 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Susanna Nemes, PhD1, Jennifer Weil, MA2, Sharon Zack, MA2, Salvatore Libretto, PhD1, and Jeffrey A. Hoffman, PhD2. (1) Danya International, Inc., 8737 Colesville Road, Suite 1200, Silver Spring, MD 20910, 301-565-2142, snemes@danya.com, (2) Danya International Inc, 8737 Colesville Road, suite 1200, Silver Spring, MD 20910
It is estimated that each year, one million children start smoking in the United States, with most children initiating the habit during early adolescence. Since tobacco attitudes and behaviors develop during childhood and adolescence, tobacco programs targeting youth during this time period are imperative. Research indicates that approaches recognizing both social influences to smoke and misperceptions of peer normative behavior are the most effective in reducing tobacco use among youth. During the past decade, various agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have developed recommendations to assist educational settings in delivering tobacco prevention messages to both children and adolescence. Unfortunately, despite these recommendations, few schools are implementing effective programs. . In response to the need for effective school prevention programs, Danya International, Inc., with funding from the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) has developed a multifaceted smoking-prevention product called Students Making Advertisements to Reduce Tobacco (SMART). Incorporating the theoretical constructs of Social Influences, SMART utilizes developmentally appropriate approaches for middle school students. The intervention includes an eight-session curriculum, youth workbook, and video. The program will enable students to acquire facts about the social influences of smoking and develop anti-tobacco advertisements to deter their peers from smoking. Two focus groups of youth and educators were conducted in order to develop the curriculum and the video. Both focus groups provided information that tailored the program to the target population and setting, ensuring that the intervention would include relevant, age-appropriate issues to which our audiences could relate.
Learning Objectives:
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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