Tailored Interventions to Prevent Substance Abuse

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Prevention Harmful Effects
• Interventions: Other: Tailored computer based intervention; Other: Tailored computer intervention

• Registration Number: NCT01482975
• Lead Sponsor: University of Rhode Island

Brief Summary

The overarching objective of this research is to prevent substance use in early adolescents through the use of innovative interactive interventions tailored to each individual's particular risk profile for using cigarettes and alcohol. The specific aims are: (1) To test the effectiveness of the computer-based profile-based tailored interventions to keep early adolescents smoke-free compared to a comparison group; (2) To test the effectiveness of the computer-based profile-based tailored interventions to keep early adolescents from using alcohol compared to a comparison group; and (3) To replicate findings that the tailored diet and physical activity interventions will be effective in reducing these two high risk behaviors as part of the comparison condition.

Detailed Description

Research across age groups (elementary, middle and high school), populations (U.S., U.K., and Israel), and substances (tobacco, alcohol and other drugs) has consistently identified four clusters of non-users who vary in their risks for substance use: (1) Most Protected from substance use; (2) High Risk to use substances; (3) Ambivalent about staying substance free; and (4) Risk Denial about substance use. These profiles have demonstrated both internal and external validity as well as good ability to predict future substance use and, therefore, provide an opportunity to develop a new approach to prevention. These profiles will be employed as the basis for designing two innovative computer-based interventions to prevent substance abuse by adolescents. The two new tailored interventions (smoking prevention and alcohol prevention) will be developed and tested in a school-based clinical trial. The comparison group will receive two previously developed and tested tailored health behavior interventions (diet and physical activity).

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2007-09
• Primary Completion: 2011-06
• Study Completion: 2011-06
• Study First Submitted: 2011-11-29
• Study First Submitted QC: 2011-11-29
• Study First Posted: 2011-12-01
• Status Verified: 2016-05
• Last Update Submitted: 2016-05-10
• Last Update Posted: 2016-05-12

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 4158

Inclusion Criteria

• 6th grade student in one of 20 participating Middle Schools in RI
• English speaking
• Student Assent

Exclusion Criteria

• Parent refusal for child to participate

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: FACTORIAL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Smoking and Alcohol Prevention	Tailored computer based intervention	TTM expert system
Diet and Exercise	Tailored computer intervention	TTM expert system

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Alcohol Use Prevention	36 months	Percent reporting being alcohol-free at 36 months
Exercise	36 months	Percentage of baseline at-risk participants who reach the Regular Exercise criteria (60 minutes a day/five days per week).
Diet	36 months	Percentage of at-risk participants at baseline who reach Diet Criteria (five or more a day servings of fruits and vegetables).
Smoking Prevention	36 months	Percent reporting being smoke-free at 36 months

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Rhode Island; 🇺🇸 Kingston, Rhode Island, United States