title: A meta-evaluation of 11 school-based smoking prevention programs.
abstract: Eleven school-based smoking prevention programs were subjected to a meta-evaluation. Criteria for the meta-evaluation included: 1) adequacy of the research design, 2) evidence of reliability, 3) evidence of validity, 4) appropriate statistical analyses and interpretations, 5) reporting of effect sizes or practical significance, 6) accounting for attrition, and 7) tracking of fidelity to the program. A three-point rating scale was used ranging from 0-2. Criteria with the best ratings were research design and statistical analysis. The lowest ratings occurred for reliability and validity. The remainder of the criteria ranged between 1 and 2 with minor factors accounting for the difference in ratings. Recommendations include increasing the number of evaluations that included tests of reliability and validity and calculated effect size estimates.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Educational Research Methodology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 1000 Spring Garden St., Greensboro, NC 27402, USA. lrtingle@uncg.edu
authors.forename: Lynne R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Tingle
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: DeSimone
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Covington
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D006801:Humans; D015397:Program Evaluation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012572:School Health Services; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D014481:United States