Effectiveness of student assistance programs in Nebraska schools.
BACKGROUND
This study investigated whether Nebraska schools with Student Assistance Programs (SAP) are associated with reduced adolescent alcohol use and a higher level of academic achievement than students from schools without a SAP.


METHODS
In 1992, the Toward a Drug Free Nebraska (TDFN) survey was administered to 3,454 students in grades seven to twelve at eighty-three Nebraska schools. A second survey, the TDFN "team activity report" collected from each school's team, the presence of a SAP (n = 34 schools) or absence of a SAP (n = 49 schools). Student responses for alcohol use and academic achievements were linked with the presence of a SAP through use of a school identification number on both surveys.


RESULTS
Students from schools with a SAP reported a lower use of alcohol in the last thirty days, compared with students from schools without a SAP program (p < 0.05), and they also reported a significant difference in academic achievement (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
While this study used post hoc analysis of data, the results suggest lower alcohol use and higher academic achievement among students from SAP schools. Given SAPs' popularity, these trends suggest that further research should be conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of student assistance programs.
Scott
D M
DM
College of Pharmacy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha 68198-6045, USA.
Surface
J L
JL
Friedli
D
D
Barlow
T W
TW
D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009329:Nebraska; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012572:School Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires