The influence of a family program on adolescent tobacco and alcohol use.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined a family-directed program's effectiveness in preventing adolescent tobacco and alcohol use in a general population.


METHODS
Adolescents aged 12 to 14 years and their families were identified by random-digit dialing throughout the contiguous United States. After providing baseline data by telephone interviews, they were randomly allocated to receive or not receive a family-directed program featuring mailed booklets and telephone contacts by health educators. Follow-up telephone interviews were conducted 3 and 12 months after program completion.


RESULTS
The findings suggested that smoking onset was reduced by 16.4% at 1 year, with a 25.0% reduction for non-Hispanic Whites but no statistically significant program effect for other races/ethnicities. There were no statistically significant program effects for smokeless tobacco or alcohol use onset.


CONCLUSIONS
The family-directed program was associated with reduced smoking onset for non-Hispanic Whites, suggesting that it is worthy of further application, development, and evaluation.
Bauman
K E
KE
Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA. kbauman@mindspring.com
Foshee
V A
VA
Ennett
S T
ST
Pemberton
M
M
Hicks
K A
KA
King
T S
TS
Koch
G G
GG
D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002648:Child; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D010947:Plants, Toxic; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012044:Regression Analysis; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D014030:Tobacco, Smokeless; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology