Reducing youth alcohol drinking through a parent-targeted intervention: the Orebro Prevention Program

Abstract

Aims: To evaluate a 2.5-year prevention programme working through parents, targeting drinking among 13-16-year-olds.

Design: Quasi-experimental using matched controls with a pre-post, intention-to-treat design.

Setting: Schools located in inner city, public housing and small town areas.

Participants: A total of 900 pupils entering junior high school and their parents, followed longitudinally.

Intervention: Parents received information by mail and during parent meetings in schools urging them to: (i) maintain strict attitudes against youth alcohol use and (ii) encourage their youth's involvement in adult-led, organized activities.

Measurements: Evaluation of the implementation used measures of parental attitudes against underage drinking and youths' participation in organized activities. Outcomes were youths' drunkenness and delinquency.

Findings: The implementation successfully influenced parents' attitudes against underage drinking, but not youth participation in organized activities. At post-test, youths in the intervention group reported less drunkenness and delinquency. Effect sizes were 0.35 for drunkenness and 0.38 for delinquency. Findings were similar for boys and girls and for early starters. Effects were not moderated by community type.

Conclusions: Working via parents proved to be an effective way to reduce underage drinking as well as delinquency.