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

Abstract #117371

Kathleen J. Zavela, PhD, CHES, Community Health and Nutrition, University of Northern Colorado, Gunter Hall, Greeley, CO 80639, 970.351.2755, kathy.zavela@unco.edu and Victor Battistich, PhD, Ed Psych, Research & Evaluation, University of Missouri-St. Louis, 463 Marillac Hall, 8001 Natural Bridge Road, St. Louis, MO 63121.

The U.S.D.H.H.S. Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration developed a registry of promising, effective and model prevention programs that meet scientific criteria. The Colorado Youth Leadership Project (CYLP), a middle school drug prevention grant, funded by the U.S.D.H.H.S. Center for Substance Abuse Prevention was recently designated as a “promising” program. Based on Bandura's Social Learning Theory, CYLP has six components: (1) life skills class with Project ALERT, (2) academic tutoring (3) youth leadership training & Leadership Council, (4) adventure challenge, (5) service learning, and (6) portfolios. At the end of the program, CYLP students were higher in total protective factors, especially generalized contentment, social bonding, and personal competence, than external comparison students. CYLP students reported lower use of alcohol and marijuana in the last 30 days and how often they had gotten drunk or used marijuana in the past 12 months. CYLP students were significantly lower than comparison students in prevalence of cigarette use (F=3.98, p< .05), and among those who smoked, treatment students smoked significantly fewer cigarettes than comparison students (F=4.37, p< .05). With respect to peer influences, CYLP students reported that fewer of their friends used drugs (F=7.90, p<.01), fewer of their friends had asked them to use drugs (F=4.05, p<.05), their friends would try harder to stop them from using drugs (F=9.69, p<.01), and that they would try harder to stop their friends from using drugs than comparison students (F =3.68, p<.06). Ways in which local programs can become promising, effective or model programs will be presented.

Learning Objectives:

• 1. Describe at least two features of evidence-based middle school drug prevention programs
• 2. Describe the process regarding how programs can become designated as “model,” “effective” or “promising” prevention practices.
• 3. Describe at least 3 risk and protective factors addressed by rural, drug prevention programs.
• 4. Discuss the impact of the CYLP Program on adolescent drug use, protective factors and other measures.

Keywords: Adolescents, Prevention

Related Web page: www.modelprograms.samhsa.gov/template_cf.cfm?page=promising&pkProgramID=93

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.

Recorded presentation