and symptoms (Study 1: M d = .40; Study 2: M d = .65); reductions at 3-month follow-up in Study 2 were not evident (M d = .19). Results suggest that this new middle school version of the Body Project is producing medium magnitude reductions in eating disorder risk factors at post-test but that effects are showing limited persistence. Continued refinement and evaluation of this intervention appears warranted to develop more effective prevention programs for this age group. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Physical Activity during the School Day

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castelli, Darla M.; Ward, Kimberly

2012-01-01

In response to concerns that children are physically inactive, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention committee developed school-based implementation strategies centered on the components of a Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP), composed of the physical education program, physical activity during the school day, staff…

Incorporating Trauma-Informed Care into School-Based Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Sandra L.; Ashley, Olivia Silber; White, LeBretia; Axelson, Sarah; Clark, Marc; Burrus, Barri

2017-01-01

Background: This article provides an overview of the rationale and process for incorporating trauma-informed approaches into US school-based programs, using school-based adolescent pregnancy prevention programs as an example. Methods: Research literature is reviewed on the prevalence and outcomes of childhood trauma, including the links between…

Evaluating School-Based Programming for Pregnant and Parenting Adolescents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fenyk, Julie; Maruyama, Geoffrey; Seiden, Katherine; Pain, Lorna; Hoxie, Ann

The Children and Adolescent Support and Self-Sufficiency (CAPSS) program serves pregnant and parenting adolescents eligible to attend an urban school district in the Midwest. It employs a Youth Development Framework promoting connections with caring adults. While pregnancy prevention has become a major initiative for schools, programming to help…

The Effectiveness of a School-Based Adolescent Depression Education Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swartz, Karen L.; Kastelic, Elizabeth A.; Hess, Sally G.; Cox, Todd S.; Gonzales, Lizza C.; Mink, Sallie P.; DePaulo, J. Raymond, Jr.

2010-01-01

In an effort to decrease the suicide rate in adolescents, many interventions have focused on school-based suicide prevention programs. Alternatively, depression education in schools might be effective in decreasing the morbidity, mortality, and stigma associated with adolescent depression. The Adolescent Depression Awareness Program (ADAP)…

The Challenge of Continuation: Schools' Continuation of the Respect Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ertesvag, Sigrun K.; Roland, Pal; Vaaland, Grete Sorensen; Storksen, Svein; Veland, Jarmund

2010-01-01

The Respect program is a whole school approach to prevent and reduce problem behavior. The purpose of this study was to investigate which conditions in schools helped them to continue the program successfully after the end of the 1-year implementation period. The study also looked at the actual continuation after the program end. Especially, we…

Can Specialized After-School Programs Impact Delinquent Behavior among African American Youth?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barker, Narviar Cathcart

This study examined the effect of a specialized after-school program, the Services to Youth Program (STYP), as one method of preventing the reoccurrence of criminal activity among delinquent youth. Seven African American youth who actively participated in the structured, curriculum-based after-school program were compared with a matched group of…

75 FR 2511 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-15

.... Title and OMB Number: An Outcome Evaluation of the SOS Suicide Prevention Program; OMB Control Number... information collection requirement is necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of the SOS Suicide Prevention Program which is used as suicide prevention programming in middle and high schools throughout the country...

Perceptions of middle school educators in Hawai'i about school-based gardening and child health.

PubMed

Ahmed, Ameena T; Oshiro, Caryn E; Loharuka, Sheila; Novotny, Rachel

2011-07-01

Childhood obesity prevention is a national priority. School-based gardening has been proposed as an innovative obesity prevention intervention. Little is known about the perceptions of educators about school-based gardening for child health. As the success of a school-based intervention depends on the support of educators, we investigated perceptions of educators about the benefits of gardening programs to child health. Semi-structured interviews of 9 middle school educators at a school with a garden program in rural Hawai'i were conducted. Data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Perceived benefits of school-based gardening included improving children's diet, engaging children in physical activity, creating a link to local tradition, mitigating hunger, and improving social skills. Poverty was cited as a barrier to adoption of healthy eating habits. Opinions about obesity were contradictory; obesity was considered both a health risk, as well as a cultural standard of beauty and strength. Few respondents framed benefits of gardening in terms of health. In order to be effective at obesity prevention, school-based gardening programs in Hawai'i should be framed as improving diet, addressing hunger, and teaching local tradition. Explicit messages about obesity prevention are likely to alienate the population, as these are in conflict with local standards of beauty. Health researchers and advocates need to further inform educators regarding the potential connections between gardening and health.

School Personnel Experiences in Notifying Parents About Their Child's Risk for Suicide: Lessons Learned.

PubMed

Nadeem, Erum; Santiago, Catherine DeCarlo; Kataoka, Sheryl H; Chang, Vickie Y; Stein, Bradley D

2016-01-01

Schools across the nation are increasingly implementing suicide prevention programs that involve training school staff and connecting students and their families to appropriate services. However, little is known about how parents are engaged in such efforts. This qualitative study examined school staff perspectives on parent involvement in the implementation of a district-wide suicide prevention program by analyzing focus group and interview data gathered on the program implementation processes. Participants included middle school teachers, administrators, and other school personnel. Study results revealed that in the immediate wake of a crisis or concern about suicide, school staff routinely contacted parents. However, substantial barriers prevent some students from receiving needed follow-up care (eg, lack of consistent follow-up, financial strain, parental stress, availability of appropriate services). Despite these challenges, school staff identified strategies that could better support parents before, during, and after the crisis. In particular, school-based services increased the success of mental health referrals. Our study suggests that systematic postcrisis follow-up procedures are needed to improve the likelihood that students and families receive ongoing support. In particular, school-based services and home visits, training and outreach for parents, and formal training for school mental health staff on parent engagement may be beneficial in this context. © 2015, American School Health Association.

Community-level Moderators of a School-Based Childhood Sexual Assault Prevention Program

PubMed Central

Morris, Matthew C.; Kouros, Chrystyna D.; Janecek, Kim; Freeman, Rachel; Mielock, Alyssa; Garber, Judy

2016-01-01

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is highly prevalent and associated with a wide variety of negative mental and physical health outcomes. School-based CSA education and prevention programs have shown promise, but it is unclear to what extent community-level characteristics are related to their effectiveness. The present cluster randomized controlled trial evaluated community-level moderators of the Safe@Last program compared to a waitlist control condition. Knowledge gains from pre- to post-intervention were assessed in 5 domains: safe versus unsafe people; safe choices; problem-solving; clear disclosure; and assertiveness. Participants were 1,177 students (46% White, 26% African American, 15% Hispanic, 4% Asian American, 6% Other) in grades 1 through 6 from 14 public schools in Tennessee. Multilevel models accounting for the nesting of children within schools revealed large effect sizes for the intervention versus control across all knowledge domains (d’s ranged from 1.56 to 2.13). The effectiveness of the program was moderated by mean per capita income and rates of substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect in the community. Intervention effects were stronger for youth living in lower as compared to higher income counties, and for youth attending schools in counties with lower as compared to higher abuse/neglect rates. Child characteristics (sex, race) did not moderate intervention effects. This research identified two community-level factors that predicted the effectiveness of a CSA education and prevention program designed to improve children’s knowledge of personal safety skills. School-based CSA prevention programs may require modification for communities with higher rates of child abuse and neglect. PMID:27890344

Adolescent Obesity Prevention in Botswana: Beliefs and Recommendations of School Personnel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaibu, Sheila; Holsten, Joanna E.; Stettler, Nicolas; Maruapula, Segametsi D.; Jackson, Jose C.; Malete, Leapetswe; Mokone, George; Wrotniak, Brian H.; Compher, Charlene W.

2012-01-01

The study's objectives were to gain school personnel's (1) perceptions on diet, physical activity, body size, and obesity, (2) description of school food and physical activity practices, and (3) recommendations for programs to prevent adolescent obesity. The study took place in six junior secondary schools of varying socioeconomic status in…

Influences on Authoritarian and Educational/Therapeutic Approaches to School Violence Prevention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nickerson, Amanda B.; Spears, William H.

2007-01-01

This study examined the use of two philosophical approaches to school violence prevention and the factors that influence the use of specific strategies. School policies, programs, and discipline strategies assessed by the School Survey of Crime and Safety (SSOCS) were categorized as authoritarian (i.e., restrict student autonomy through punitive…

Prevention, Recognition and Treatment of Common Recess Injuries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linker, Jenny M.; David, Shannon L.

2017-01-01

When examining recess within a school's comprehensive school physical activity program (CSPAP), stakeholders should consider that 30% to 70% of school injuries occur during this part of the school day (Posner, 2000). Thus, existing frameworks to prevent and manage recess injuries may require a thorough review. The purpose of this article is to…

The Efficacy of Sexual Violence Prevention Programs: Implications for Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adair, Jeannie

2006-01-01

Over the past decade researchers have begun to explore the prevalence, incidence, short and long term effects, and prevention of sexual violence. The purpose of this article was to provide a review of the literature related to the efficacy of sexual violence prevention programs. The review showed that there are many prevention programs yet few…

A qualitative analysis of factors influencing middle school students' use of skills taught by a violence prevention curriculum.

PubMed

Farrell, Albert D; Mehari, Krista R; Kramer-Kuhn, Alison M; Mays, Sally A; Sullivan, Terri N

2015-06-01

This study examined factors that influenced the use of skills taught in a school-based universal violence prevention program. Interviews were conducted with 91 students from two urban schools (83% were African American and 12% multiracial) and 50 students from a nearby county school (52% were White, 32% African American, and 12% multiracial). About half the sample (54%) was male. All had been in sixth grade classrooms where the Second Step (Committee for Children, 1997b) violence prevention curriculum had been implemented earlier in the school year or in the preceding school year. Qualitative analysis of interview transcripts suggested that participants' use of intervention skills was influenced by their beliefs and values, perceived relevance and effectiveness of the skill, issues related to enacting the behavior, and contextual factors. These findings highlight the need for a more intensive and comprehensive effort to address barriers and supports that influence the relevance and impact of school-based violence prevention programs. Copyright © 2015 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of School Flu Vaccine Program on Student Absences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plaspohl, Sara S.; Dixon, Betty T.; Streater, James A.; Hausauer, Elizabeth T.; Newman, Christopher P.; Vogel, Robert L.

2014-01-01

Literature provides evidence that school attendance correlates with academic performance and student success. Influenza is a contributing factor to school absences. Primary prevention for influenza includes immunization. School-located influenza vaccine (SLIV) programs provide greater access for students to be immunized. A retrospective review of…

Examining the Effectiveness of the Smoking Prevention Program "I Do Not Smoke, I Exercise" in Elementary and Secondary School Settings.

PubMed

Kolovelonis, Athanasios; Goudas, Marios; Theodorakis, Yannis

2016-11-01

The aim of the study was to examine the effectiveness of the smoking prevention program "I do not smoke, I exercise" implemented with elementary and secondary school students. "I do not smoke, I exercise" is a theory-based smoking prevention program that promotes exercise as an alternative of smoking. The program consists of eight sessions implemented weekly. Participants were 338 Greek students (135 elementary and 203 secondary students) who were pre- and posttested in smoking, program, and exercise-related measures. The results showed that the program had significant effects on elementary students' attitudes toward smoking, intention to smoke, subjective norms, attitudes toward the application of the program, and knowledge about the health consequences of smoking. For secondary students, significant effects were found on students' perceived behavioral control and knowledge about the health consequences of smoking, while very few students reported a smoking experience before and after the intervention. Therefore the program "I do not smoke, I exercise" may have positive effects on variables related with smoking behavior. Differences in the program's impact on elementary and secondary students were identified. All these are discussed with reference to the need of implementing smoking prevention programs in schools contexts. © 2016 Society for Public Health Education.

Going the Distance: Delivery of High School Drug Prevention via Distance Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wyrick, David L.; Fearnow-Kenney, Melodie; Wyrick, Cheryl Haworth; Orsini, Muhsin Michael; Strack, Robert W.; Milroy, Jeffrey J.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this project was to develop a technology that can be used in schools where there are insufficient resources to implement a quality drug prevention program. The specific technology--distance education via teleconferencing--allows a highly qualified teacher to deliver programs in such settings with increased quality. A promising high…

Impact of a Universal School-Based Violence Prevention Program on Violent Delinquency: Distinctive Benefits for Youth with Maltreatment Histories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crooks, Claire V.; Scott, Katreena; Ellis, Wendy; Wolfe, David A.

2011-01-01

Objective: Child maltreatment constitutes a strong risk factor for violent delinquency in adolescence, with cumulative experiences of maltreatment creating increasingly greater risk. Our previous work demonstrated that a universal school-based violence prevention program could provide a protective impact for youth at risk for violent delinquency…

Preventing Alcohol and Other Drug Problems through Drug Education. Policy Bulletin No. 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailey, William J.

Public schools have a responsibility to educate students about drug abuse, and states have a responsibility to assist schools in their efforts. Properly designed and implemented drug education programs are the most cost-effective means of preventing alcohol and other drug problems. Poorly designed and implemented programs, on the other hand, can…

Impact of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program on a Middle School Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Purugulla, Vijay

2011-01-01

This mixed methods research study sought to find if the implementation of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP) would reduce incidences of bullying in a suburban Atlanta middle school. Data was collected and compared over a two year period with Year 1 data representing pre-implementation of the OBPP. Discipline records associated with…

Preventing Boys' Problems in Schools through Psychoeducational Programming: A Call to Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Neil, James M.; Lujan, Melissa L.

2009-01-01

Controversy currently exists on whether boys are in crises and, if so, what to do about it. Research is reviewed that indicates that boys have problems that affect their emotional and interpersonal functioning. Psychoeducational and preventive programs for boys are recommended as a call to action in schools. Thematic areas for boys' programming…

"SPECDA"-A Comprehensive Approach to the Delivery of Substance Abuse Prevention Services in the New York City School Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blotner, Roberta; Lilly, Levander

1986-01-01

Evaluates SPECDA (School Program to Educate and Control Drug Abuse) a comprehensive substance abuse prevention program which links drug counselors and police officers in teams to provide drug education. Results indicated significant positive changes in children's knowledge about drugs, attitudes toward drugs, and attitudes toward polic officers…

Effective prevention programs for tobacco use.

