Feasibility Study for a Schools-Based, Peer-Led, Drugs Prevention Programme, based on the ASSIST Programme
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Glasgow
Department Name: Centre for Drug Misuse
Abstract
Schools health promotion does not necessarily need to be delivered by classroom lessons. Some of the most successful smoking prevention work in schools is already undertaken by pupils themselves in the lunch-hour and at a break-times. This study seeks to design and provide a preliminary evaluation of a schools-based, peer-led drugs education programme (similar to successful smoking programmes) that would train 12 year-olds (Year 2 in Scottish secondary schools) to intervene informally with their year-group peers to promote abstinence from illicit drugs. If the preliminary study in six schools is successful, then this will provide the basis for a full-scale trial.
The proposed research would be based at Glasgow University s Centre for Drug Misuse Research (with participation from experts in Bristol, Cardiff and Edinburgh).
In a controlled, experimental design involving six schools, pupils will be asked to volunteer for training from health promotion professionals on how to intervene effectively in everyday situations to promote abstinence from drugs among their Year 2 fellow-pupils. The year-group will then be followed up over time to see how effective the training has been.
The proposed research would be based at Glasgow University s Centre for Drug Misuse Research (with participation from experts in Bristol, Cardiff and Edinburgh).
In a controlled, experimental design involving six schools, pupils will be asked to volunteer for training from health promotion professionals on how to intervene effectively in everyday situations to promote abstinence from drugs among their Year 2 fellow-pupils. The year-group will then be followed up over time to see how effective the training has been.
Technical Summary
The evidence-base for schools drugs education is not strong, but the latest Cochrane Collaboration systematic review (Faggiano et al. 2005) suggests that there are substantial similarities between findings of reviews on successful smoking, on drugs and on alcohol interventions among young people, such that a single combined intervention programme might be delivered. This proposal seeks build on the successful MRC-funded ASSIST schools smoking intervention in order to develop and evaluate a parallel schools-based, peer-supporter drugs education programme. The intervention would provide training (delivered by professional health promotion staff) for a critical mass of 12 year-old (Year 2 of Scottish secondary schools) pupils on how to intervene effectively with their year-group peers in everyday situations in order to promote abstinence from illicit drugs: the medium for health promotion would thus be the informal culture of the school, not the classroom.
Objectives: (a) to develop, pilot, execute and document a drugs-education, peer-supporter training programme to be delivered alongside existng ASSIST peer-supporter training; (b) to evaluate the feasibility of a future Phase III RCT by conducting a Phase II feasibility study, using a 3-arm experimental design with 2 control schools, 2 schools receiving the ASSIST intervention, and 2 further schools receiving ASSIST plus the above drugs education intervention; (c) a process evaluation of the impact of the intervention. Data would be collected at baseline, immediately post-intervention and at 3-months follow-up, in the form of self-report data on smoking and drug use behaviour, attitudes, intentions and expectations, plus oral fluid samples for cotinine and cannabis testing.
It is hoped that valuable data would be collected on recruitment, outcome measures, their standard deviations and ICC, which would enable the planning of a future application for full Phase III RCT.
Scientific presentations and papers will be prepared and the Scottish Executive will be kept in formed of the progress of the study. But widespread dissemination should await the results of a Phase III trial.
Objectives: (a) to develop, pilot, execute and document a drugs-education, peer-supporter training programme to be delivered alongside existng ASSIST peer-supporter training; (b) to evaluate the feasibility of a future Phase III RCT by conducting a Phase II feasibility study, using a 3-arm experimental design with 2 control schools, 2 schools receiving the ASSIST intervention, and 2 further schools receiving ASSIST plus the above drugs education intervention; (c) a process evaluation of the impact of the intervention. Data would be collected at baseline, immediately post-intervention and at 3-months follow-up, in the form of self-report data on smoking and drug use behaviour, attitudes, intentions and expectations, plus oral fluid samples for cotinine and cannabis testing.
It is hoped that valuable data would be collected on recruitment, outcome measures, their standard deviations and ICC, which would enable the planning of a future application for full Phase III RCT.
Scientific presentations and papers will be prepared and the Scottish Executive will be kept in formed of the progress of the study. But widespread dissemination should await the results of a Phase III trial.
