Preventing alcohol use among late adolescent urban youth: 6-year results from a computer-based intervention.
OBJECTIVE
This study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of a skills-based CD-ROM intervention, with and without a parent component, to reduce alcohol use among urban youth at 6-year follow-up.


METHODS
At recruitment, 513 youths with a mean age of 10.8 years were randomly assigned to one of three study arms: youth CD-ROM intervention plus parent component, youth CD-ROM intervention only, or control. All youths completed pretest, posttest, and annual follow-up measures. Youths and parents in their respective arms received the initial intervention program between pretest and posttest measures and received booster interventions between each follow-up measure.


RESULTS
With 80% sample retention at 6-year follow-up, youths in both intervention arms reported less past-month alcohol and cigarette use and fewer instances of heavy drinking and negative alcohol-related consequences. Despite having similar numbers of drinking peers as youths in the control arm, youths in both intervention arms reported greater alcohol-refusal skills. Only past-month cigarette use differed between the two intervention arms, with youths in the intervention-plus-parent-component arm smoking less than youths in the CD-ROM intervention-only arm.


CONCLUSIONS
Six years after initial intervention, youths who received a culturally tailored, skills-based prevention program had reduced alcohol use and lower rates of related risky behaviors than youths in the control arm.
Schwinn
Traci M
TM
School of Social Work, Columbia University, 1255 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, New York 10027, USA. tms40@columbia.edu
Schinke
Steven P
SP
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D016251:CD-ROM / Q000639:trends; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D012984:Software / Q000639:trends; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014505:Urban Population / Q000639:trends