PubMed

Pentz, M A

1999-01-01

Several types of prevention programs have shown effects on delaying or reducing youth tobacco use for periods of 1-5 years or more. These are referred to as evidence-based programs. However, they are not widely used. At the same time, with few exceptions, adolescent tobacco use rates have been stable or have increased in the 1990s. The challenge for prevention is to identify critical components shared by effective prevention programs--that is, components most associated with effect, and then to evaluate factors that are most likely to promote adoption, implementation, and diffusion of effective programs across schools and communities in the United States. Effective tobacco prevention programs focus on counteracting social influences on tobacco use, include either direct training of youth in resistance and assertiveness skills or, for policy and community organization interventions, direct or indirect (through adults) training in community activism, and are mainly theory-based, with an emphasis on three levels of theory: (a) personal (attitudes, normative expectations, and beliefs); (b) social (social or group behavior); and/or (c) environmental (communications and diffusion). Program effects increase with the use of booster sessions, standardized implementor training and support, multiple program components, and multiple levels of theory. Overall, multi-component community programs that have a school program as a basis, with supportive parent, media, and community organization components, have shown the most sustained effects on tobacco use. Positive program adoption by the school or community, extent and quality of program implementation, and existence of credible networks of leaders to promote the program are critical for any effect. Research on predictors of adoption, implementation, and diffusion of evidence-based programs is scanty relative to outcome research. In addition, more research is needed on why multi-component programs appear to be most effective, whether effect is related to existing tobacco policies, whether prevention programs have differential effects on youth with different natural trajectories of tobacco use, and whether prevention programs can be used to recruit smokers into cessation programs.

Moving from Efficacy to Effectiveness in Eating Disorders Prevention: The Sorority Body Image Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Becker, Carolyn Black; Ciao, Anna C.; Smith, Lisa M.

2008-01-01

Although eating disorders prevention research has begun to produce programs with demonstrated efficacy, many such programs simply target individuals as opposed to engaging broader social systems (e.g., schools, sororities, athletic teams) as participant collaborators in eating disorders prevention. Yet, social systems ultimately will be…

Evidence-based interventions for preventing substance use disorders in adolescents.

PubMed

Griffin, Kenneth W; Botvin, Gilbert J

2010-07-01

Substantial progress has been made in developing prevention programs for adolescent drug abuse. The most effective interventions target salient risk and protective factors at the individual, family, and community levels and are guided by relevant psychosocial theories regarding the etiology of substance use and abuse. This article reviews the epidemiology, etiologic risk and protective factors, and evidence-based approaches that have been found to be most effective in preventing adolescent substance use and abuse. Exemplary school- and family-based prevention programs for universal (everyone in population), selected (members of at-risk groups), and indicated (at-risk individuals) target populations are reviewed, along with model community-based prevention approaches. Challenges remain in widely disseminating evidence-based prevention programs into schools, families, and communities. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evidence-Based Interventions for Preventing Substance Use Disorders in Adolescents

PubMed Central

Griffin, Kenneth W.; Botvin, Gilbert J.

2010-01-01

Synopsis Substantial progress has been made in developing prevention programs for adolescent drug abuse. The most effective interventions target salient risk and protective factors at the individual, family, and/or community levels and are guided by relevant psychosocial theories regarding the etiology of substance use and abuse. This article reviews the epidemiology, etiologic risk and protective factors, and evidence-based approaches that have been found to be most effective in preventing adolescent substance use and abuse. Exemplary school and family-based prevention programs for universal (everyone in population), selected (members of at-risk groups), and indicated (at-risk individuals) target populations are reviewed, along with model community-based prevention approaches. Challenges remain in widely disseminating evidence-based prevention programs into schools, families, and communities. PMID:20682218

[HIV prevention program for young people--the WYSH Project as a model of "combination prevention"].

PubMed

Ono-Kihara, Masako

2010-03-01

In face of the HIV pandemic that still grows, unsuccessful efforts of developing biomedical control measures or the failure of cognitive-behavioral approach to show sustained social level effectiveness, behavioral strategy is now expected to evolve into a structural prevention ("combination prevention") that involves multiple behavioral goals and multilevel approaches. WYSH Project is a combination prevention project for youth developed through socio-epidemiological approach that integrates epidemiology with social science such as social marketing and mixed method. WYSH Project includes mass education programs for youth in schools and programs for out-of-school youth through cyber network and peer communication. Started in 2002, it expanded nationwide with supports from related ministries and parent-teacher associations and has grown into a single largest youth prevention project in Japan.

School personnel experiences in notifying parents about their child’s risk for suicide: lessons learned

PubMed Central

Nadeem, Erum; Santiago, Catherine DeCarlo; Kataoka, Sheryl H.; Chang, Vickie Y.; Stein, Bradley D.

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND Schools across the nation are increasingly implementing suicide prevention programs that involve training school staff and connecting students and their families to appropriate services. However, little is known about how parents are engaged in such efforts. METHODS This qualitative study examined school staff perspectives on parent involvement in the implementation of a district-wide suicide prevention program by analyzing focus group and interview data gathered on the program implementation processes. Participants included middle school teachers, administrators, and other school personnel. RESULTS Study results revealed that in the immediate wake of a crisis or concern about suicide, school staff routinely contacted parents. However, substantial barriers prevent some students from receiving needed follow-up care (eg, lack of consistent follow-up, financial strain, parental stress, availability of appropriate services). Despite these challenges, school staff identified strategies that could better support parents before, during, and after the crisis. In particular, school-based services increased the success of mental health referrals. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that systematic post-crisis follow-up procedures are needed to improve the likelihood that students and families receive ongoing support. In particular, school-based services and home visits, training and outreach for parents, and formal training for school mental health staff on parent engagement may be beneficial in this context. PMID:26645415

Effect of the School-Based Telemedicine Enhanced Asthma Management (SB-TEAM) Program on Asthma Morbidity: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Halterman, Jill S; Fagnano, Maria; Tajon, Reynaldo S; Tremblay, Paul; Wang, Hongyue; Butz, Arlene; Perry, Tamara T; McConnochie, Kenneth M

2018-03-05

Poor adherence to recommended preventive asthma medications is common, leading to preventable morbidity. We developed the School-Based Telemedicine Enhanced Asthma Management (SB-TEAM) program to build on school-based supervised therapy programs by incorporating telemedicine at school to overcome barriers to preventive asthma care. To evaluate the effect of the SB-TEAM program on asthma morbidity among urban children with persistent asthma. In this randomized clinical trial, children with persistent asthma aged 3 to 10 years in the Rochester City School District in Rochester, New York, were stratified by preventive medication use at baseline and randomly assigned to the SB-TEAM program or enhanced usual care for 1 school year. Participants were enrolled at the beginning of the school year (2012-2016), and outcomes were assessed through the end of the school year. Data were analyzed between May 2017 and November 2017 using multivariable modified intention-to-treat analyses. Supervised administration of preventive asthma medication at school as well as 3 school-based telemedicine visits to ensure appropriate assessment, preventive medication prescription, and follow-up care. The school site component of the telemedicine visit was completed by telemedicine assistants, who obtained history and examination data. These data were stored in a secure virtual waiting room and then viewed by the primary care clinician, who completed the assessment and communicated with caregivers via videoconference or telephone. Preventive medication prescriptions were sent to pharmacies that deliver to schools for supervised daily administration. The primary outcome was the mean number of symptom-free days per 2 weeks, assessed by bimonthly blinded interviews. Of the 400 enrolled children, 247 (61.8%) were male and 230 (57.5%) were African American, and the mean (SD) age was 7.8 (1.7) years. Demographic characteristics and asthma severity in the 2 groups were similar at baseline. Among children in the SB-TEAM group, 196 (98.0%) had 1 or more telemedicine visits, and 165 (82.5%) received supervised therapy through school. We found that children in the SB-TEAM group had more symptom-free days per 2 weeks postintervention compared with children in the enhanced usual care group (11.6 vs 10.97; difference, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.15-1.22; P = .01), with the largest difference observed at the final follow-up (difference, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.10-1.59). In addition, children in the SB-TEAM group were less likely to have an emergency department visit or hospitalization for asthma (7% vs 15%; odds ratio, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.32-0.84). The SB-TEAM intervention significantly improved symptoms and reduced health care utilization among urban children with persistent asthma. This program could serve as a model for sustainable asthma care among school-aged children. clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01650844.

Promoting Good Mental Health from Primary to Early Secondary Grades--Preventive Interventions in Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jason, Leonard A.; Ferone, Louise

1980-01-01

The paper describes a four-year research effort aimed at developing preventive educational interventions for children with behavior problems in inner city schools. The implications of switching the emphasis from early secondary to primary preventive programs are discussed. (Author)

Effect of an environmental school-based obesity prevention program on changes in body fat and body weight: a randomized trial.

PubMed

Williamson, Donald A; Champagne, Catherine M; Harsha, David W; Han, Hongmei; Martin, Corby K; Newton, Robert L; Sothern, Melinda S; Stewart, Tiffany M; Webber, Larry S; Ryan, Donna H

2012-08-01

This study tested the efficacy of two school-based programs for prevention of body weight/fat gain in comparison to a control group, in all participants and in overweight children. The Louisiana (LA) Health study utilized a longitudinal, cluster randomized three-arm controlled design, with 28 months of follow-up. Children (N = 2,060; mean age = 10.5 years, SD = 1.2) from rural communities in grades 4-6 participated in the study. Seventeen school clusters (mean = 123 children/cluster) were randomly assigned to one of three prevention arms: (i) primary prevention (PP), an environmental modification (EM) program, (ii) primary + secondary prevention (PP+SP), the environmental program with an added classroom and internet education component, or (iii) control (C). Primary outcomes were changes in percent body fat and BMI z scores. Secondary outcomes were changes in behaviors related to energy balance. Comparisons of PP, PP+SP, and C on changes in body fat and BMI z scores found no differences. PP and PP+SP study arms were combined to create an EM arm. Relative to C, EM decreased body fat for boys (-1.7 ± 0.38% vs. -0.14 ± 0.69%) and attenuated fat gain for girls (2.9 ± 0.22% vs. 3.93 ± 0.37%), but standardized effect sizes were relatively small (<0.30). In conclusion, this school-based EM programs had modest beneficial effects on changes in percent body fat. Addition of a classroom/internet program to the environmental program did not enhance weight/fat gain prevention, but did impact physical activity and social support in overweight children.

Effect of an Environmental School-based Obesity Prevention Program On Changes in Body Fat and Body Weight: A Randomized Trial

PubMed Central

Williamson, D.A.; Champagne, C.M.; Harsha, D.; Han, H.; Martin, C.K.; Newton, R.L.; Sothern, M.; Stewart, T.M.; Webber, L.S.; Ryan, D.

2012-01-01

This study tested the efficacy of two school-based programs for prevention of body weight/fat gain in comparison to a control group, in all participants and in overweight children. The Louisiana (LA) Health study utilized a longitudinal, cluster randomized 3-arm controlled design, with 28 months of follow-up. Children (N=2060; M age = 10.5 years, SD = 1.2) from rural communities in Grades 4 to 6 participated in the study. 17 school clusters (M = 123 children/cluster) were randomly assigned to one of three prevention arms: 1) Primary Prevention (PP), an environmental modification program, 2) Primary + Secondary Prevention (PP+SP), the environmental program with an added classroom and internet education component, or 3) Control (C). Primary outcomes were changes in percent body fat and body mass index z scores. Secondary outcomes were changes in behaviors related to energy balance. Comparisons of PP, PP+SP, and C on changes in body fat and BMI z scores found no differences. PP and PP+SP study arms were combined to create an environmental modification arm (EM). Relative to C, EM decreased body fat for boys (−1.7% ± 0.38% versus −0.14% ± 0.69%) and attenuated fat gain for girls (2.9% ± 0.22% versus 3.93% ± 0.37%), but standardized effect sizes were relatively small (< 0.30). In conclusion, this school-based environmental modification programs had modest beneficial effects on changes in percent body fat. Addition of a classroom/internet program to the environmental program did not enhance weight/fat gain prevention, but did impact physical activity and social support in overweight children. PMID:22402733

The Efficacy of a Universal School-Based Prevention Program for Eating Disorders among German Adolescents: Results from a Randomized-Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Warschburger, Petra; Zitzmann, Jana

2018-06-01

Disordered eating is highly prevalent during adolescence and has a detrimental effect on further development. Effective prevention programs are needed to prevent unhealthy developmental trajectories. This study evaluated the efficacy of the POPS-program (POtsdam Prevention at Schools), a universal school-based eating disorder prevention program for adolescents. In a cluster-randomized design, we compared the intervention group receiving the prevention program to a waiting control group. Outcomes included indicators of disordered eating and relevant risk factors for eating disorders (body dissatisfaction, internalization of the thin ideal, perceived media pressure, perfectionism, emotional element of exercise, social comparison, and perceived teasing). Questionnaires were administered at the start of the intervention, 3 and 12 months post intervention. At baseline, 1112 adolescents aged 10 to 16 years participated (49% girls; 51% intervention group). Intention-to-treat analyses with the complete data set and per-protocol analyses as a completer analysis were performed. The intervention group showed a more favorable course compared to the control group regarding all observed risk factors for eating disorders except for perceived teasing. Effect sizes were small but comparable to other primary prevention programs. At 1-year follow-up, a small but significant effect on disordered eating was observed. Results of the per-protocol analyses were mostly confirmed by the intention-to-treat analyses. Results were promising for both genders although girls benefited more regarding disordered eating and internalization of the thin ideal. Further studies are warranted examining successful program elements and whether gender-specific programs are needed.

Causal pathways linking Farm to School to childhood obesity prevention.

PubMed

Joshi, Anupama; Ratcliffe, Michelle M

2012-08-01

Farm to School programs are rapidly gaining attention as a potential strategy for preventing childhood obesity; however, the causal linkages between Farm to School activities and health outcomes are not well documented. To capitalize on the increased interest in and momentum for Farm to School, researchers and practitioners need to move from developing and implementing evidence informed programs and policies to ones that are evidence-based. The purpose of this article is to outline a framework for facilitating an evidence base for Farm to School programs and policies through a systematic and coordinated approach. Employing the concepts of causal pathways, the authors introduce a proposed framework for organizing and systematically testing out multiple hypotheses (or potential causal links) for how, why, and under what conditions Farm to School Inputs and Activities may result in what Outputs, Effects, and Impacts. Using the causal pathways framework may help develop and test competing hypotheses, identify multicausality, strength, and interactions of causes, and discern the difference between catalysts and causes. In this article, we introduce causal pathways, present menus of potential independent and dependent variables from which to create and test causal pathways linking Farm to School interventions and their role in preventing childhood obesity, discuss their applicability to Farm to School research and practice, and outline proposed next steps for developing a coordinated research framework for Farm to School programs.

Promoting Life Skills and Preventing Tobacco Use among Low-Income Mumbai Youth: Effects of Salaam Bombay Foundation Intervention

PubMed Central

Sorensen, Glorian; Gupta, Prakash C.; Nagler, Eve; Viswanath, Kasisomayajula

2012-01-01

Background In response to India's growing tobacco epidemic, strategies are needed to decrease tobacco use among Indian youth, particularly among those who are economically disadvantaged. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a school-based life-skills tobacco control program for youth of low socio-economic status in Mumbai and the surrounding state of Maharashtra. We hypothesized that compared to youth in control schools, youth exposed to the program would have greater knowledge of effects of tobacco use; be more likely to take action to prevent others from using tobacco; demonstrate more positive life skills and attitudes; and be less likely to report tobacco use. Methods/Findings Using a quasi-experimental design, we assessed program effectiveness by comparing 8th and 9th grade students in intervention schools to 8th grade students in comparable schools that did not receive the program. Across all schools, 1851 students completed a survey that assessed core program components in early 2010. The program consisted of activities focused on building awareness about the hazards of tobacco, developing life skills, and advocacy development. The primary outcome measure was self-reported tobacco use in the last 30 days. Findings indicate that 4.1% of 8th grade intervention students (OR = 0.51) and 3.6% of 9th grade intervention students (OR = 0.33) reported using tobacco at least once in the last 30 days, compared to 8.7% of students in the control schools. Intervention group students were also significantly more knowledgeable about tobacco and related legislation, reported more efforts to prevent tobacco use among others, and reported stronger life skills and self-efficacy than students in control schools. Limitations to the study include schools not being randomly assigned to condition and tobacco use being measured by self-report. Conclusions This program represents an effective model of school-based tobacco use prevention that low-income schools in India and other low- and middle-income countries can replicate. PMID:22523567

Childhood Obesity and Schools: Evidence from the National Survey of Children's Health

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Ji; Hooker, Neal H.

2010-01-01

Background: The international prevalence of childhood obesity and obesity-related diseases has received increasing attention. Applying data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we explore relationships between childhood obesity and school type, National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) eligibility,…

Discipline Referral Outcomes: Meeting the Needs of Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bergh, Bethney; Cowell, Joan

2013-01-01

In this study, school disciplinary procedures/programs used in response to disciplinary referrals and programs that schools have in place to prevent, intervene, and respond to behaviors that result in suspensions or expulsions from the classroom or school were investigated. The focus of this study was school leaders' concerns regarding the…

Emancipatory education versus school-based prevention in African American communities.

PubMed

Potts, Randolph G

2003-03-01

Schools have become strategic settings for the work of community psychologists. In a review of 177 primary prevention programs for children and adolescents, Durlak and Wells (1997) found that 129 (72.9%) were based in schools. The literature in community psychology describes many school-based prevention programs targeting problems such as substance abuse, school "maladjustment," delinquency, and violence (e.g. C. A. Mason, A. M. Cauce, L. Robinson & G. W. Harper, 1999). A large number of these programs are based in schools in African American communities and include social-cognitive, decision making, affective education, and other skills-building modules along with direct instruction. In this paper, it is argued that ideas from emancipatory education (e.g. Freire, 1998) and African-centered education (e.g. H. Madhubuti & S. Madhubuti, 1994; M. J. Shujaa, 1995) should guide school-based interventions in communities of people of African descent. There is an extensive and distinguished history of emancipatory schools and school-based programs in African American communities. Included in this history are the freedom schools during reconstruction, the SNCC Freedom Schools, the Liberation Schools of the Black Panther Party, the Malcolm X Academy in Detroit, Sankofa Shule in Lansing, the Institute for Positive Education/New Concept Development Center in Chicago, the Benjamin E. Mays Institute in Hartford, and the schools affiliated with the Council of Independent Black Institutions (CIBI) to name just a few. This paper will first provide a brief, critical review of the role of schools and social oppression. Second, primary prevention programs in communities of people of African descent will be examined, questioning some of the dominant methods and assumptions. Next, underlying assumptions about relationships between African identity, educational success, and healthy outcomes for young people will be addressed. This will be followed by a discussion of African-centered emancipatory education, focusing specifically on the role of students as agents of social change and the importance of critical reflection on African cultural resources. The Benjamin E. Mays Institute will be presented as an example of how ideas from an African-centered emancipatory approach to education have been incorporated within a school serving a community of people of African descent in Hartford, Connecticut.

75 FR 47818 - Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-09

... violence in one rural North Carolina school district, but appropriateness of the program with urban, high...). Background and Brief Description Safe Dates, a dating violence prevention curriculum for 8th and 9th grade... schools who delivered the Safe Dates program and students at one school who received the program...

Alternative Education Guidelines, Model Middle School Alternative Education Program. Workshop II. Prevention Programs & Funding.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Association of School Security Directors, Bellevue, WA.

These workshop materials are the guidelines Broward County (Florida) has established to carry out the state legislative mandate authorizing school boards to establish educational alternative programs to meet the individual needs and interests of students who are disruptive, unsucessful, or disinterested in the normal school environment. Included…

Cost-effectiveness of a school-based health promotion program in Canada: A life-course modeling approach.

PubMed

Ekwaru, John Paul; Ohinmaa, Arto; Tran, Bach Xuan; Setayeshgar, Solmaz; Johnson, Jeffrey A; Veugelers, Paul J

2017-01-01

The Alberta Project Promoting active Living and healthy Eating in Schools (APPLE Schools) has been recognized as a "best practice" in preventing childhood obesity. To inform decision making on the economic implications of APPLE Schools and to justify investment, we evaluated the project's cost-effectiveness following a life-course approach. We developed a state transition model for the lifetime progression of body weight status comparing elementary school students attending APPLE Schools and control schools. This model quantified the lifetime impact of APPLE Schools in terms of prevention of excess body weight, chronic disease and improved quality-adjusted life years (QALY), from a school system's cost perspective. Both costs and health outcomes were discounted to their present value using 3% discount rate. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio(ICER) of APPLE schools was CA$33,421 per QALY gained, and CA$1,555, CA$1,709 and CA$14,218 per prevented person years of excess weight, obesity and chronic disease, respectively. These estimates show that APPLE Schools is cost effective at a threshold of ICER < CA$50,000. In probabilistic sensitivity analysis, APPLE Schools was cost effective more than 64% of the time per QALY gained, when using a threshold of ICER

Cost-effectiveness of a school-based health promotion program in Canada: A life-course modeling approach

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Background The Alberta Project Promoting active Living and healthy Eating in Schools (APPLE Schools) has been recognized as a “best practice” in preventing childhood obesity. To inform decision making on the economic implications of APPLE Schools and to justify investment, we evaluated the project’s cost-effectiveness following a life-course approach. Methods We developed a state transition model for the lifetime progression of body weight status comparing elementary school students attending APPLE Schools and control schools. This model quantified the lifetime impact of APPLE Schools in terms of prevention of excess body weight, chronic disease and improved quality-adjusted life years (QALY), from a school system’s cost perspective. Both costs and health outcomes were discounted to their present value using 3% discount rate. Results The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio(ICER) of APPLE schools was CA$33,421 per QALY gained, and CA$1,555, CA$1,709 and CA$14,218 per prevented person years of excess weight, obesity and chronic disease, respectively. These estimates show that APPLE Schools is cost effective at a threshold of ICER < CA$50,000. In probabilistic sensitivity analysis, APPLE Schools was cost effective more than 64% of the time per QALY gained, when using a threshold of ICER

Design of study without drugs--a Surinamese school-based drug-prevention program for adolescents.

PubMed

Ishaak, Fariel; de Vries, Nanne Karel; van der Wolf, Kees

2015-10-12

The aim of this study was to design the content and accompanying materials for a school-based program--Study without Drugs--for adolescents in junior secondary schools in Suriname based on the starting points and tasks of the fourth step of the Intervention Mapping protocol (which consists of six steps). A program based on this protocol should include a combination of theory, empirical evidence, and qualitative and quantitative research. Two surveys were conducted when designing the program. In Survey I, teachers and students were asked to complete a questionnaire to determine which school year they thought would be most appropriate for implementing a drug-prevention program for adolescents (we completed a similar survey as part of previous research). An attempt was made to identify suitable culturally sensitive elements to include in the program. In Survey II, the same teachers were asked to complete a questionnaire to determine the programs' scope, sequence, structure, and topics as well as the general didactic principles to serve as a basis for program design. After outlining the program plan, lessons, and materials, we conducted a formative pretest evaluation among teachers, students, and parents. That evaluation included measures related to the program's attractiveness, comprehensibility, and usefulness. The resulting lessons were presented to the teachers for assessment. The drug-prevention program we developed comprises 10 activities and lasts 2-2.5 months in an actual school setting. The activities take place during Dutch, biology, physical education, art, religion, and social studies lessons. We based the structure of the lessons in the program on McGuire's Persuasion Communication Model, which takes into account important didactic principles. Evaluations of the program materials and lesson plans by students, teachers, and parents were mostly positive. We believe that using the fourth step of the Intervention Mapping protocol to develop a drug-prevention intervention for adolescents has a produced promising, feasible program.

Interactional Practices Used in the Teaching of Conflict Prevention and Resolution Skills in an Innovative Safe School Program at an Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shin, Annalise Grace

2010-01-01

Within the framework of language socialization, this dissertation uses conversation analytic and ethnographic methods to examine the interactional practices used by the adult safe school educator at a progressive elementary school to socialize students into beliefs and practices associated with the school's Cool Tools Safe School Program. Cool…

Program Resource Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National School Resource Network, Washington, DC.

This program resource guide is a compilation of all programs and projects on preventing school violence and vandalism referenced in National School Resource Network (NSRN) materials. The programs cited are described in NSRN trainers' guides, participant guides, technical assistance bulletins, an "Aha" listing, and a compendium. The index is…

A school-based peer-led smoking prevention intervention with extracurricular activities: the LILT-LdP cluster randomized controlled trial design and study population.

PubMed

Bosi, Sandra; Gorini, Giuseppe; Tamelli, Marco; Monti, Claudia; Storani, Simone; Carreras, Giulia; Martini, Andrea; Allara, Elias; Angelini, Paola; Faggiano, Fabrizio

2013-01-01

Few school programs are effective in preventing adolescents' tobacco smoking initiation. The "Lega contro i Tumori - Luoghi di Prevenzione" is a cluster randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate a school-based peer-led smoking prevention intervention with extracurricular activities for students aged 14-15 years. This paper presents the study design and the baseline characteristics of the study population. Twenty secondary schools located in the Reggio Emilia province took part in the study. Five schools were excluded because they already participated in smoking prevention interventions. The schools were randomized to control or intervention arms. The study population consisted of students attending the first grade. Components of the intervention included 1) the out-of-school "Smoking Prevention Tour" (SPT) at the "Luoghi di Prevenzione" Center, a 4-hour (4 sessions) extracurricular activity; 2) the "Smoke-free Schools" intervention, combining a life-skills-based peer-led intervention at school, an in-depth lesson on one of the SPT sessions, and enforcement surveillance of the school antismoking policy. Tobacco use was studied through a questionnaire administered before and 6 months after the intervention. Eleven high schools and 9 vocational secondary schools took part in the study for a total of 2,476 out of 3,050 eligible students (81.2%). The proportions of respondents in high schools and vocational secondary schools were 90.9% and 64.5%, respectively (P <0.001). Intervention and control arms showed a different distribution of gender and school type, whereas no difference was observed in any tobacco-use characteristic. This study is one of the few Italian trials to evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based program for preventing smoking initiation.

An Evaluation of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program's Effectiveness in a High School Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Losey, Raymond Alan

2009-01-01

An ecological approach to bullying prevention is critical for the reduction of bullying and victimization. Any intervention implemented in a school to reduce bullying should include a variety of targets on all levels of the ecology and these interventions need to be sustainable by the school following introduction of the intervention. Schools are…

Improving Interactions: The Effects of Implementing the Fight-Free Schools Violence Prevention Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fahsl, Allison J.; Luce, Amanda E.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the Fight-Free Schools violence prevention process had an effect on the frequency of aggressive acts of elementary school students. Participants included approximately 600 students ranging from Kindergarten to 5th grade in a suburban school in the Midwestern United States. Data were collected over…

Association of School Characteristics and Implementation in the X:IT Study--A School-Randomized Smoking Prevention Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bast, Lotus S.; Due, Pernille; Ersbøll, Annette K.; Damsgaard, Mogens T.; Andersen, Anette

2017-01-01

Background: Assessment of implementation is essential for the evaluation of school-based preventive activities. Interventions are more easily implemented in schools if detailed instructional manuals, lesson plans, and materials are provided; however, implementation may also be affected by other factors than the intervention itself--for example,…

Preventing and Responding to Bullying: An Elementary School's 4-Year Journey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCormac, Mary E.

2015-01-01

Bullying continues to be a pervasive problem in schools and requires a schoolwide approach. This article describes the action research process used to examine the impact of a 4-year, K-5 school bullying prevention and intervention. The school counselors collaborated with students, staff, and parents to implement the program, and collected and…

Correlates of Successful Dropout Prevention Strategies for At-Risk Children in Urban Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baecher, Richard E.; And Others

This report examines the correlates of successful social and educational strategies of a dropout prevention program for minority children in an urban school district. In 1986, Fordham University's Graduate School of Education and Social Services became partners with a heavily-populated minority public school district in New York City. This paper…

Public School Practices for Violence Prevention and Reduction: 2003-04. Issue Brief. NCES 2007-010

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jekielek, Susan; Brown, Brett; Marin, Pilar; Lippman, Laura

2007-01-01

School violence can lead to a disruptive and threatening environment, physical injury, and emotional stress, all of which can be obstacles to student achievement. Educators have responded to the perceived threat of school violence by implementing programs designed to prevent, deter, and respond to the potential for violence in schools. In…

School Counselors' Role in Dropout Prevention and Credit Recovery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tromski-Klingshirn, Donna; Miura, Yoko

2017-01-01

This article introduces credit recovery (CR) programs to school counseling. Traditionally the school counselors' role in CR has been limited to referring students who are, or who have, failed courses. Based on our own findings from a study of a large Midwest high school (N = 2,000) CR program, we make specific recommendations for school counselors…

Strategies for Addressing Asthma within a Coordinated School Health Program, with Updated Resources. Revised

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2006

2006-01-01

This publication offers concrete suggestions for schools working to improve the health and school attendance of students with asthma. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified six strategies for schools and districts to consider when addressing asthma within a coordinated school health program. The six strategies detailed…

[Development and effect analysis of web-based instruction program to prevent elementary school students from safety accidents].

PubMed

Chung, Eun-Soon; Jeong, Ihn-Sook; Song, Mi-Gyoung

2004-06-01

This study was aimed to develop a WBI(Web Based Instruction) program on safety for 3rd grade elementary school students and to test the effects of it. The WBI program was developed using Macromedia flash MX, Adobe Illustrator 10.0 and Adobe Photoshop 7.0. The web site was http://www.safeschool.co.kr. The effect of it was tested from Mar 24, to Apr 30, 2003. The subjects were 144 students enrolled in the 3rd grade of an elementary school in Gyungju. The experimental group received the WBI program lessons while each control group received textbook-based lessons with visual presenters and maps, 3 times. Data was analyzed with descriptive statistics, and chi2 test, t-test, and repeated measure ANOVA. First, the WBI group reported a longer effect on knowledge and practice of accident prevention than the textbook-based lessons, indicating that the WBI is more effective. Second, the WBI group was better motivated to learn the accident prevention lessons, showing that the WBI is effective. As a result, the WBI group had total longer effects on knowledge, practice and motivation of accident prevention than the textbook-based instruction. We recommend that this WBI program be used in each class to provide more effective safety instruction in elementary schools.

