A pilot study evaluating a Spanish-language adaptation of the Guiding Good Choices (GGC) program, named Guiando Buenas Decisiones, has shown promising results regarding its feasibility and acceptability within pediatric primary care settings. The findings suggest that integrating such programs into routine healthcare could offer a novel approach to substance use prevention among adolescents.
The study, published in the Journal of Prevention, involved qualitative interviews with pediatricians and parents in 2020 and 2021. Participants engaged in semi-structured telephone interviews to assess the virtual program's practicality and appeal. Guiando Buenas Decisiones, a Spanish-language version of the Guiding Good Choices intervention, aims to prevent substance use by educating caregivers of adolescents aged 11 to 13 years.
Reducing Stigma and Enhancing Funding
Researchers emphasized the potential benefits of offering the program within a trusted healthcare environment. According to the study authors, "By offering [the program] in a trusted setting, the stigma of parenting programs will be reduced and preventive interventions can be more sustainably funded." This approach could lead to increased participation and better outcomes by normalizing preventive care.
GGC4H Trial Context
The Guiando Buenas Decisiones program is a component of the larger GGC4H (Guiding Good Choices for Health) trial, an NIH Collaboratory Trial. GGC4H is a pragmatic clinical trial designed to test the feasibility and effectiveness of implementing the Guiding Good Choices substance use prevention program within healthcare systems. The trial is supported by a cooperative agreement from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, as part of the NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory.
