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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2010 Mar;11(1):24-32.
doi: 10.1007/s11121-009-0146-9.

Preventing drug abuse among adolescent girls: outcome data from an internet-based intervention

Traci M Schwinn  1 , Steven P Schinke, Jennifer Di Noia
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Preventing drug abuse among adolescent girls: outcome data from an internet-based intervention

Traci M Schwinn et al. Prev Sci. 2010 Mar.

Abstract

This study developed and tested an Internet-based gender-specific drug abuse prevention program for adolescent girls. A sample of seventh, eighth, and ninth grade girls (N = 236) from 42 states and 4 Canadian provinces were randomly assigned to an intervention or control group. All girls completed an online pretest battery. Following pretest, intervention girls interacted with a 12-session, Internet-based gender-specific drug prevention program. Girls in both groups completed the measurement battery at posttest and 6-month follow-up. Analysis of posttest scores revealed no differences between groups for 30-day reports of alcohol, marijuana, poly drug use, or total substance use (alcohol and drugs). At 6-month follow-up, between-group effects were found on measures of 30-day alcohol use, marijuana use, poly drug use, and total substance use. Relative to girls in the control group, girls exposed to the Internet-based intervention reported lower rates of use for these substances. Moreover, girls receiving the intervention achieved gains over girls in the control group on normative beliefs and self-efficacy at posttest and 6-month follow-up, respectively.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Schematic of intervention delivery
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Adjusted 30-day total substance use means, by group and measurement occasion. Means are adjusted controlling for length of time between pretest and posttest, age, and average letter grade in school. 30-day total substance use (R = 0–6) is a composite variable of dichotomized values for alcohol, cigarette, marijuana, cocaine, inhalant, methamphetamine, and ecstasy use
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