Barriers and Advantages to Student Participation in the School Breakfast Program Based on the Social Ecological Model: A Review of the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopez-Neyman, Stephanie M.; Warren, Cynthia A.

2016-01-01

Participation in school meals is a preventive measure against childhood hunger. Participation in the School Breakfast Program (SBP) continues to lag behind that of the National School Lunch Program. The purpose of this literature review was to investigate the barriers and advantages to student participation in the SBP. Using the adaptable…

Implementing a Comprehensive Program for the Prevention of Conduct Problems in Rural Communities: The Fast Track Experience1

PubMed Central

Bierman, Karen L.

2012-01-01

Childhood conduct problems are predictive of a number of serious long-term difficulties (e.g., school failure, delinquent behavior, and mental health problems), making the design of effective prevention programs a priority. The Fast Track Program is a demonstration project currently underway in four demographically diverse areas of the United States, testing the feasibility and effectiveness of a comprehensive, multicomponent prevention program targeting children at risk for conduct disorders. This paper describes some lessons learned about the implementation of this program in a rural area. Although there are many areas of commonality in terms of program needs, program design, and implementation issues in rural and urban sites, rural areas differ from urban areas along the dimensions of geographical dispersion and regionalism, and community stability and insularity. Rural programs must cover a broad geographical area and must be sensitive to the multiple, small and regional communities that constitute their service area. Small schools, homogeneous populations, traditional values, limited recreational, educational and mental health services, and politically conservative climates are all more likely to emerge as characteristics of rural rather than urban sites (Sherman, 1992). These characteristics may both pose particular challenges to the implementation of prevention programs in rural areas, as well as offer particular benefits. Three aspects of program implementation are described in detail: (a) community entry and program initiation in rural areas, (b) the adaptation of program components and service delivery to meet the needs of rural families and schools, and (c) issues in administrative organization of a broadly dispersed tricounty rural prevention program. PMID:9338956

Evaluation of a Youth-Led Program for Preventing Bullying, Sexual Harassment, and Dating Aggression in Middle Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connolly, Jennifer; Josephson, Wendy; Schnoll, Jessica; Simkins-Strong, Emily; Pepler, Debra; MacPherson, Alison; Weiser, Jessica; Moran, Michelle; Jiang, Depeng

2015-01-01

Although youth-led programs (YLP) have been successful in many areas of public health, youth leadership is rarely used in the prevention of peer aggression. A YLP to reduce bullying, sexual harassment, and dating aggression was compared experimentally with the board-mandated usual practice (UP). Four middle schools in an urban Canadian school…

Collaborative Evaluation of a High School Prevention Curriculum: How Methods of Collaborative Evaluation Enhanced a Randomized Control Trial to Inform Program Improvement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orsini, Muhsin Michael; Wyrick, David L.; Milroy, Jeffrey J.

2012-01-01

Blending high-quality and rigorous research with pure evaluation practice can often be best accomplished through thoughtful collaboration. The evaluation of a high school drug prevention program (All Stars Senior) is an example of how perceived competing purposes and methodologies can coexist to investigate formative and summative outcome…

Public Commitment, Resistance to Advertising, and Leisure Promotion in a School-Based Drug Abuse Prevention Program: A Component Dismantling Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hernández-Serrano, Olga; Griffin, Kenneth W.; García-Fernández, José Manuel; Espada, Mireia; Orgilés José P.

2013-01-01

The objective of the present study was to examine the contribution of three intervention components (public commitment, resistance to advertising, and leisure promotion) on alcohol and protective variables in a school-based substance use prevention program. Participants included 480 Spanish students aged from 14 to 16 who received the…

Does a Culturally Sensitive Smoking Prevention Program Reduce Smoking Intentions among Aboriginal Children? A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKennitt, Daniel W.; Currie, Cheryl L.

2012-01-01

The aim of the study was to determine if a culturally sensitive smoking prevention program would have short-term impacts on smoking intentions among Aboriginal children. Two schools with high Aboriginal enrollment were selected for the study. A grade 4 classroom in one school was randomly assigned to receive the culturally sensitive smoking…

An Effectiveness Trial of a Selected Dissonance-Based Eating Disorder Prevention Program for Female High School Students: Long-Term Effects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stice, Eric; Rohde, Paul; Shaw, Heather; Gau, Jeff

2011-01-01

Objective: Efficacy trials found that a dissonance-based eating disorder prevention program in which female high school and college students with body image concerns critique the thin ideal reduced eating disorder risk factors, eating disorder symptoms, and future eating disorder onset. The present effectiveness trial tested whether this program…

The Role of Teacher Communicator Style in the Delivery of a Middle School Substance Use Prevention Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giles, Steven M.; Pankratz, Melinda M.; Ringwalt, Chris; Jackson-Newsom, Julia; Hansen, William B.; Bishop, Dana; Dusenbury, Linda; Gottfredson, Nisha

2012-01-01

We examine whether teachers' communicator style relates to student engagement, teacher-student relationships, student perceptions of teacher immediacy, as well as observer ratings of delivery skills during the implementation of All Stars, a middle school-based substance use prevention program. Data from 48 teachers who taught All Stars up to 3…

Evaluation of a School-Based Program Aimed at Preventing Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garmy, Pernilla; Jakobsson, Ulf; Carlsson, Katarina Steen; Berg, Agneta; Clausson, Eva K.

2015-01-01

The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the implementation of a universal school-based cognitive behavioral program whose target is to prevent depressive symptoms in adolescents. The study had a quasi-experimental design with pretest, posttest, and a 1-year follow-up and provides an illustrative calculation for the implementation costs of the…

Knowledge Gains Following a Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Program Among Urban Students: A Cluster-Randomized Evaluation

PubMed Central

Dauber, Sarah; Tully, Brenda A.; Hamilton, Paige; Smith, Michael J.; Freeman, Katherine

2015-01-01

Objectives. We evaluated a school-based child sexual abuse (CSA) prevention program, Safe Touches, in a low–socioeconomic status, racially diverse sample. Methods. Participants were 492 second- and third-grade students at 6 public elementary schools in New York City. The study period spanned fall 2012 through summer 2014. We cluster-randomized classrooms to the Safe Touches intervention or control groups and assessed outcomes with the Children’s Knowledge of Abuse Questionnaire. Hierarchical models tested change in children’s knowledge of inappropriate and appropriate touch. Results. The intervention group showed significantly greater improvement than the control group on knowledge of inappropriate touch. Children in second grade and children in schools with a greater proportion of students in general (vs special) education showed greater gains than other participants in knowledge of inappropriate touch. We observed no significant change in knowledge of appropriate touch among control or intervention groups. Conclusions. Young children benefited from a school-based, 1-time CSA prevention program. Future research should explore the efficacy of CSA prevention programs with children before the second grade to determine optimal age for participation. PMID:25973809

Effects of a prevention program for internet addiction among middle school students in South Korea.

PubMed

Yang, Sun-Yi; Kim, Hee-Soon

2018-05-01

This study explored the effects of a self-regulatory efficacy improvement program on self-control, self-efficacy, internet addiction, and time spent on the internet among middle school students in South Korea. The program was led by school nurses, and it is integrated self-efficacy and self-regulation promotion strategies based on Bandura's social cognitive theory. A quasi-experimental, nonequivalent, control group, pre-posttest design was used. The participants were 79 middle school students. Measurements included the Self-Control Scale, Self-Efficacy Scale, Internet Addiction Proneness Scale, and an assessment of internet addiction. Self-control and self-efficacy significantly increased and internet addiction and time spent on the internet significantly decreased in the intervention group compared with the control group. A program led by school nurses that integrated and applied self-efficacy and self-regulation intervention strategies proved effective for prevention of students' internet addiction. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

IMMEDIATE AND SHORT-TERM EFFECTS OF THE 5TH GRADE VERSION OF THE keepin’ it REAL SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION INTERVENTION*

PubMed Central

Hecht, Michael L.; Elek, Elvira; Wagstaff, David A.; Kam, Jennifer A.; Marsiglia, Flavio; Dustman, Patricia; Reeves, Leslie; Harthun, Mary

2010-01-01

This study assessed the immediate and short-term outcomes of adapting a culturally-grounded middle school program, keepin’ it REAL, for elementary school students. After curriculum adaptation, 10 schools were randomly assigned to the intervention in 5th grade with follow-up boosters in 6th grade; 13 schools were randomly assigned to the control condition, implementing the school’s pre-existing substance use prevention programming. Students (n = 1,566) completed a questionnaire prior to curriculum implementation and follow-up questionnaires toward the end of 5th and 6th grade. The 5th grade kiR curriculum generally appeared no more effective than the control schools’ programming in changing students’ resistance or decision-making skills; substance use intentions, expectancies, or normative beliefs; or lifetime and recent substance use. Such findings have implications for the age appropriateness of school-based programs. PMID:19157042

(Almost) a slam dunk: Assessing the experiences and opinions of participants in a National Basketball Association (NBA)-funded dropout prevention program.

PubMed

Geiger, Tray J; Amrein-Beardsley, Audrey

2017-10-01

Researchers conducted an evaluation of participants' perceptions of a dropout prevention program - the NBA High School program - involving a National Basketball Association (NBA) team, a high school located in downtown [City], and the College of Education (COE) at the local State University (SU). The program targeted "at-risk" high school students while utilizing student-teachers as tutors and mentors. Researchers utilized mixed methods to assess student, student-teacher, and high school teacher participants' experiences with and opinions of the program. Researchers found (1) students enjoyed the program, especially given the involvement of the student-teachers; (2) students believed the program helped improve their grades; (3) student-teachers enjoyed working with their students, although student-teachers found some of the expectations surrounding their positions and roles as tutors/mentors within the high school to be unclear and frustrating; (4) high school teachers felt significantly better about the program than the student-teachers; and (5) overall, all sets of respondents categorically supported the program and its benefits. Findings indicated that the involvement of mentors or role models matters to students, and clear and organized logistics, planning, and communication are integral for program success. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cardiovascular health promotion for elementary school children. The Heart Smart Program.

PubMed

Berenson, G S; Arbeit, M L; Hunter, S M; Johnson, C C; Nicklas, T A

1991-01-01

Models of health promotion directed to cardiovascular disease prevention are becoming increasingly important, based on the wealth of behavioral and physiologic data that examine the determinants, distributions, and interrelationships and trends over time of cardiovascular risk factors in children. The epidemiologic studies of children of cardiovascular risk factors and of life-styles provide the foundation to address intervention strategies beginning at the school age. Cardiovascular health promotion programs in elementary schools have tremendous potential for the prevention of adult cardiovascular diseases in our nation.

Evaluation of the New York City Dropout Prevention Initiative. Final Report on the High Schools for Year Three, 1987-88. Part Two: Special Studies of the High School Program in Year Three.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grannis, Joseph; And Others

This document comprises part 2 of a two-part evaluation of the third-year implementation of the New York City Board of Education's 3-year high school Dropout Prevention Initiative (DPI). It consists of reports on 8 special substudies of the program in year 3 (part 1 describes the DPI and presents the evaluation findings and recommendations.) The…

School Psychologists as Leaders in the Implementation of a Targeted Intervention: The Behavior Education Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawken, Leanne S.

2006-01-01

School psychologists are excellent candidates to support school administrations interested in implementing a continuum of effective behavior support. To prevent severe problem behavior, best practice suggests implementing a continuum of effective behavior support which includes primary level prevention procedures, secondary level targeted…

Security and Crime Prevention Strategies in California Public Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nieto, Marcus

Key findings are presented from a survey conducted by the California Research Bureau showing that most California school districts incorporate violence prevention program curricula with a strong police and security presence. Many schools have installed closed circuit video surveillance cameras, canine searches, and metal detectors. Unfortunately,…

Exercise-Based School Obesity Prevention Programs: An Overview

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yetter, Georgette

2009-01-01

Overweight and obesity are major health concerns for young people. Schools are particularly promising environments for preventing and treating obesity. The Institutes of Medicine recommends 60 minutes per day of physical activity for children and youth, including at least 30 minutes at school. Yet the amount of moderate to vigorous physical…

Gender Differences in Alcohol Prevention Programming

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ogenchuk, Marcella J.; Hellsten, Laurie-Ann M.; Prytula, Michelle

2012-01-01

The purpose of this article is to describe a study of the outcomes of a school-based alcohol abuse prevention initiative. The initiative was focused on identifying, developing, disseminating, and evaluating information for high school students based on the school community needs. Student learning outcomes were measured using pre- and post-tests…

The Comprehensive Dropout Prevention Plan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Broward County School Board, Fort Lauderdale, FL.

The Comprehensive Dropout Prevention Plan utilizes the resources of Broward County public schools and the community for dropout prevention. A matrix of dropout prevention options has been assembled from both existing programs and from new program designs. General components of the plan include the following: (1) dropout retrieval activities; (2)…

The Devil Is in the Details: Examining the Evidence for "Proven" School-Based Drug Abuse Prevention Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gandhi, Allison Gruner; Murphy-Graham, Erin; Petrosino, Anthony; Chrismer, Sara Schwartz; Weiss, Carol H.

2007-01-01

In an effort to promote evidence-based practice, government officials, researchers, and program developers have developed lists of model programs in the prevention field. This article reviews the evidence used by seven best-practice lists to select five model prevention programs. The authors' examination of this research raises questions about the…

Impact of Drug Education. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Children, Family, Drugs and Alcoholism of the Committee on Labor and Human Resources. United States Senate, Ninety-Ninth Congress, Second Session on Examining the Need for Drug Abuse Prevention Programs in Public Schools and on Proposals to Provide Assistance for the Development and Expansion of Drug Prevention Programs in Elementary and Secondary Schools in the United States.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources.

This document contains witness testimonies and prepared statements from the Senate hearing called to examine what drug abuse prevention curriculum will effectively teach public school children to say "no" to drugs. Opening statements are included from Senators Paula Hawkins, John Kerry, Alfonse D'Amato, Dennis DeConcini, Charles…

Effect of the planet health intervention on eating disorder symptoms in Massachusetts middle schools, 2005-2008.

