Selected Abstracts
Back to citationsMincemoyer, C., Perkins, D., & Lillehoj, C. (accepted).
Perceptions of the Cooperative Extension Service: A community resource for
youth and family programs. Journal of Extension. (PF
109)
PROSPER;
(PROmoting School-community-university Partnerships
to Enhance Resilience) is a prevention partnership involving the Cooperative
Extension Service (CES), local schools, and community agencies. PROSPER
collaborative teams were formed in 14 communities in
Spoth, R. L.,
& Greenberg, M. T. (in press). Toward a
comprehensive strategy for effective practitioner-scientist partnerships and
larger-scale community benefits. American Journal of
Community Psychology. (PF 76)
This
article articulates joint priorities for the fields of prevention science and
community psychology. These priorities are intended to address issues raised by
the frequent observation of natural tensions between community practitioners
and scientists. The first priority is to expand the knowledge base on
practitioner-scientist partnerships, particularly on factors associated with
positive outcomes within communities. To further articulate this priority, the
paper first discusses the rapid growth in community-based partnerships and the
emergent research on them. Next described is an illustrative research project
on a partnership model that links state university extension and public school
delivery systems. The article then turns to the second, related priority of
future capacity-building for diffusion of effective partnership-based
interventions to achieve larger-scale benefits across communities. It outlines
two salient tasks: clarification of a conceptual framework and the formulation
of a comprehensive capacity-building strategy for diffusion. The comprehensive
strategy would require careful attention to the expansion of networks of
effective partnerships, partnership-based research agendas, and requisite policy
making.
Using
data collected during telephone interviews with 1,156 parents of sixth graders
from 36 rural schools, multilevel structural equation modeling was employed to
examine the relationships of family sociodemographic
factors, parental health beliefs' perceptions of their child's susceptibility
to future substance use involvement, parents' perceptions of their ability to
prevent such problems, and the perceived benefits of family-skills programs
designed to prevent adolescent problems. Family-level findings showed parent
gender and marital status to be particularly important; each exhibited direct
effects on each of the three parent perceptions examined. Findings also
supported the hypotheses that efficacy perceptions inversely affect perceptions
of child susceptibility and that perceptions of child susceptibility positively
affect perceived program benefits. At the community level, lower household
incomes were associated with higher levels of perceived child susceptibility to
substance use.
Spoth, R.,
Greenberg, M., Bierman, K., & Redmond, C. (2004). PROSPER partnership model for state public education
systems: Capacity-building for evidence-based, competence-building preventions.
Invited article for Prevention Science (special issue), 5(1),
31-39. (PF 103)
This
paper presents a model to guide capacity building in state public education
systems for delivery of evidence-based family and youth
interventions—interventions that are designed to bolster youth competencies,
learning, and positive development overall. Central to this effort is a linking
capacity agents framework that builds upon
longstanding state public education infrastructures, and a partnership model
called PROSPER or PROmoting
School-community-university Partnerships to Enhance Resilience. The paper
presents an overview of the evolving partnership model and summarizes positive
results of its implementation over a 12-year period in an ongoing project.
Spoth, R.,
This
study examines the effects of two brief family-focused interventions on the
trajectories of substance initiation over a period of six years following a
baseline assessment. The two interventions, designed for general-population
families of adolescents, were the seven-session Iowa Strengthening Families
Program (ISFP) and the five-session Preparing for the
Drug Free Years Program (PDFY). Thirty-three rural public schools were randomly
assigned to the ISFP, the PDFY, or to a minimal contact control condition.
Curvilinear growth observed in school-level measures of initiation was
evaluated using a logistic growth curve analysis. Alcohol and tobacco composite
use indices, as well as lifetime use of alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana, and
lifetime drunkenness were examined. Significant intervention-control
differences were observed, indicating favorable delays in initiation in the
intervention groups.
Epstein,
J. A., Botvin, G. J., & Spoth, R.
(2003).
Which psychosocial factors are related to drinking among rural adolescents? Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse, 13(1), 19‑35.
