The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #41991

Sarah Lord, PhD, Inflexxion, Inc, 320 Needham Street Suite 100, Newton, MA 02464, 617-332-6028, slord@inflexxion.com and Christopher Gauthier, BA, Inflexxion, Inc., 320 Needham Street Suite 100, Newton, MA 02464.

Early initiation of tobacco use is the strongest predictor of other serious health risk behaviors and smoking-related illnesses cost more than $100 billion each year. There is an urgent need for broad-reaching prevention efforts that reach youth when they are most vulnerable to initiation. There is also a need for effective, and practical, tobacco education programs that accommodate the time constraints of teachers for health education. To be most effective, such programs should be developmentally appropriate, account for individual differences in risk for initiation of use, and tailor education and prevention information to students’ experiences. Multimedia is an ideal delivery medium for school health prevention education. Special Report is an empirically-based interactive multimedia tobacco education CD-ROM program for early adolescents that consists of: [1] a risk assessment with tailored motivational feedback; [2] activities about physical and psychological effects of tobacco, including the progression to addiction; [3] media literacy exercises; and [4] preventive skill-building activities. Using an investigative reporter theme, tailored information is presented to users via text, audio, and video to accommodate different learning styles. The self-contained, modular format includes knowledge consolidation activities, allows users to access learning areas independently, and readily lends itself to use in other settings, e.g., primary care offices and youth centers. Preliminary results will be presented from a controlled, randomized field trial with 270 middle- and junior high school students that assesses the efficacy of the program for affecting knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. Special Report is supported by funding from the National Cancer Institute.

Learning Objectives:

• List 5 components of effective tobacco education
• Identify the key elements of tailored motivational feedback for preventing tobacco use in early adolescents
• List 3 benefits of interactive multimedia for the delivery of health education
• Describe the key considerations for developing interactive prevention education for early adolescent students
• Define interactive components in multimedia that enhance student motivation, attention, and willingness to reduce personal risk behaviors

Keywords: Adolescent Health, Health Education

Related Web page: www.inflexxion.com

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Inflexxion, Inc
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Employment