186173 Innovative peer-to-peer approach to measuring youth alcohol and other drug use (To be presented in Session 186119: Breaking the borders of traditional alcohol prevention research and evaluation: Youth and adults partnering on research and evaluation to improve community impact)

Tuesday, October 28, 2008: 12:48 PM

Tracy Keenan, MSW, PPSC , Applied Survey Research, Watsonville, CA
There are high levels of binge drinking among Santa Cruz County youth. A local initiative called CURB is working to address this issue. The CURB 2007 Youth Survey revealed that 44% of respondents binge drank in the past 30 days. In the last 12 months 21% of respondents stated that they thought they had a drinking problem; 12% tried unsuccessfully to stop using alcohol; 84% accessed alcohol from adults they knew.

To measure the impact of CURB, Applied Survey Research (ASR) piloted an innovative self-administered peer-to-peer youth survey, based on ASR's homeless surveys, which was recognized as a best practice by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This unique methodology allowed for data collection from youth not reached through other surveys, such as homeless youth, youth not enrolled in school, youth attending private schools, and GBLTQ youth. CURB actively involves youth; youth have participated in developing, piloting and administering surveys, interviewing alcohol merchants about limiting access to minors, developing a countywide media campaign, and organizing and conducting press conferences.

CURB is implementing environmental prevention strategies. CURB has had successes in increasing community recognition with media messages regarding decreasing acceptance of youth bingeing, increasing community knowledge of the definition and consequences of bingeing, increasing retailer knowledge of legal consequences to providing alcohol to minors, decreasing sales to minors, and drafting a countywide social host ordinance. CURB is working to institutionalize youth leadership, research, and evaluation into its structure and sustainability efforts.

Methodology received approval from ASR's Internal Review Board.

Learning Objectives:
1. Discuss the importance of youth peer-to-peer surveys for creating an environment in which youth are more likely to be forthcoming and honest. 2. Develop a youth survey methodology that may be used in other communities. 3. Articulate the importance of youth involvement in conducting youth research. 4. Describe the use of data for prevention planning, engaging community partners, shaping interventions/strategies, and measuring outcomes.

Keywords: Youth, Evaluation

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the project manager for the project described in the abstract, working for Applied Survey Research, a non-profit social research firm
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.