(PF 70)
Objective:
Most etiological studies of adolescent drinking focused on urban or suburban
populations and consequently may not apply to rural
populations. Past studies of alcohol use
among adolescents residing in rural areas have failed to focus on factors that
could be addressed within an alcohol prevention intervention. The purpose of this study was to examine the
relationship of social and cognitive factors with adolescents residing in rural
Method:
A large sample of seventh graders
(N=1673) in northern and eastern Iowa self-reported alcohol use, peer
drinking norms, adult drinking norms, drug refusal assertiveness, drug refusal
techniques, life skills, pro-drinking attitudes, risk-taking tendency, and
family management practices. These data
were collected during a 45-minute class period.
Results: Multiple regressions indicated that: peer
drinking norms, drug refusal assertiveness, drug refusal techniques, life
skills, pro-drinking attitudes and risk-taking tendency were related to
drinking measures. Family management
skills and drug refusal techniques were associated with drinking for girls but
not boys. Risk-taking tendency was
related to drinking for boys but not girls.
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that alcohol prevention programs for rural adolescents
include peer normative education, drug refusal training, parent skills
training, and competence enhancement skills training to address these factors.
Spoth, R.,
This
study examines the effects of two brief family-focused interventions on the
trajectories of substance initiation over a period of six years from a baseline
assessment. The two interventions, designed for general-population families of
adolescents, were the seven-session Iowa Strengthening Families Program (ISFP)
and the five-session Preparing for the Drug Free Years
Program (PDFY). Thirty-three rural public schools were randomly assigned to the
ISFP, the PDFY, or to a minimal contact control condition. Curvilinear growth
observed in school-level measures of initiation was evaluated using logistic
growth curve analysis. Alcohol and tobacco initiation indices, as well as
lifetime use of alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana, and lifetime occasions of
drunkenness were examined. Significant intervention-control differences were
observed, indicating favorable delays in initiation in the intervention groups.
Favorable differences in the age at which a 50% level of initiation was
attained in intervention schools, when compared with the control schools,
ranged from 1.7‑4.2 years for those implementing ISFP and .3‑1.5
years for those implementing PDFY.
Mason,
W. A, Kosterman, R.,
Hawkins, J. D., Haggerty, K. P., & Spoth, R. L. (2003).
Reducing adolescents’ growth in substance use and delinquency: Randomized trial
effects of a parent-training prevention intervention. Prevention
Science, 4(3), 203‑212. (PF 88)
The
relationship between growth in adolescent substance use and delinquency was
examined in a longitudinal, randomized controlled study of the Preparing for
the Drug Free Years Program (PDFY), a universal
family-focused prevention intervention. Latent growth curve modeling was used
to analyze 5 waves of data collected from 429 rural adolescents. Results showed
that adolescents assigned to the PDFY intervention condition had a slower rate
of linear increase over time in both substance use and delinquency compared
with adolescents assigned to the control condition. Moreover, pretest level of
delinquency was a reliable, positive predictor of growth in substance use,
whereas pretest level of substance use did not predict growth in delinquency.
Trudeau, L.,
Spoth, R., Lillehoj, C., Redmond, C., & Wickrama,
K. A. S. (2003). Effects of a preventive intervention on adolescent
substance use initiation, expectancies, and refusal intentions. Prevention Science, 4(2), 109‑122. (PF 84)
This
study evaluated the effects of a school-based preventive intervention (Botvin, G.J. (1996). Life Skills Training: Promoting health
and personal development.
Guyll, M.,
Spoth, R., & Redmond, C. (2003).
The effects of incentives and research requirements on participation rates for
a community-based preventive intervention research study. Journal of Primary
Prevention, 24(1), 25-41. (PF 73)
This
investigation utilized prospective survey data to examine the influence of a
research incentive ($100) and requirement (videotaping) on decisions to
participate in prevention research. Individuals were significantly attracted by
the incentive, and marginally deterred by the requirement. Interaction analyses
revealed that the positive incentive effect was stronger among prospective
participants with less education and who were otherwise less likely to
participate. These findings indicate that monetary incentives can be useful for
increasing participation rates, and may help reduce sampling bias by increasing
rates most strongly among individuals who are typically less likely to take
part in research projects.
Redmond, C.,
Spoth, R., & Trudeau, L. (2002).
