Dent C W, Sussman S, Stacy A W, Craig S, Burton D, Flay B R
Institute for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles 90033, USA.
J Consult Clin Psychol. 1995 Aug;63(4):676-7. doi: 10.1037//0022-006x.63.4.676.
The article presents 2-year follow-up data from a school-based tobacco use prevention project designed to test the effectiveness of 3 primary components in social influence programs. The components either teach refusal skills, awareness of social value misperceptions, or physical consequences. Curricula were tested with a randomized experiment involving 48 junior high schools. These data suggested that (a) a physical-consequences curriculum is successful at attenuating increases in adolescent smokeless tobacco use, (b) cigarette experimentation may be attenuated by various approaches, and (c) a comprehensive program with all 3 components was necessary to attenuate increases in weekly use of both forms of tobacco. These results also indicate that school-based tobacco use interventions can be effective at least 2 years postprogram, after students make their transition to high school.