PubMed

Austin, S Bryn; Spadano-Gasbarro, Jennifer L; Greaney, Mary L; Blood, Emily A; Hunt, Anne T; Richmond, Tracy K; Wang, Monica L; Mezgebu, Solomon; Osganian, Stavroula K; Peterson, Karen E

2012-01-01

The Planet Health obesity prevention curriculum has prevented purging and abuse of diet pills (disordered weight control behavior [DWCB]) in middle-school girls in randomized trials, but the effects of Planet Health on DWCB when implemented by schools under dissemination conditions are not known. Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts disseminated Planet Health as part of the 3-year, Healthy Choices obesity prevention program in middle schools. We conducted an evaluation in 45 schools from fall 2005 to spring 2008. We gathered data from school staff to quantify intervention activities, and we gathered anonymous cross-sectional survey data from students on DWCB at baseline and Year 3 follow-up (n = 16,369). Multivariate logistic analyses with generalized estimating equations examined the effect of intervention activities on odds of students reporting DWCB at follow-up. Students in schools reaching a high number of youth with Planet Health lessons on reducing television viewing had lower odds of DWCB at follow-up (odds ratio [OR], 0.80 per 100 lesson-exposures; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.74-0.85). In addition, reduced odds of DWCB at follow-up were found in schools with active staff teamwork (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.66-0.86) and the presence of programs addressing television viewing goals with staff (OR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.28-0.53). Combined evidence from efficacy and effectiveness trials and now from dissemination research indicates that appropriately designed obesity prevention programs can achieve DWCB prevention on a large scale.

Healthy Schools-Healthy Kids: a controlled evaluation of a comprehensive universal eating disorder prevention program.

PubMed

McVey, Gail; Tweed, Stacey; Blackmore, Elizabeth

2007-06-01

This study was a controlled evaluation of a comprehensive school-based universal prevention program involving male and female students, parents, teachers, school administrators and local public health professionals. A total of 982 male and female Grades 6 and 7 middle school students (and 91 teachers/school administrators) completed self-report surveys at baseline on measures of body satisfaction, internalization of media ideals, size acceptance, disordered eating, weight-based teasing, weight loss and muscle-gaining behaviours, and perceptions of school climate (teachers only). Eighty-four percent of the students repeated the surveys immediately following the 8-month school-wide intervention and 71% again 6 months later. Repeated measures ANCOVAs revealed that participation in the Healthy Schools-Healthy Kids (HS-HK) program had a positive influence by reducing the internalization of media ideals among male and female students and by reducing disordered eating among female students. The program was also associated with reductions in weight-loss behaviours among the students, although this effect was lost by the 6-month follow-up. When the intervention students were sub-divided into low versus high-risk groups, the high-risk group appeared to benefit most from the intervention with significant reductions in internalization of media ideals, greater body satisfaction, and reduced disordered eating over time. There were no intervention effects for teachers. Challenges of engaging teachers in prevention are discussed.

Design, randomization and methodology of the TriAtiva Program to reduce obesity in school children in Southern Brazil.

PubMed

Friedrich, Roberta R; Caetano, Lisandrea C; Schiffner, Mariana D; Wagner, Mário B; Schuch, Ilaine

2015-04-11

The prevalence of child obesity in Brazil has increased rapidly in recent decades. There is, therefore, an urgent need to develop effective strategies to prevent and control child obesity. In light of these considerations, an intervention program with a focus on nutrition education and physical activity was developed for to prevent and control obesity in schools. The intervention was called the TriAtiva Program: Education, Nutrition and Physical Activity. This article describes the design, randomization and method used to evaluate the TriAtiva program. This randomized controlled cluster trial was performed in 12 municipal schools in the city of Porto Alegre/RS (six schools in the intervention group and six control schools) which offered first- through fourth grade, during one school year. The TriAtiva Program was implemented through educational activities related to healthy eating and physical activity, creating an environment which promoted student health while involving the school community and student families. The primary outcome of the present study was body mass, while its secondary outcomes were waist circumference, percent body fat, blood pressure and behavioural variables such as eating habits and physical activity levels, as well as the prevalence, incidence and remission rates of obesity. The intervention was developed based on a comprehensive review of controlled trials of similar design. The TriAtiva Program: Education, Nutrition and Physical Activity was the first study in Southern Brazil to use a randomized controlled design to evaluate an intervention involving both nutrition education and physical activity in schools. Our results will contribute to the development of future interventions aimed at preventing and controlling child obesity in schools, especially in Brazil. Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry (REBEC) number RBR2xx2z4.

Perceptions of Middle School Educators in Hawai‘i about School-based Gardening and Child Health

PubMed Central

Oshiro, Caryn E; Loharuka, Sheila; Novotny, Rachel

2011-01-01

Background Childhood obesity prevention is a national priority. School-based gardening has been proposed as an innovative obesity prevention intervention. Little is known about the perceptions of educators about school-based gardening for child health. As the success of a school-based intervention depends on the support of educators, we investigated perceptions of educators about the benefits of gardening programs to child health. Methods Semi-structured interviews of 9 middle school educators at a school with a garden program in rural Hawai‘i were conducted. Data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Results Perceived benefits of school-based gardening included improving children's diet, engaging children in physical activity, creating a link to local tradition, mitigating hunger, and improving social skills. Poverty was cited as a barrier to adoption of healthy eating habits. Opinions about obesity were contradictory; obesity was considered both a health risk, as well as a cultural standard of beauty and strength. Few respondents framed benefits of gardening in terms of health. Conclusions In order to be effective at obesity prevention, school-based gardening programs in Hawai‘i should be framed as improving diet, addressing hunger, and teaching local tradition. Explicit messages about obesity prevention are likely to alienate the population, as these are in conflict with local standards of beauty. Health researchers and advocates need to further inform educators regarding the potential connections between gardening and health. PMID:21886287

Models for At Risk Youth. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woloszyk, Carl A.

Secondary data sources, including the ERIC and National Dropout Prevention Center databases, were reviewed to identify programs and strategies effective in keeping at-risk youth in school and helping them make successful school-to-work transitions. The dropout prevention model that was identified features a system of prevention, mediation,…

High School Teachers' Perceptions of Cyberbullying Prevention and Intervention Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stauffer, Sterling; Heath, Melissa Allen; Coyne, Sarah Marie; Ferrin, Scott

2012-01-01

Recent meta-analyses indicate that bully prevention programs produce minimal change in student behavior. This study examined 66 high school teachers' perceptions regarding the effect of cyberbullying on students, which intervening strategies teachers would use when dealing with cyberbullying, and which prevention strategies would assist in…

Bullying Prevention. What Works in Preventing School Violence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skiba, Russell; Fontanini, Angela

Bullying is a serious matter involving a substantial number of students. Most bullying occurrences are undetected or ignored, leading to detrimental physical and psychological effects for victims, as well as school climate. Teachers intervene in only 4 percent of all incidents. Well-conducted, comprehensive bullying prevention programs can be…

A School Flouride Mouthrinse Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petchel, Karen A.; Mello, Arthur F.

1977-01-01

A weekly "swish and spit" program takes about ten minutes of class time, effectively prevents dental caries, and promotes an awareness and greater concern for good dental practices in the school community. (MJB)

Evaluating the impact of implementation factors on family-based prevention programming: methods for strengthening causal inference.

PubMed

Crowley, D Max; Coffman, Donna L; Feinberg, Mark E; Greenberg, Mark T; Spoth, Richard L

2014-04-01

Despite growing recognition of the important role implementation plays in successful prevention efforts, relatively little work has sought to demonstrate a causal relationship between implementation factors and participant outcomes. In turn, failure to explore the implementation-to-outcome link limits our understanding of the mechanisms essential to successful programming. This gap is partially due to the inability of current methodological procedures within prevention science to account for the multitude of confounders responsible for variation in implementation factors (i.e., selection bias). The current paper illustrates how propensity and marginal structural models can be used to improve causal inferences involving implementation factors not easily randomized (e.g., participant attendance). We first present analytic steps for simultaneously evaluating the impact of multiple implementation factors on prevention program outcome. Then, we demonstrate this approach for evaluating the impact of enrollment and attendance in a family program, over and above the impact of a school-based program, within PROSPER, a large-scale real-world prevention trial. Findings illustrate the capacity of this approach to successfully account for confounders that influence enrollment and attendance, thereby more accurately representing true causal relations. For instance, after accounting for selection bias, we observed a 5% reduction in the prevalence of 11th grade underage drinking for those who chose to receive a family program and school program compared to those who received only the school program. Further, we detected a 7% reduction in underage drinking for those with high attendance in the family program.

Community-level moderators of a school-based childhood sexual assault prevention program.

PubMed

Morris, Matthew C; Kouros, Chrystyna D; Janecek, Kim; Freeman, Rachel; Mielock, Alyssa; Garber, Judy

2017-01-01

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is highly prevalent and associated with a wide variety of negative mental and physical health outcomes. School-based CSA education and prevention programs have shown promise, but it is unclear to what extent community-level characteristics are related to their effectiveness. The present cluster randomized controlled trial evaluated community-level moderators of the Safe@Lastprogramcomparedtoawaitlistcontrolcondition.(*) Knowledge gains from pre- to post-intervention were assessed in 5 domains: safe versus unsafe people; safe choices; problem-solving; clear disclosure; and assertiveness. Participants were 1177 students (46% White, 26% African American, 15% Hispanic, 4% Asian American, 6% Other) in grades 1 through 6 from 14 public schools in Tennessee. Multilevel models accounting for the nesting of children within schools revealed large effect sizes for the intervention versus control across all knowledge domains (d's ranged from 1.56 to 2.13). The effectiveness of the program was moderated by mean per capita income and rates of substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect in the community. Intervention effects were stronger for youth living in lower as compared to higher income counties, and for youth attending schools in counties with lower as compared to higher abuse/neglect rates. Child characteristics (sex, race) did not moderate intervention effects. This research identified two community-level factors that predicted the effectiveness of a CSA education and prevention program designed to improve children's knowledge of personal safety skills. School-based CSA prevention programs may require modification for communities with higher rates of child abuse and neglect. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Project Students are Sun Safe (SASS): A University Student-Delivered Skin Cancer Prevention Program for Schools.

PubMed

Davis, Raeann; Loescher, Lois J; Rogers, Jillian; Spartonos, Denise; Snyder, Aimee; Koch, Stephanie; Harris, Robin B

2015-12-01

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the USA and is increasing in children and young adults. Adolescents are an important target population for sun-safety interventions with ultraviolet radiation as the strongest risk factor for developing skin cancer. Schools are an ideal setting to intervene with adolescents. A novel Arizona skin cancer prevention in-class education-activity program, Project 'Students are Sun Safe' (SASS), was designed to be delivered by university students for middle school and high school students. Participant students completed the pre- and post-program tests and a satisfaction questionnaire; teachers completed reviews. The evaluation examined the program's influence on participants' sun-safety knowledge, perceptions, and behaviors; satisfaction with the program; and intent to change. After exposure to Project SASS, participants were more likely to perceive a high risk of skin cancer, report negative attitudes toward tanned skin, and answer knowledge-based questions correctly. There were minimal differences in self-reported sun-safety behaviors, though participants did report intent to change. Both participants and teachers were satisfied with the program. Project SASS appears to be an effective sun-safety program for middle school and high school students for knowledge and perceptions, and the results confirm that appropriately tailoring program components to the target population has strong potential to impact adolescent perceived susceptibility, knowledge, and behavioral intent. The strengths and weaknesses of Project SASS have many implications for public health practice, and Project SASS may hold promise to be a model for skin cancer prevention in adolescents.

Creating Safe Schools: Roles and Challenges, a Federal Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Modzeleski, William

1996-01-01

Presents an overview of the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act, a key federal program that provides funding directly to states and local educational agencies to facilitate drug and violence prevention programs. The Gun-Free Schools Act is also examined, and the major challenges communities face in correcting school safety problems are…

Post-Identification Support for Substance Dependent Students in School-Based Programs: The Weakest Link

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zunz, Sharyn J.; Ferguson, Nancy L.; Senter, Meredith

2005-01-01

School based efforts need to embrace a continuum of care model that moves beyond solely primary prevention to address the needs of students who are identified as substance dependent. The extent of this problem and barriers to program implementation are presented. Efforts to offer services through Student/Assistance Programs, School-based…

Pilot Investigation of the Katie Brown Educational Program: A School-Community Partnership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joppa, Meredith C.; Rizzo, Christie J.; Nieves, Amethys V.; Brown, Larry K.

2016-01-01

Background: Schools in the United States are increasingly being urged to address the problem of adolescent dating violence (DV) with their students. Given the limited time available to implement prevention programming during the school day, brief programs are needed. The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of a widely disseminated,…

Public commitment, resistance to advertising, and leisure promotion in a school-based drug abuse prevention program: a component dismantling study.

PubMed

Hernández-Serrano, Olga; Griffin, Kenneth W; García-Fernández, José Manuel; Orgilés, Mireia; Espada, José P

2013-01-01

The objective of the present study was to examine the contribution of three intervention components (public commitment, resistance to advertising, and leisure promotion) on alcohol and protective variables in a school-based substance use prevention program. Participants included 480 Spanish students aged from 14 to 16 who received the Saluda prevention program in one of the following five experimental conditions: complete program, program minus public commitment, program minus resistance to advertising, program minus leisure promotion, and a waiting-list control. The students completed self-report surveys at pretest, posttest, and 6-month follow-up assessments. When excluding the healthy leisure promotion component, the Saluda program showed no loss of efficacy neither on alcohol use nor on other substance-related variables, while public commitment and resistance to advertising improved the aforementioned program's efficacy.

Affect management for HIV prevention with adolescents in therapeutic schools: the immediate impact of project balance.

PubMed

Brown, Larry K; Houck, Christopher; Donenberg, Geri; Emerson, Erin; Donahue, Kelly; Misbin, Jesse

2013-10-01

Adolescents in therapeutic schools are at greater risk for HIV and other STIs than their peers due to earlier higher rates of sexual risk and difficulty managing strong emotions. HIV prevention programs that incorporate techniques for affect management (AM) during sexual situations may be beneficial. This paper determined the immediate impact of such an intervention, AM, compared to a standard, skills-based HIV prevention intervention and a general health promotion intervention (HP) for 377 youth, ages 13-19, in therapeutic schools in two cities. 1 month after the intervention, analyses that adjusted for the baseline scores found adolescents in AM were more likely to report condom use at last sex than those in HP (0.89 vs. 0.67, p = 0.02) and that their HIV knowledge was significantly greater. These data suggest that AM techniques might improve the impact of standard skills-based prevention programs for adolescents in therapeutic schools.

The NARCONON drug education curriculum for high school students: a non-randomized, controlled prevention trial.

