Parent program component analysis in a drug abuse prevention trial.
OBJECTIVE
The current study estimates the effects of the parent program component of an evidence-based multi-component drug abuse prevention program for adolescents, Project STAR.


METHODS
A total of 351 parents of middle school students, who had been assigned by school to a program or comparison condition (n = 8 schools), completed self-report surveys at baseline and two years later. Analyses estimated effects of the overall parent program as well as its three key constituent activities (parent-school committee participation, parent skills training, and parent-child homework activities) on perceptions of parental influence over their children's substance use.


RESULTS
Results demonstrate that parents who participated in the overall parent program demonstrated greater perceptions of influence over their children's substance use at two-year follow-up. Furthermore, parents who participated in parent-school committees and homework sessions demonstrated greater perceptions of influence over their children's substance use than those who did not.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings of this study suggest that parent interventions may increase self-efficacy in parent-child management and communication skills. Results may help inform the development of more cost-effective and immediate prevention strategies for parents.
Riggs
Nathaniel R
NR
Institute for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research, University of Southern California, Alhambra, California 91803, USA. nriggs@usc.edu
Elfenbaum
Pamela
P
Pentz
Mary Ann
MA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting; D010465:Perception; D012307:Risk Factors; D012574:Schools; D020377:Self Efficacy; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome