Journal Article

Use of a Social and Character Development Program to Prevent Substance Use, Violent Behaviors, and Sexual Activity Among Elementary-School Students in Hawaii

Flay, Brian R, Beets, Michael W, Snyder, Frank J, Burns, Kate, Li, Kin-Kit, Acock, Alan, Washburn, Isaac J, Vuchinich, Samuel, Durlak, Joseph

2009

Overview

Objectives. We assessed the effectiveness of a 5-year trial of a comprehensive school-based program designed to prevent substance use, violent behaviors, and sexual activity among elementary-school students. Methods. We used a matched-pair, cluster-randomized, controlled design, with 10 intervention schools and 10 control schools. Fifth-graders (N = 1714) self-reported on lifetime substance use, violence, and voluntary sexual activity. Teachers of participant students reported on student (N = 1225) substance use and violence. Results. Two-level random-effects count models (with students nested within schools) indicated that student-reported substance use (rate ratio [RR] = 0.41; 90% confidence interval [CI] = 0.25, 0.66) and violence (RR = 0.42; 90% CI = 0.24, 0.73) were significantly lower for students attending intervention schools. A 2-level random-effects binary model indicated that sexual activity was lower (odds ratio = 0.24; 90% CI = 0.08, 0.66) for intervention students. Teacher reports substantiated the effects seen for student-reported data. Dose-response analyses indicated that students exposed to the program for at least 3 years had significantly lower rates of all negative behaviors. Conclusions. Risk-related behaviors were substantially reduced for students who participated in the program, providing evidence that a comprehensive school-based program can have a strong beneficial effect on student behavior.

• Publisher: Am Public Health Assoc,American Public Health Association
• Subject: Addictive behaviors / Adult and adolescent clinical studies / Aggressive behavior / Behavior / Biological and medical sciences / Character / Child / Child development / Classrooms / Core curriculum / Curricula / Development programs / Drug abuse / Drug addiction / Drug use / Education / Elementary school students / Elementary schools / Female / Hawaii - epidemiology / Humans / Intervention / Kindergarten / Male / Medical sciences / Miscellaneous / Personality development / Prevalence / Prevention and actions / Prevention programs / Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry / Psychopathology. Psychiatry / Public health / Public health. Hygiene / Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine / Research and Practice / Risk behavior / Risk taking / Schools / Secondary school students / Sexual behavior / Sexual Behavior - psychology / Sexuality / Social Behavior / Social development / Social psychology / Student behavior / Student teacher relationship / Students / Students - psychology / Students - statistics & numerical data / Substance abuse / Substance use / Substance-Related Disorders - epidemiology / Substance-Related Disorders - prevention & control / Surveys and Questionnaires / Teachers / Teenagers / Violence / Violence - prevention & control / Violence - statistics & numerical data