School-based alcohol education: results of a cluster-randomized controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to examine the effects of a school-based alcohol education intervention.


METHODS
Two-arm three-wave cluster-randomized controlled trial, with schools as the unit for randomization. Surveys were conducted prior to intervention implementation, then 4 and 12 months after baseline.


METHODS
A total of 30 public schools in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Participants Baseline data were obtained from 1686 7th graders. The retention rate was 85% over 12 months. Intervention The intervention consisted of four interactive lessons conducted by teachers, booklets for students and booklets for parents.


METHODS
Knowledge, attitudes, life-time alcohol consumption (ever use alcohol without parental knowledge, ever been drunk and ever binge drinking) and past-month alcohol use.


RESULTS
Intention-to-treat analyses revealed that intervention status was associated with more general knowledge about alcohol and lower levels of life-time binge drinking. No effects were found with respect to students' self-reported attitudes, intentions to drink, life-time alcohol use and past-month alcohol use.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that this brief school-based intervention had a small short-term preventive effect on alcohol misuse.
Morgenstern
Matthis
M
Institute for Therapy and Health Research, IFT-Nord, Kiel, Germany.
Wiborg
Gudrun
G
Isensee
Barbara
B
Hanewinkel
Reiner
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002648:Child; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016037:Single-Blind Method