title: [A control study of a school-based life skills education on prevention of behavior problems in third-grade schoolchildren].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effectiveness on the prevention of behavior problems of life skills education combining school-based and parent-involved approaches for third-grade students in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  This research was targeted at the population of third-grade children in two elementary schools in Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province. Nine regular school classrooms were randomly divided into three groups: the intervention group (n=208), internal control group (n=209) and external control group (n=204). The intervention included 26-hour competence promotion for students and 5-hour parent training. The Rutter Scale by parent and teacher were used to evaluate the effects at pretest, posttest and 6-month follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Improvement was observed among children in the intervention group than those in the control groups. The statistical difference was significant (P<0.05).1.The prevalence of total behavior problems, antisocial behavior and neurotic behavior problem at home: At termination, the prevalence in intervention group(11.2%,3.6% and 6.1%)was lower (except neurotic behavior) than those in internal control group (19.4%,5.6% and 6.1%)and external control group (18.9%,8.9% and 5.3%). At 6-month follow-up, the prevalence in intervention group (10.2%,2.5% and 3.6%)was still lower than those in internal control group (17.2%,6.8% and 6.8%)and external control group (17.8%,7.8% and 6.7%).2. The prevalence of total behavior problems and antisocial behavior problem at school: At termination, the prevalence in intervention group(5.3% and 4.3%)was lower than those in internal control group(10.1% and 7.7%)and external control group(14.9% and 12.4%). At 6-month follow-up, the prevalence in intervention group(2.9% and 2.4%)was still lower than those in internal control group (10.2% and 9.7%)and external control group(11.3% and 10.3%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Life skills education could reduce the children's home and school behavior problems, especially for antisocial behavior. The effects of intervention maintained during the 6-month follow-up study.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing 100083, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yu-feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ye-ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D003162:Competency-Based Education; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012574:Schools; D012919:Social Behavior; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires