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Jump start: a targeted substance abuse prevention program

N G Harrington1, L Donohew

  • 1Department of Communication, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40506-0042, USA. ngrant@pop.uky.edu

Health Education & Behavior : the Official Publication of the Society for Public Health Education
|October 6, 1997
PubMed
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This study developed a substance abuse prevention program for high sensation seeking teens. The program successfully reduced differences in substance use between high and low sensation seekers, showing sensation seeking is key for targeted prevention.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Psychology
  • Substance Abuse Prevention

Background:

  • Economically disadvantaged, high sensation seeking African American teens are a vulnerable population for substance abuse.
  • Effective prevention programs require tailored content and delivery methods for specific demographics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and test a substance abuse prevention and life skills program for high sensation seeking African American teens.
  • To evaluate the program's effectiveness in neutralizing pretest differences between high and low sensation seekers regarding substance use and attitudes.

Main Methods:

  • Formative research guided program content and format development.
  • Two implementations involved 289 participants, recruited via a youth employment program and a media campaign.

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  • Process and outcome evaluations assessed participant satisfaction and changes in substance use and attitudes.

    • Main Results:

    • Participants reported extremely positive evaluations of the program.
    • Significant pretest differences in liquor and marijuana use between high and low sensation seekers were neutralized.
    • Attitudes toward drugs also showed neutralization in the first year of the program.

    Conclusions:

    • Sensation seeking is a valuable variable for designing targeted substance abuse prevention messages and programs.
    • The findings support the use of audience-targeting strategies in public health interventions.
    • Recommendations for future research are provided to further refine prevention efforts.