Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015 Nov;169(11):1046-52.
doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2015.1736.

Independent Evaluation of Middle School-Based Drug Prevention Curricula: A Systematic Review

Anna B Flynn  1 , Mathea Falco  2 , Sophia Hocini  2
Affiliations

Independent Evaluation of Middle School-Based Drug Prevention Curricula: A Systematic Review

Anna B Flynn et al. JAMA Pediatr. 2015 Nov.

Abstract

Importance: Lack of robust program evaluation has hindered the effectiveness of school-based drug abuse prevention curricula overall. Independently evaluated randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of universal, middle school-based drug abuse prevention curricula are the most useful indicators of whether such programs are effective or ineffective.

Objective: To conduct a systematic review identifying independently evaluated RCTs of universal, middle school-based drug abuse prevention curricula; extract data on study quality and substance use outcomes; and assess evidence of program effectiveness.

Evidence review: PsycInfo, Educational Resources Information Center, Science Citation Index, Social Science Citation Index, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched between January 1, 1984, and March 15, 2015. Search terms included variations of drug, alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use, as well as school, prevention, and effectiveness. Studies included in the review were RCTs carried out by independent evaluators of universal school-based drug prevention curricula available for dissemination in the United States that reported alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, or other drug use outcomes. Two researchers extracted data on study quality and outcomes independently using a data extraction form and met to resolve disagreements.

Findings: A total of 5071 publications were reviewed, with 13 articles meeting final inclusion criteria. Of the 13 articles, 6 RCTs of 4 distinct school-based curricula were identified for inclusion. Outcomes were reported for 42 single-drug measures in the independent RCTs, with just 3 presenting statistically significant (P < .05) differences between the intervention group and the control group. One program revealed statistically significant positive effects at final follow-up (Lions-Quest Skills for Adolescence).

Conclusions and relevance: The results of our review demonstrate the dearth of independent research that appropriately evaluates the effectiveness of universal, middle school-based drug prevention curricula. Independent evaluations show little evidence of effectiveness for widely used programs. New methods may be necessary to approach school-based adolescent drug prevention.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Drug Strategies, which currently employs Mss Falco and Hocini and, from 2008 to 2012, employed Ms Flynn, received grant support from the BEST Foundation to help develop an interactive game app designed to engage adolescents in drug abuse prevention. This grant ended June 30, 2013. The BEST Foundation funded the design and dissemination of Project ALERT, which is one of the programs reviewed in this article. No other disclosures were reported.

Figures

Figure.
Figure.
Article Selection Process
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Ringwalt C, Hanley S, Vincus AA, Ennett ST, Rohrbach LA, Bowling JM. The prevalence of effective substance use prevention curricula in the nation’s high schools. J Prim Prev. 2008;29(6):479–488. - PMC - PubMed
    1. US Department of Health and Human Services. NREPP: SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices. http://www.nrepp.samhsa.gov/.Published 2014. Accessed March 17, 2014.
    1. Gorman DM, Conde E, Huber JC Jr. The creation of evidence in “evidence-based” drug prevention: a critique of the Strengthening Families Program Plus Life Skills Training evaluation. Drug Alcohol Rev. 2007;26(6):585–593. - PubMed
    1. Flay BR, Biglan A, Boruch RF, et al. Standards of evidence: criteria for efficacy, effectiveness and dissemination. Prev Sci. 2005;6(3):151–175. - PubMed
    1. Sánchez V, Steckler A, Nitirat P, Hallfors D, Cho H, Brodish P. Fidelity of implementation in a treatment effectiveness trial of Reconnecting Youth. Health Educ Res. 2007;22(1):95–107. - PubMed

Publication types