Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #108042

Wayne Westhoff, PhD, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, 13201 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., MDC 56, Tampa, FL 33612-3805, (813) 974-6621, wwesthof@hsc.usf.edu and Nancy Suris, MPH, MSW, Department of Community and Family Health, University of South Florida, 13201 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612.

LifeSkills Training programs have been shown to be recognized as effective substance prevention programs that focus on psychological factors associated with drug use. The emphasis is on teaching social resistance skills along with basic personal and social skills. A mid-central Florida school district used the program in three of its middle schools as part of their Safe and Drug Free Schools program. The LifeSkills program was evaluated by measuring survey scores of students who participated in the program in 2002, 2003, and 2004, compared to survey scores taken from 2001, which were utilized as a baseline measurement. Survey scores of students in the district who did not participate in the program were also compared over the three year period. The findings demonstrated an overall positive correlation between the program participants' improved responses and that of the total middle school district population. Overall the three participating schools demonstrated a higher level of improved responses on the survey. In addition to showing a positive impact by comparing students, the evaluation also demonstrated that the program met all of its objectives (i.e., reduction of the number of students who used marijuana during the past 30 days). The program not only succeeded in reducing students' favorable attitudes towards tobacco and marijuana but also addressed important underlying issues of adolescent perception and decision making, such as development of social skills, self-esteem, conflict resolution and resisting peer pressure.

Learning Objectives:

• discuss the advantage of using a nationally recognized effective program.
• understand the evaluation process of an effective program.
• apply the evaluation method to other similar programs.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.