PubMed

Lennox, Richard D; Cecchini, Marie A

2008-03-19

An estimated 13 million youths aged 12 to 17 become involved with alcohol, tobacco and other drugs annually. The number of 12- to 17-year olds abusing controlled prescription drugs increased an alarming 212 percent between 1992 and 2003. For many youths, substance abuse precedes academic and health problems including lower grades, higher truancy, drop out decisions, delayed or damaged physical, cognitive, and emotional development, or a variety of other costly consequences. For thirty years the Narconon program has worked with schools and community groups providing single educational modules aimed at supplementing existing classroom-based prevention activities. In 2004, Narconon International developed a multi-module, universal prevention curriculum for high school ages based on drug abuse etiology, program quality management data, prevention theory and best practices. We review the curriculum and its rationale and test its ability to change drug use behavior, perceptions of risk/benefits, and general knowledge. After informed parental consent, approximately 1000 Oklahoma and Hawai'i high school students completed a modified Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) Participant Outcome Measures for Discretionary Programs survey at three testing points: baseline, one month later, and six month follow-up. Schools assigned to experimental conditions scheduled the Narconon curriculum between the baseline and one-month follow-up test; schools in control conditions received drug education after the six-month follow-up. Student responses were analyzed controlling for baseline differences using analysis of covariance. At six month follow-up, youths who received the Narconon drug education curriculum showed reduced drug use compared with controls across all drug categories tested. The strongest effects were seen in all tobacco products and cigarette frequency followed by marijuana. There were also significant reductions measured for alcohol and amphetamines. The program also produced changes in knowledge, attitudes and perception of risk. The eight-module Narconon curriculum has thorough grounding in substance abuse etiology and prevention theory. Incorporating several historically successful prevention strategies this curriculum reduced drug use among youths.

The Role of Ethnicity in School-Based Obesity Intervention for School-Aged Children: A Pilot Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karczewski, Sabrina A.; Carter, Jocelyn S.; DeCator, Draycen D.

2016-01-01

Background: Rates of obesity have risen disproportionately for ethnic minority youth in the United States. School-based programs may be the most comprehensive and cost-effective way to implement primary prevention in children. In this study we evaluated the effect of a school-based obesity prevention on the outcome of body mass index percentile…

Factors Influencing the Implementation of Organized Physical Activity and Fruit and Vegetable Snacks in the HOP'N After-School Obesity Prevention Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hastmann, Tanis J.; Bopp, Melissa; Fallon, Elizabeth A.; Rosenkranz, Richard R.; Dzewaltowski, David A.

2013-01-01

Objective: To identify barriers and facilitators for improving the after-school organized physical activity (PA) and snack quality. Methods: After-school staff (Year 1, n = 20; Year 2, n = 17) participated in qualitative, semistructured interviews about the implementation of an after-school obesity prevention intervention. Interviews were…

Cultural context of school communities in rural Hawaii to inform youth violence prevention.

PubMed

Affonso, Dyanne D; Mayberry, Linda; Shibuya, June Y; Archambeau, Olga G; Correa, Mary; Deliramich, Aimee N; Frueh, B Christopher

2010-03-01

Escalation of youth violence within a large geographic school-complex area in southeastern rural Hawaii became a major problem in 2006. How cultural forces impact the problem was an impetus to examine youth violence from perspectives of adults and children in rural communities. Gathering these data was an essential first step toward school-based youth violence prevention program development. Eight focus groups involving 86 community stakeholders included 51 adults (parent, teachers, school staff, community leaders) and 35 children aged 8-15 years old (3rd- to 10-th grade). Qualitative narrative analysis elicited major themes. Five themes emerged: (1) School-community violence takes on many forms that become entrenched in local culture. (2) Disintegration of community resources and a sense of learned helplessness underlie the escalation of youth violence. (3) Inadequate role modeling coupled with behavioral ambivalence among adults has sustained a climate of local cultural acceptance with youth violence. (4) Connection to cultural values has diminished, leading to a sense of loss in cultural identity among students. (5) Cultural values and practices are potential strategies for youth violence prevention. Cultural and community contextual factors contributed to youth violence in rural Hawaiian communities. Study implications include the need to further investigate the impact of vigilant, community involvement of stakeholders in school-based youth violence prevention program development. Cultural revitalization at family, school, and community levels may be critical success factors of such programs.

Teacher and Staff Voices: Implementation of a Positive Behavior Bullying Prevention Program in an Urban School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Letendre, Joan; Ostrander, Jason A.; Mickens, Alison

2016-01-01

Bullying is a problem that affects the academic, social, and emotional well-being of scores of children and youths daily in U.S. schools. Understanding how to influence the environment in which the bullying occurs is essential to creating safe schools. Whole-school intervention programs train teachers, school staff, and administrators to model and…

Healthy and Safe School Environment, Part I: Results from the School Health Policies and Programs Study 2006

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Sherry Everett; Fisher, Carolyn J.; Greene, Brenda Z.; Hertz, Marci F.; Pritzl, Jane

2007-01-01

Background: Policies set at the state, district, and school levels can support and enhance a healthy and safe school environment. Methods: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducts the School Health Policies and Programs Study every 6 years. In 2006, computer-assisted telephone interviews or self-administered mail questionnaires were…

School-based internet obesity prevention programs for adolescents: a systematic literature review.

PubMed

Whittemore, Robin; Chao, Ariana; Popick, Rachel; Grey, Margaret

2013-03-01

In response to the childhood obesity epidemic, numerous studies on school-based Internet obesity prevention interventions have been conducted. The purpose of this systematic review is to describe, synthesize, and evaluate the research on school-based Internet obesity prevention programs for adolescents. Medline, CINAHL, and PsycInfo were searched from January 1995 to August 2012 to locate relevant studies. Ninety-one reports were initially identified, with 12 meeting the inclusion criteria. Studies had variable control groups, program content, and sample characteristics. Though few authors reported on implementation processes or body mass index (BMI) outcomes, the majority of studies were effective in improving health behaviors in the short term. Most studies were judged to have a high or unclear risk of bias in at least two domains, thus the quality of evidence for this body of literature is moderate. Further research is needed to examine programs of longer duration, optimal dose and timing of programs, cost-effectiveness, and mediators and moderators of intervention outcomes.

The COMPASS study: a longitudinal hierarchical research platform for evaluating natural experiments related to changes in school-level programs, policies and built environment resources.

PubMed

Leatherdale, Scott T; Brown, K Stephen; Carson, Valerie; Childs, Ruth A; Dubin, Joel A; Elliott, Susan J; Faulkner, Guy; Hammond, David; Manske, Steve; Sabiston, Catherine M; Laxer, Rachel E; Bredin, Chad; Thompson-Haile, Audra

2014-04-08

Few researchers have the data required to adequately understand how the school environment impacts youth health behaviour development over time. COMPASS is a prospective cohort study designed to annually collect hierarchical longitudinal data from a sample of 90 secondary schools and the 50,000+ grade 9 to 12 students attending those schools. COMPASS uses a rigorous quasi-experimental design to evaluate how changes in school programs, policies, and/or built environment (BE) characteristics are related to changes in multiple youth health behaviours and outcomes over time. These data will allow for the quasi-experimental evaluation of natural experiments that will occur within schools over the course of COMPASS, providing a means for generating "practice based evidence" in school-based prevention programming. COMPASS is the first study with the infrastructure to robustly evaluate the impact that changes in multiple school-level programs, policies, and BE characteristics within or surrounding a school might have on multiple youth health behaviours or outcomes over time. COMPASS will provide valuable new insight for planning, tailoring and targeting of school-based prevention initiatives where they are most likely to have impact.

Long-term effect of intensive prevention on dental health of primary school children by socioeconomic status.

PubMed

Winter, Julia; Jablonski-Momeni, Anahita; Ladda, Annett; Pieper, Klaus

2017-12-29

Children in a German region took part in regular toothbrushing with fluoride gel during their time in primary school after having received a preventive program in kindergarten. The study aimed at determining the dental health of the students as a function of prevention in kindergarten and at school while taking into account their socioeconomic status and other confounders. The subjects were in six groups: groups 1 and 2, intensive prevention in kindergarten with and without fluoride gel at school; groups 3 and 4, basic prevention in kindergarten with and without fluoride gel at school; groups 5 and 6, no organized prevention in kindergarten with and without fluoride gel at school. Two dental examinations were performed for assessing caries experience and calculating caries increment from second grade (7-year-olds) to fourth grade (9-year-olds). A standardized questionnaire was used to record independent variables. To compare caries scores and preventive measures of various subgroups, non-parametric tests and a binary logistic regression analysis were performed. A significant difference was found in the mean decayed, missing, and filled tooth/teeth (DMFT) depending on socioeconomic status (no prevention in kindergarten, fluoride gel at school in children with low SES: DMFT = 0.47 vs. DMFT = 0.18 in children with high SES; p = 0.023). Class-specific differences were no longer visible among children who had taken part in an intensive preventive program combining daily supervised toothbrushing in kindergarten and application of fluoride gel in school. Early prevention, focusing on professionally supported training of toothbrushing in kindergarten and at school, has a positive effect on dental health and is able to reduce class-specific differences in caries distribution. Early training of toothbrushing and fissure sealing of first permanent molars are the most important factors for the dental health of primary school children.

Sustainability of teacher implementation of school-based mental health programs.

PubMed

Han, Susan S; Weiss, Bahr

2005-12-01

Evidence-based prevention and intervention programs are increasingly being implemented in schools and it therefore is becoming increasingly important to understand the complexities of program implementation under real-world conditions. Much research has focused on the contextual factors that influence program implementation but less work has attempted to provide an integrated understanding of mechanisms (e.g., teacher-training processes) that affect teachers' program implementation. In this paper, we review literature on factors related to teachers' implementation of school-based prevention and intervention programs, then from this review abstract what we believe are four basic ingredients that characterize potentially sustainable teacher-implemented classroom programs. Finally, we present a sequential model, based on these ingredients, of the naturalistic processes underlying sustainability of teachers' program implementation and describe how this sustainability can be enhanced through provision of teacher training and performance feedback from a classroom consultant.

First Step to Success--A School/Home Intervention Program for Preventing Problem Behaviors in Young Children: Examining the Effectiveness and Social Validity in Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diken, Ibrahim H.; Cavkaytar, Atilla; Batu, E. Sema; Bozkurt, Funda; Kurtyilmaz, Yildiz

2010-01-01

This study examined the effectiveness of the First Step to Success (FSS) early intervention program for preventing antisocial behavior in Turkey. Participants included 24 students, their teachers and parents from four K-8 elementary schools. The experimental group included 12 targeted students (four kindergarten, four first-grade and four…

Randomized Controlled Evaluation of the "Too Good for Drugs" Prevention Program: Impact on Adolescents at Different Risk Levels for Drug Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Bruce W.; Bacon, Tina P.; Ferron, John M.

2013-01-01

Sixth graders participating in the "Too Good for Drugs" (TGFD) prevention program in comparison to 6th graders not participating show different results by student risk level. Sixth graders from 20 middle schools were randomly assigned to receive the intervention and those from 20 paired middle schools assigned to serve as controls (N =…

A school-based comprehensive lifestyle intervention among chinese kids against obesity (CLICK-Obesity): rationale, design and methodology of a randomized controlled trial in Nanjing city, China.

PubMed

Xu, Fei; Ware, Robert S; Tse, Lap Ah; Wang, Zhiyong; Hong, Xin; Song, Aiju; Li, Jiequan; Wang, Youfa

2012-06-15

The prevalence of childhood obesity among adolescents has been rapidly rising in Mainland China in recent decades, especially in urban and rich areas. There is an urgent need to develop effective interventions to prevent childhood obesity. Limited data regarding adolescent overweight prevention in China are available. Thus, we developed a school-based intervention with the aim of reducing excess body weight in children. This report described the study design. We designed a cluster randomized controlled trial in 8 randomly selected urban primary schools between May 2010 and December 2013. Each school was randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group (four schools in each group). Participants were the 4th graders in each participating school. The multi-component program was implemented within the intervention group, while students in the control group followed their usual health and physical education curriculum with no additional intervention program. The intervention consisted of four components: a) classroom curriculum, (including physical education and healthy diet education), b) school environment support, c) family involvement, and d) fun programs/events. The primary study outcome was body composition, and secondary outcomes were behaviour and behavioural determinants. The intervention was designed with due consideration of Chinese cultural and familial tradition, social convention, and current primary education and exam system in Mainland China. We did our best to gain good support from educational authorities, school administrators, teachers and parents, and to integrate intervention components into schools' regular academic programs. The results of and lesson learned from this study will help guide future school-based childhood obesity prevention programs in Mainland China. ChiCTR-ERC-11001819.

The Effectiveness of Adapted Versions of an Evidence-Based Prevention Program in Reducing Alcohol Use among Alternative School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hopson, Laura M.; Holleran Steiker, Lori K.

2010-01-01

Although there is a strong evidence base for effective substance abuse prevention programs for youths, there is a need to facilitate the implementation and evaluation of these programs in real-world settings. This study evaluates the effectiveness of adapted versions of an evidence-based prevention program, keepin' it REAL (kiR), with alternative…

Improving Prevention Programs: First Results on the Relation between Subjectively Perceived Levels of Usefulness and Social Competencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grumm, Mandy; Hein, Sascha; Fingerle, Michael

2013-01-01

School-based aggression prevention programs have been implemented in many educational institutions, and fostering the development of social competencies is one of the central aspects of many approaches. The aim of the present study was to assess the level of subjectively perceived usefulness of the prevention program "Faustlos" in…

Fat Bias and Weight-Related Teasing Prevention among Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miyairi, Maya

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to implement a weight-related teasing prevention program and evaluate the effectiveness of the program among adolescents. One hundred forty-three students in 7th-grade in health classes at the middle school were asked to participate in the study. The weight-related teasing prevention program was implemented as part of…

School Engagement Mediates Long Term Prevention Effects for Mexican American Adolescents

PubMed Central

Gonzales, Nancy A.; Wong, Jessie J.; Toomey, Russell B.; Millsap, Roger; Dumka, Larry E.; Mauricio, Anne M.

2014-01-01

This five year follow-up of a randomized clinical trial evaluated the efficacy of a family-focused intervention delivered in middle school to increase school engagement following transition to high school (2 years posttest), and also evaluated mediated effects through school engagement on multiple problem outcomes in late adolescence (5 years posttest). The study sample included 516 Mexican American adolescents who participated in a randomized trial of the Bridges to High School Program (Bridges/ Puentes). Path models representing the direct and indirect effects of the program on four outcome variables were evaluated using school engagement measured in the 9th grade as a mediator. The program significantly increased school engagement, with school engagement mediating intervention effects on internalizing symptoms, adolescent substance use, and school dropout in late adolescence when most adolescents were in the 12th grade. Effects on substance use were stronger for youth at higher risk based on pretest report of substance use initiation. There were no direct or indirect intervention effects on externalizing symptoms. Findings support that school engagement is an important prevention target for Mexican American adolescents. PMID:24398825

Psychometric characteristics of process evaluation measures for a school-based childhood obesity prevention study: Louisiana Health

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Process evaluations of large-scale school based programs are necessary to aid in the interpretation of the outcome data. The Louisiana Health (LA Health) study is a multi-component childhood obesity prevention study for middle school children. The Physical Education (PEQ), Intervention (IQ), and F...

