Formative evaluation of the online version of the strengthening families program in Brazil

Online family drug prevention programs have been shown to affect the behavior of children and adolescents. This study presents the formative evaluation results of the online implementation of Familias Fortes, a Brazilian-adapted version of the Strengthening Families Program (SFP 10-14). A total of 31 families participated in the evaluation, and data were collected from 74 observations, 64 fidelity forms, 20 focus groups, and 16 semi-structured interviews in groups located in five cities with a total of 113 participants. The evaluation focused on three outcomes: fidelity, appropriateness, and feasibility. Low fidelity was observed, with videos and audio content not consistently sent as planned, although most core elements were maintained. The program's appropriateness showed good accessibility and utilization of video content by participants, but confidentiality was lacking in adolescent meetings. Feasibility analysis revealed challenges related to poor internet access, malfunctioning of facilitator cameras, issues with time management and internal organization of institutions, and insufficient facilitator training. Specific problematic activities were identified, and recommendations for improvement were made. This included enhancing internet connectivity, developing a new manual specific to the online format, improving time management for facilitators, providing more interactive facilitator training, and considering a hybrid format. Adaptations for the aforementioned difficulties are needed before an online version of Familias Fortes could be disseminated in Brazil as a pilot model.