© Child Trends 2003
Social Influence Curriculum
OVERVIEW
The Social Influences Curriculum is a school-based smoking prevention program. It focuses on the normative beliefs, negative short-term social and physiological risks, and social pressure regarding smoking as a way to reduce adolescent smoking after. Among baseline non-smokers, students participating in the social influence model had a lower incidence of ever smoking. Among baseline smokers, students participating in the social influence model had a lower incidence of daily and weekly smoking.
Target population: Middle school students
The social-influences model uses a focus on the negative short-term social and physiological consequences of smoking to prevent tobacco use among middle school students. Because middle school students commonly overestimate peer smoking rates, attention is paid to correcting students' normative expectations. Over the course of five classroom sessions conducted from October to April, students learn social pressure resistance skills and make a public commitment to avoid becoming a regular smoker. Students are also taught ways to deal with parents and siblings who smoke as well as smoking advertisements.
Teachers act as the directors of activities and participate in a one-day training workshop prior to program initiation.
Evaluated Population: 3,154 seventh grade students from eight junior high schools in Minnesota participated in Study I. The schools were almost all white and served mostly suburban families. The average age of the students was 12 years, and males and females were approximately evenly split. Two similar schools were added to the sample during Study II, making the population 3,820 students.
Approach: All conditions employed the social-influences model detailed above; but three of the four conditions employed additional components as described here. Specifically, schools were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: an adult-led class with activities addressing long-term health consequences of smoking, supplemented by videotapes (AH); an adult-led social-influences model using classroom activities and videotapes as supplements (ASV); a peer-led social-influences model using classroom activities and videotapes as supplements (PSV); and a peer-led social-influences model using classroom activities with no videotapes (PS). The long-term health consequences model used several lectures and classroom activities to focus on the long-term health risks of smoking. While this intervention was similar to common traditional smoking education programs, no fear-arousal techniques were used in the AH group. All students received one of the intervention treatments; thus, there is not a no-treatment control group.
During Study I, project staff supervised all classroom activities. During Study II, teachers supervised all classroom activities after a one-day training session.
Students were assessed at 1- and 2-year follow-ups on smoking frequency through surveys on smoking habits; saliva and breath tests for signs of smoking were used to improve self-reported smoking reports
Results: In Study I, at 2- and 3-year follow-ups, there were no significant impacts on smoking frequency for any of the four treatment groups.
In Study II, among baseline non-smokers, at 1-year, the four treatments were similar (though statistical tests are not reported). At the two-year follow-up, the peer led treatments were more effective than the adult-led treatments, especially the peer-led condition without video. Similarly, there were no significant differences for smoking frequency among any of the four treatment groups at the 1-year follow-up among baseline light or experimental smokers. At the 2-year follow-up, the AH group had significantly higher incidence of ever smoking among baseline non-smokers and a significantly higher incidence of weekly and daily smoking and cigarettes per week among baseline light or experimental smokers when compared with the three other groups.
Attrition analyses found higher levels of attrition among baseline smokers than among baseline light or experimental smokers. Analyses do not adjust for the fact that schools were randomly assigned while analyses were conducted for students.
Program categorized in this guide according to the following:
Evaluated participant ages: 12
Program components: school-based
Program outcomes: behavior problems
KEYWORDS: adolescents, middle school, co-ed, white, suburban, school-based, any substance use, tobacco use, peer pressure.
Program information last updated on 1/5/10.
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© Child Trends 2003 |