Preventing Substance Abuse: A Guide for School Counselors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sales, Amos

The focus of this book is on the identification of practical knowledge and skill needed and an action plan to implement prevention programming in schools. The text is written as a resource for practitioners, students, and faculty in school counseling. It is designed to facilitate development of knowledge necessary to implement comprehensive…

Family Factors and Suicidal Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simon, Robert

This research was conducted at a Canadian suicide prevention center. The object of the study was to find useful information concerning high school students in the perspective of developing a suicide prevention program in the schools. All 23 local high schools contributed to this study on suicidal ideation and behavior. Subjects (N=2,546) responded…

Starting Strong: A School-Based Indicated Prevention Program during the Transition to Kindergarten

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eisenhower, Abbey; Taylor, Heather; Baker, Bruce L.

2016-01-01

Starting Strong in Kindergarten (Starting Strong) is a school-based indicated prevention targeting behavior problems, student-teacher relationships, and parent-school connectedness for children with or at risk for disruptive behavior problems during the transition to kindergarten. By use of a block-randomized, controlled trial to test program…

Runaways: Some Suggestions for Prevention, Coordinating Services, and Expediting the Reentry Process.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rohr, Michael E.; James, Richard

1994-01-01

Examines how school counselors can assist runaways. The authors focus on prevention, runaway programs, and how to expedite school reentry. Because school counselors invariably spend time with runaways, counselors can become more effective and efficient both in the short and long term in helping these troubled clients. (RJM)

Violence Prevention in Georgia's Rural Public School Systems: Perceptions of School Superintendents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ballard, Chet

1998-01-01

Survey responses by superintendents in 81 of Georgia's 114 rural school districts covered violence prevention policies; use of searches, videocamera surveillance, metal detectors, security alarm systems, dress codes, and law enforcement officers on campus; incidence of removal of weapons and various forms of violence; student discipline programs;…

A Framework for Assessing Violent Behaviors in Elementary School-Age Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bardick, Angela D.; Bernes, Kerry B.

2008-01-01

The importance of preventing and intervening in bullying and other forms of school violence has been well established. This has resulted in the publication of numerous programs designed to prevent bullying and violence in schools. However, a missing piece revolves around the social worker's role in identifying and assessing violent behaviors in…

Go Slow Whoa Meal Patterns: Cafeteria Staff and Teacher Perceptions of Effectiveness in "Winning with Wellness" Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slawson, Deborah L.; Southerland, Jodi; Lowe, Elizabeth F.; Dalton, William T.; Pfortmiller, Deborah T.; Schetzina, Karen

2013-01-01

Background: School-based interventions hold promise for child obesity prevention. Implemented as a part of the "Winning with Wellness" obesity prevention project, the "Go Slow Whoa" meal pattern (GSW) was designed to promote healthier foods in school cafeterias. This investigation determined perceived program effectiveness and…

The Evaluation Handbook: Guidelines for Evaluating Dropout Prevention Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smink, Jay; Stank, Peg

This manual, developed in an effort to take the mysticism out of program evaluation, discusses six phases of the program evaluation process. The introduction discusses reasons for evaluation, process and outcome evaluation, the purpose of the handbook, the evaluation process, and the Sequoia United School District Dropout Prevention Program. Phase…

The cycle of violence and victimization: a study of the school-based intervention of a multidisciplinary youth violence-prevention program.

PubMed

Nadel, H; Spellmann, M; Alvarez-Canino, T; Lausell-Bryant, L L; Landsberg, G

1996-01-01

This article reports on the school-based intervention component of a multidisciplinary program intended to reduce and prevent youth violence in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn. This intervention is based on three theories. The first theory posits that modifying beliefs, attitudes, and norms will help youths develop behaviors that support nonviolence. The second theoretical construct asserts that enhancing relationships with peers and family will buffer youths from the effects of exposure to violence. Finally, the third theory suggests that changing aspects of the setting and climate that contribute to violent behavior will prevent violence. The school-based intervention, the Safe Harbor, is a victim-assistance and violence-prevention program. The Safe Harbor offers activities including a 20-lesson violence-prevention and victim-assistance curriculum, counseling, parent involvement, teacher training, and school-change campaigns. The evaluation design is a panel study, with cohorts surveyed longitudinally at nonequivalent intervals. One hundred and fifteen seventh- and eighth-grade students who receive the curriculum and other services are the experimental group; the other 879 students in the seventh and eighth grades serve as the comparison group. Baseline data were collected through a survey of the entire school before the program's implementation in January 1995. Subsequent data collection will include interviews and focus groups; future analysis will address how participation in other parts of the Safe Harbor program or other programs in the school affects outcomes. The participation rate for the baseline survey in the experimental group was 86%, in the comparison group 76%. Responses to the survey questions were virtually identical between the two groups. Preliminary analyses reflect a climate of pervasive violence in the school, family, and community. More than half of the sample reported witnessing a severe beating in the school or their community within the past four months. Forty-four percent witnessed someone being attacked with a weapon in their neighborhood. The psychological consequences of exposure to violence were severe-51% of the sample reported post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. A number of lessons have been learned from implementing and evaluating this project, including the importance of fostering community partnership and strong relationships with the school, and addressing both reactions to victimization and norms and beliefs about aggression.

Curriculum Planning Guidelines for Tobacco Use Prevention and Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montana State Office of Public Instruction, Helena.

This curriculum planning guide is designed to help Montana school districts design an appropriate tobacco use prevention and education program. It focuses on: "Tobacco Use Prevention Education: The OPI (Office of Public Instruction) Perspective"; "Instructional Guidelines" (key issues in program planning and major health…

Teen pregnancy prevention: a rural model using school and community collaboration.

PubMed

Barnes, N D; Harrod, S E

1993-11-01

From 1980 to 1989 there were 2069 babies born to teenage mothers in northeastern Connecticut, accounting for more than 10% of all births in this region. A Connecticut model program that combats teen pregnancy and emphasizes a collaborative venture between a state-funded community-based pregnancy prevention program and a regional vocational-technical high school located in a rural setting is described. Beginning in the fall of 1987, a group of local providers and concerned citizens formed a steering committee which was given funding to initiate services in early 1988. The objectives of the Northeast Connecticut Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program were (a) to enhance the capacity of parents to prevent teen pregnancy, (b) to increase public education concerning the prevention of teenage pregnancy, (c) to increase the coordinated planning of teen pregnancy prevention resources, and (d) to mobilize additional teen pregnancy prevention resources. At the regional vocational-technical high school in rural north eastern Connecticut a pregnancy prevention program for students in grades 9 through 12 was designed called Contemporary Life Issues Clinic (CLIC). This voluntary experiential program lasted 8 weeks for male and female students. Each week, one session operated during regular school hours. Students preregistered for each week's activity or clinic in the guidance office. CLIC's consisted of eight topics with accompanying activities aimed at improving sexual responsibility; increasing the decision-making skills of students; encouraging the development of coping skills; fostering emotional growth; cultivating success-oriented attitudes; providing information in pregnancy prevention, sexually transmitted disease including AIDS; and providing information regarding the financial and legal implications of parenthood. During the fall of 1990, CLIC had 98 participants. The majority of the students were young women. The most heavily attended session dealt with contraception; the fewest participants attended the session devoted to sexually transmitted diseases. CLIC has the potential for expansion and improvement.

Drug Abuse Prevention: School-based Strategies That Work. ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bosworth, Kris

This Digest discusses the role of the school, the community, and teacher preparation programs in alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD) prevention among adolescents. It proposes that a comprehensive drug abuse prevention curriculum should incorporate: (1) normative education to help students realize that use of ATOD is not the norm for…

Family Engagement. National Dropout Prevention Center/Network Newsletter. Volume 20, Number 2

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duckenfield, Marty, Ed.

2008-01-01

The "National Dropout Prevention Newsletter" is published quarterly by the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network. This issue contains the following articles: (1) Family/School Relationships: Relationships That Matter; (2) Program Profile; (3) Engaging Families in the Pathway to College: Lessons From Schools That Are Beating the Odds (Anne T.…

Final Evaluation Report of the Harlandale Independent School District's Bilingual Education Program, 1974-75.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrison, Helene W.

Comprised of pre-K-6 and LLD (Language Learning Disability) classrooms, the program is designed to provide bilingual education for pupils who have limited English speaking ability. There are 1,612 pupils from 7 elementary schools and 1 junior high school. Program objectives are to: (1) prevent their educational retardation by instructing them in…

The effects of the evidence-based Safe Dates dating abuse prevention program on other youth violence outcomes.

PubMed

Foshee, Vangie A; Reyes, Luz McNaughton; Agnew-Brune, Christine B; Simon, Thomas R; Vagi, Kevin J; Lee, Rosalyn D; Suchindran, Chiravath

2014-12-01

In response to recent calls for programs that can prevent multiple types of youth violence, the current study examined whether Safe Dates, an evidence-based dating violence prevention program, was effective in preventing other forms of youth violence. Using data from the original Safe Dates randomized controlled trial, this study examined (1) the effectiveness of Safe Dates in preventing peer violence victimization and perpetration and school weapon carrying 1 year after the intervention phase was completed and (2) moderation of program effects by the sex or race/ethnicity of the adolescent. Ninety percent (n = 1,690) of the eighth and ninth graders who completed baseline questionnaires completed the 1-year follow-up assessment. The sample was 51 % female and 26 % minority (of whom 69 % was black and 31 % was of another minority race/ethnicity). There were no baseline treatment group differences in violence outcomes. Treatment condition was significantly associated with peer violence victimization and school weapon carrying at follow-up; there was 12 % less victimization and 31 % less weapon carrying among those exposed to Safe Dates than those among controls. Treatment condition was significantly associated with perpetration among the minority but not among white adolescents; there was 23 % less violence perpetration among minority adolescents exposed to Safe Dates than that among controls. The observed effect sizes were comparable with those of other universal school-based youth violence prevention programs. Implementing Safe Dates may be an efficient way of preventing multiple types of youth violence.

Development of a smoking prevention mass media program using diagnostic and formative research.

PubMed

Worden, J K; Flynn, B S; Geller, B M; Chen, M; Shelton, L G; Secker-Walker, R H; Solomon, D S; Solomon, L J; Couchey, S; Costanza, M C

1988-09-01

The process of developing a mass media campaign to prevent smoking among adolescents is described in detail. This campaign supplements a school smoking prevention program and shares educational objectives with the school program but is otherwise independent. It comprises various television and radio 30- and 60-sec "spot" messages. The campaign development process includes identifying educational objectives and strategies for appealing to young people; conducting diagnostic surveys and focus groups to determine target audience interests and perceptions about smoking and media content; suggesting approaches to producers to create preliminary television and radio messages for testing; conducting formative pretests with target groups to select optimal messages and suggest improvements to those messages; producing final messages for media presentation; and developing a media exposure plan to place messages in local media at optimal times for reception by target audiences. The media campaign is being evaluated in a 5-year project with 5,500 adolescents in four communities to determine the additional effect of mass media over a school program alone in preventing smoking.

Understanding violence: a school initiative for violence prevention.

PubMed

Nikitopoulos, Christina E; Waters, Jessica S; Collins, Erin; Watts, Caroline L

2009-01-01

The present study evaluates Understanding Violence, a violence prevention initiative implemented in a Boston-area elementary school whose students experience high rates of community violence. Understanding Violence draws on the educational and personal skills of youths and allows them to practice positive alternatives to violence. Participating 5th graders (n = 123) completed a survey that included rating scale items and open-ended questions to assess the program. Results indicate high levels of satisfaction with and learning from the program. Participants responded positively to the program's use of diverse components and community engagement. Developed as part of a larger community mental health outreach program, Understanding Violence offers an example of a school-based initiative to mitigate the effects of community violence.

Translating Evidence Based Violence and Drug Use Prevention to Obesity Prevention: Development and Construction of the Pathways Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sakuma, Kari-Lyn K.; Riggs, Nathaniel R.; Pentz, Mary Ann

2012-01-01

Effective school-based obesity prevention programs are needed to prevent and reduce the growing obesity risk among youth. Utilizing the evidence-rich areas of violence and substance use prevention, translation science may provide an efficient means for developing curricula across multiple health behaviors. This paper introduces Pathways to Health,…

The relationship between school-level characteristics and implementation fidelity of a coordinated school health childhood obesity prevention intervention.

PubMed

Lederer, Alyssa M; King, Mindy H; Sovinski, Danielle; Seo, Dong-Chul; Kim, Nayoung

2015-01-01

Curtailing childhood obesity is a public health imperative. Although multicomponent school-based programs reduce obesity among children, less is known about the implementation fidelity of these interventions. This study examines process evaluation findings for the Healthy, Energetic Ready, Outstanding, Enthusiastic, Schools (HEROES) Initiative, a tri-state school-based childhood obesity prevention intervention based on the coordinated school health (CSH) model. Site visits were conducted that included key stakeholder interviews, observation, and document review. Scores were given for 8 domains, and a total implementation score was calculated. Two-way analyses of variance were conducted to examine the relationship of 4 school-level characteristics: elementary vs. middle/high schools, public vs. private schools, district vs. building level implementation, and socioeconomic status on each implementation area. Overall, schools had high fidelity scores, although some domains were implemented more successfully than others. Three school-level characteristics were associated with 1 or more domains, with elementary schools and schools implementing at the building level consistently having higher implementation scores than their counterparts. Process evaluation findings provide insight into successes and challenges schools implementing the CSH approach may encounter. Although preliminary, these findings on school-level characteristics establish a new area of research related to school-based childhood obesity prevention programs' implementation fidelity. © 2014, American School Health Association.

Managed Care, School Health Programs, and Adolescent Health Services: Opportunities for Health Promotion.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santelli, John; Vernon, Mary; Lowry, Richard; Osorio, Jenny; DuShaw, Martha; Lancaster, Mary Sue; Pham, Ngoc; Song, Elisa; Ginn, Elizabeth; Kolbe, Lloyd J.

1998-01-01

Managed care organizations (MCOs) and school health programs share some common goals and some competing, conflicting priorities. Partnerships between the two are important for the effective coordination and delivery of comprehensive adolescent health services. This paper discusses adolescent clinical preventive services, school health services,…

Consultation in Bullying Prevention: An Elementary School Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrow, Michael T.; Hooker, Steven D.; Cate, Rebecca Lynne

2015-01-01

This manuscript outlines a consultation with a public elementary school that was aimed at assessing and strengthening the school's antibullying programs. We gathered consultation data through interviews and observations and also reviewed existing program evaluation data. We evaluated these data in light of current research on bullying prevention…

Crafting a Successful Bully Prevention Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMurrer-Shank, Marlene R.

