Web-Based Prescription Opioid Abuse Prevention for Adolescents: Program Development and Formative Evaluation

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Adolescent Health
• Digital Health Interventions

Background:

• Nonmedical use of prescription opioids (PO) is a significant public health crisis among youth.
• Existing drug abuse prevention programs lack a specific focus on adolescent PO abuse.
• There is a need for science-based, interactive prevention tools for adolescent PO abuse.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and conduct a formative evaluation of Pop4Teens, a web-based program for preventing PO abuse in adolescents aged 12-17.
• To prepare for a randomized controlled trial comparing Pop4Teens with an active control website.
• To assess the impact on knowledge, attitudes, risk perceptions, and intentions regarding PO abuse.

Main Methods:

• Conducted focus groups with 30 youths across a spectrum of opioid exposure to inform program development.
• Held writing sessions with 30 youths in treatment for opioid use disorder for content development.
• Assessed feasibility and acceptability of a prototype through feedback sessions with 57 youths.

Main Results:

• Successfully developed the Pop4Teens web-based program.
• Focus group and writing session data informed program content, including quizzes and storylines.
• Feedback indicated the program is potentially useful and acceptable, with participants showing increased knowledge.

Conclusions:

• The opioid crisis necessitates effective, evidence-based prevention programs for youth.
• Pop4Teens is a promising, science-based interactive tool for preventing adolescent prescription opioid abuse.
• Further evaluation through a randomized controlled trial is warranted to confirm effectiveness.