2010-01-01

Bullying continues to be a serious problem in schools everywhere, and states are enacting laws that target bullying and harassment on campus. Several state legislatures have proposed laws that require schools to establish anti-bullying policies and programs. Therefore, education leaders and school business officials should ensure that the bully…

Effect of the Planet Health Intervention on Eating Disorder Symptoms in Massachusetts Middle Schools, 2005–2008

PubMed Central

Spadano-Gasbarro, Jennifer L.; Greaney, Mary L.; Blood, Emily A.; Hunt, Anne T.; Richmond, Tracy K.; Wang, Monica L.; Mezgebu, Solomon; Osganian, Stavroula K.; Peterson, Karen E.

2012-01-01

Introduction The Planet Health obesity prevention curriculum has prevented purging and abuse of diet pills (disordered weight control behavior [DWCB]) in middle-school girls in randomized trials, but the effects of Planet Health on DWCB when implemented by schools under dissemination conditions are not known. Methods Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts disseminated Planet Health as part of the 3-year, Healthy Choices obesity prevention program in middle schools. We conducted an evaluation in 45 schools from fall 2005 to spring 2008. We gathered data from school staff to quantify intervention activities, and we gathered anonymous cross-sectional survey data from students on DWCB at baseline and Year 3 follow-up (n = 16,369). Multivariate logistic analyses with generalized estimating equations examined the effect of intervention activities on odds of students reporting DWCB at follow-up. Results Students in schools reaching a high number of youth with Planet Health lessons on reducing television viewing had lower odds of DWCB at follow-up (odds ratio [OR], 0.80 per 100 lesson-exposures; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.74–0.85). In addition, reduced odds of DWCB at follow-up were found in schools with active staff teamwork (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.66–0.86) and the presence of programs addressing television viewing goals with staff (OR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.28–0.53). Conclusion Combined evidence from efficacy and effectiveness trials and now from dissemination research indicates that appropriately designed obesity prevention programs can achieve DWCB prevention on a large scale. PMID:23194779

Preventing Substance Use among High School Athletes: The ATLAS and ATHENA Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldberg, Linn; Eliot, Diane

2005-01-01

This article will provide information about two worthwhile programs that deal with education of high school athletes about use and abuse of steroids and other areas. Based on rationale and expressed need, program descriptions will be provided including summaries of relevant program results. Guidelines for what practitioners need to consider when…

Adapting School-Based Substance Use Prevention Curriculum Through Cultural Grounding: A Review and Exemplar of Adaptation Processes for Rural Schools

PubMed Central

Colby, Margaret; Hecht, Michael L.; Miller-Day, Michelle; Krieger, Janice L.; Syvertsen, Amy K.; Graham, John W.; Pettigrew, Jonathan

2014-01-01

A central challenge facing twenty-first century community-based researchers and prevention scientists is curriculum adaptation processes. While early prevention efforts sought to develop effective programs, taking programs to scale implies that they will be adapted, especially as programs are implemented with populations other than those with whom they were developed or tested. The principle of cultural grounding, which argues that health message adaptation should be informed by knowledge of the target population and by cultural insiders, provides a theoretical rational for cultural regrounding and presents an illustrative case of methods used to reground the keepin’ it REAL substance use prevention curriculum for a rural adolescent population. We argue that adaptation processes like those presented should be incorporated into the design and dissemination of prevention interventions. PMID:22961604

Adapting school-based substance use prevention curriculum through cultural grounding: a review and exemplar of adaptation processes for rural schools.

PubMed

Colby, Margaret; Hecht, Michael L; Miller-Day, Michelle; Krieger, Janice L; Syvertsen, Amy K; Graham, John W; Pettigrew, Jonathan

2013-03-01

A central challenge facing twenty-first century community-based researchers and prevention scientists is curriculum adaptation processes. While early prevention efforts sought to develop effective programs, taking programs to scale implies that they will be adapted, especially as programs are implemented with populations other than those with whom they were developed or tested. The principle of cultural grounding, which argues that health message adaptation should be informed by knowledge of the target population and by cultural insiders, provides a theoretical rational for cultural regrounding and presents an illustrative case of methods used to reground the keepin' it REAL substance use prevention curriculum for a rural adolescent population. We argue that adaptation processes like those presented should be incorporated into the design and dissemination of prevention interventions.

Solving Power Tool Problems in the School Shop

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irvin, Daniel W.

1976-01-01

The school shop instructor is largely responsible for the preventive maintenance of power tools. These preventive measures primarily involve proper alignment, good lubrication, a reasonable maintenance program, and good operating procedures. Suggestions for maintenance of specific equipment is provided. (Author/BP)

Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs: Linking Research and Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johns, Marilyn J.; Moncloa, Fe; Gong, Elizabeth J.

2000-01-01

Assessments of schools and community agencies with teen pregnancy prevention programs (n=23) in three California counties were conducted using surveys, interviews, and site visits. Best practices identified included youth development programs, Involvement of family and other caring adults, and culturally appropriate and locally relevant…

A Qualitative Investigation of Adolescents’ Perceived Mechanisms of Change from a Universal School-Based Depression Prevention Program

PubMed Central

Shochet, Ian; Montague, Roslyn; Smith, Coral; Dadds, Mark

2014-01-01

A recent meta-analysis provides evidence supporting the universal application of school-based prevention programs for adolescent depression. The mechanisms underlying such successful interventions, however, are largely unknown. We report on a qualitative analysis of 109 Grade 9 students’ beliefs about what they gained from an evidence-based depression prevention intervention, the Resourceful Adolescent Program (RAP-A). Fifty-four percent of interviewees articulated at least one specific example of program benefit. A thematic analysis of responses revealed two major themes, improved interpersonal relationships and improved self-regulation, both stronger than originally assumed. A more minor theme also emerged—more helpful cognitions. It is postulated that both improved interpersonal relationships and improved self-regulation are likely to enhance one another, and more helpful cognitions may express its contribution through enhanced self-regulation. These findings broaden our understanding of the impact of depression prevention programs, beginning to illuminate how such programs benefit participants. PMID:24859679

Evaluating the Impact of Implementation Factors on Family-Based Prevention Programming: Methods for Strengthening Causal Inference

PubMed Central

Crowley, D. Max; Coffman, Donna L.; Feinberg, Mark; Greenberg, Mark; Spoth, Richard

2013-01-01

Despite growing recognition of the important role implementation plays in successful prevention efforts, relatively little work has sought to demonstrate a causal relationship between implementation factors and participant outcomes. In turn, failure to explore the implementation-to-outcome link limits our understanding of the mechanisms essential to successful programming. This gap is partially due to the inability of current methodological procedures within prevention science to account for the multitude of confounders responsible for variation in implementation factors (i.e., selection bias). The current paper illustrates how propensity and marginal structural models can be used to improve causal inferences involving implementation factors not easily randomized (e.g., participant attendance). We first present analytic steps for simultaneously evaluating the impact of multiple implementation factors on prevention program outcome. Then we demonstrate this approach for evaluating the impact of enrollment and attendance in a family program, over and above the impact of a school-based program, within PROSPER, a large scale real-world prevention trial. Findings illustrate the capacity of this approach to successfully account for confounders that influence enrollment and attendance, thereby more accurately representing true causal relations. For instance, after accounting for selection bias, we observed a 5% reduction in the prevalence of 11th grade underage drinking for those who chose to receive a family program and school program compared to those who received only the school program. Further, we detected a 7% reduction in underage drinking for those with high attendance in the family program. PMID:23430578

School-based obesity prevention programs: an evidence-based review.

PubMed

Kropski, Jonathan A; Keckley, Paul H; Jensen, Gordon L

2008-05-01

This review seeks to examine the effectiveness of school-based programs for reducing childhood overweight or obesity. A systematic review of the research literature published since 1990 was conducted to identify experimental or quasi-experimental school-based curricular or environmental preventive interventions, with evaluation>or=6 months after baseline, which reported outcomes in terms of a measure of overweight. Fourteen studies were identified, including one involving a nutrition-only program, two physical activity promotion interventions and eleven studies combining nutrition and physical activity components. Most studies (n=10) offered weak (grade 2) quality evidence. One study offered strong (grade 4) evidence reducing the odds ratio for overweight in girls only, while four grade 2 studies reported significant improvements in BMI or at-risk-for overweight or overweight prevalence in boys, girls, or both. Twelve studies reported significant improvement in at least one measure of dietary intake, physical activity, and/or sedentary behavior. Our ability to draw strong conclusions as to the efficacy of school-based obesity prevention programs is limited by the small number of published studies and by methodological concerns. Qualitative analysis suggests programs grounded in social learning may be more appropriate for girls, while structural and environmental interventions enabling physical activity may be more effective for boys. High-quality evaluation protocols should be considered essential components of future programs.

Bully Prevention, Peer Mediation and Conflict Resolution: Impact of Prevention Programs on Reducing School Suspensions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frost, Alice M.

2012-01-01

Previous research examined various factors of program design, specific program curriculum, and student and faculty attitudes, but repeated studies and methodology questions have been raised with some of the research. Much of the research in the field has examined specific program effectiveness where the researcher is the author of the program or…

Reducing HIV and AIDS through Prevention (RHAP): a theoretically based approach for teaching HIV prevention to adolescents through an exploration of popular music.

PubMed

Boutin-Foster, Carla; McLaughlin, Nadine; Gray, Angela; Ogedegbe, Anthony; Hageman, Ivan; Knowlton, Courtney; Rodriguez, Anna; Beeder, Ann

2010-05-01

Using popular culture to engage students in discussions of HIV prevention is a nontraditional approach that may complement current prevention efforts and enhance the ability to reach youth who are at high risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Hip-hop or rap music is the dominant genre of music among adolescents, especially Black and Latino youth who are disproportionately impacted by HIV and AIDS. This paper describes the rationale and development of the Reducing HIV and AIDS through Prevention (RHAP) program, a school-based program that uses hip-hop/rap music as a vehicle for raising awareness among adolescents about HIV/AIDS. Constructs from the Social Cognitive Theory and the Sexual Script Theory were used in developing the program. It was piloted and evaluated among 26 middle school students in East Harlem, New York. The lessons learned from a formative evaluation of the program and the implications for developing other programs targeting public health problems are discussed. The RHAP program challenges the traditional pedagogue-student paradigm and provides an alternative approach to teaching about HIV prevention and awareness.

Applying Computer Technology to Substance Abuse Prevention Science Results of a Preliminary Examination

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marsch, Lisa A.; Bickel, Warren K.; Badger, Gary J.

2007-01-01

This manuscript reports on the development and evaluation of a computer-based substance abuse prevention program for middle school-aged adolescents, called "HeadOn: Substance Abuse Prevention for Grades 6-8TM". This self-guided program was designed to deliver effective drug abuse prevention science to youth via computer-based educational…

Impact of School-Based HIV Prevention Program in Post-Conflict Liberia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atwood, Katharine A.; Kennedy, Stephen B.; Shamblen, Steve; Tegli, Jemee; Garber, Salome; Fahnbulleh, Pearl W.; Korvah, Prince M.; Kolubah, Moses; Mulbah-Kamara, Comfort; Fulton, Shannon

2012-01-01

This paper presents findings of a feasibility study to adapt and evaluate the impact of an evidence-based HIV prevention intervention on sexual risk behaviors of in-school 6th grade youth in post-conflict Liberia (n = 812). The study used an attention-matched, group randomized controlled trial. Four matched pairs of elementary/middle schools in…

The Effectiveness of Peer-Led FAS/FAE Prevention Presentations in Middle and High Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boulter, Lyn

2007-01-01

Pregnant women and women who might become pregnant, including middle school- and high school-age adolescents, continue to consume alcohol, placing themselves at risk of having a child with the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. However, most prevention programs that attempt to increase public awareness and knowledge of FAS and related disorders…

Preventing Violence in Schools. Information Capsule. Volume 0906

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Research Services, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, 2009

2009-01-01

This report provides information on the causes and incidence of youth violence and summarizes violence prevention strategies used in schools across the country. Particular attention is devoted to the use of metal detectors in schools. It would cost an estimated $32.5 million to implement a metal detection program in all of the District's…

Primary Prevention of Chronic Disease among Children: The School-Based "Know Your Body" Intervention Trials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walter, Heather J.

1989-01-01

The classroom-based Know Your Body program focuses on diet, physical activity, and smoking prevention in elementary schools. Longitudinal testing in two New York City schools found significant favorable changes in blood cholesterol, dietary intake of fat and carbohydrates, health knowledge, and reduction in the initiation of smoking. (SK)

Youth Exchanging with Seniors: Service + Education + Commitment. Preventing Rural School Dropouts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stout, Betty; And Others

Texas ranks among the top 10 states for school dropouts with an annual dropout rate of about 30%. Some dropout prevention programs are incorporating community service components as a means to counter the alienation and low self-esteem frequently seen among dropouts and at-risk students. Significant adults other than school personnel provide youth…

Teens in Action. Creating a Drug-Free Future for America's Youth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Tom; Resnik, Hank

This book on drug abuse prevention is addressed to teenagers and covers five main areas where drug use can be prevented: schools, communities, media, the social scene, and the family. The first chapter on school programs briefly discusses peer-led alcohol and drug education, peer counseling, creating a positive school climate, and developing…

Chile: perspectives in school health.

PubMed

Langdon, M C; Gazmuri, C; Venegas, L

1990-09-01

The leading health problems of children and adolescents in Chile is reviewed. The Chilean educational system and how the system addresses its principal health problems are described. A school health program is described as well as other educational programs designed and developed by nongovernmental institutions which have a smaller coverage. Current research studies regarding growth and development, child morbidity, nutritional level, and mental health studies are reviewed. In addition, principal challenges that include developing more efficient ways of referring children, enriching the curriculum and teacher training, assigning school hours for health teachers, and enlarging coverage of the health care evaluation programs are outlined. Of special importance is developing prevention programs for parents and children using school and community leaders to prevent health problems in areas such as human sexuality education, decision-making, social abilities, and alcohol and drug abuse. Main efforts should be directed toward low-income families and children to improve life conditions.

The impact of a national poverty reduction program on the characteristics of sex partners among Kenyan adolescents.

PubMed

Rosenberg, Molly; Pettifor, Audrey; Thirumurthy, Harsha; Halpern, Carolyn Tucker; Handa, Sudhanshu

2014-02-01

Cash transfer programs have the potential to prevent the spread of HIV, particularly among adolescents. One mechanism through which these programs may work is by influencing the characteristics of the people adolescents choose as sex partners. We examined the four-year impact of a Kenyan cash transfer program on partner age, partner enrollment in school, and transactional sex-based relationships among 684 adolescents. We found no significant impact of the program on partner characteristics overall, though estimates varied widely by gender, age, schooling, and economic status. Results highlight the importance of context in exploring the potential HIV preventive effects of cash transfers.