Family and community-level predictors of parent support seeking. Journal of
Community Psychology, 30, 153-171. (PF 38)
Although
there is a substantial body of literature that indicates parenting practices
can play a significant role in the prevention of adolescent problem behaviors,
there has been limited research concerning the effects of sociodemographic
factors on parents' efforts to seek help in improving parenting or addressing
parenting concerns. Regression models incorporating two socioeconomic variables
and four family structure or composition variables were tested, employing data
from 1,192 parents who resided in rural communities. Results showed that
educational attainment and parent gender were significant predictors of both
formal and informal types of help seeking; also, marital status and number of
children were predictors of informal help seeking.
Spoth, R.,
Guyll, M., & Day, S. X. (2002).
Universal family-focused interventions in alcohol-use disorder prevention:
Cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analyses of two interventions. Journal of
Studies on Alcohol, 63(2), 219-228. (PF 58)
Objective. Epidemiologic research suggests that
significant public health benefits could accrue from preventive interventions
that delay the initiation of youth alcohol use. This analysis compares the
cost-effectiveness of two interventions designed for general population
families of adolescents; it also conservatively estimates their benefit-cost
ratios and net benefits.
Method. Cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analyses
were performed on data from a longitudinal, prevention trial with families of
sixth graders from 33 rural schools in a Midwestern state. Schools were blocked
on size and proportion of lower income families and then randomly assigned
either to one of two interventions or to a control condition. Interventions
included the Iowa Strengthening Families Program (ISFP), a seven-session
intervention with parents and students together, and Preparing for the Drug
Free Years (PDFY), a five-session intervention focusing primarily on parents.
Results. Conservative estimates for the ISFP
intervention were a cost-effectiveness figure of $12,459 per case prevented, a
benefit-cost ratio of $9.60 per $1 invested, and a net benefit of $5923 per
family. For PDFY, estimates were a cost-effectiveness of $20,439 per case prevented,
a benefit-cost ratio of $5.85 per $1 invested, and a net benefit of $2697 per
family.
Conclusions. Family skills-training interventions
designed for general populations have the potential to delay the onset of
alcohol use, and thereby may avoid substantial costs to society at a
proportionally small intervention cost. Economic analysis of such interventions
is a largely unexplored area which could provide valuable guidance in forming
public policy.
Supplemental detail on benefit-cost
calculations (PDF 166Kb)
Spoth, R.,
Guyll, M., Trudeau, L., & Goldberg-Lillehoj, C. (2002). Two studies of
proximal outcomes and implementation quality of universal preventive
interventions in a community-university collaboration context. Journal of Community Psychology, 30(5), 499‑518.
(PF 64)
This
article presents results from two longitudinal studies of competency-training
interventions that entailed community-university collaboration intended to
enhance implementation quality. In Study 1, 22 rural schools were randomly
assigned to a family-focused intervention or a minimal contact control group.
In Study 2, 36 rural schools were randomly assigned to a family-focused
preventive intervention combined with a school-based intervention, the school-based
intervention alone, or a minimal contact control group. In both studies,
observers rated adherence to intervention protocols. Results showed that, on
average, high levels of observer-rated adherence were attained in both studies.
Analyses of the relationship between observer-rated adherence scores and
proximal outcomes showed limited evidence of poorer outcomes associated with
lower-adherence groups. Overall, findings highlight the benefits of
community-university collaboration intended to facilitate high levels of
intervention adherence. The need for a framework guiding a collaborative
implementation research agenda is discussed.
Spoth,
R. L., Kavanagh, K., & Dishion, T. (2002). Family-centered
preventive intervention science: Toward benefits to larger populations of
children, youth, and families. Prevention Science, 3(3),
145‑152. (PF 87)
The
field of family-centered preventive intervention science is well poised to
seize an opportunity for larger-scale intervention implementation and greater
public health impact. This opportunity has been created by earlier research in
the areas of epidemiology, developmental etiology, and intervention outcome
research. Both earlier and current research define a
number of key tasks required to meet the many challenges involved in scaling-up
for greater impact. Illustrations of how these tasks can be addressed are
provided in articles on programs of family-centered research with infants,
children, and adolescents. Each article in this special issue treats one or more
tasks that concern (a) expansion of the set of rigorously evaluated,
theory-driven interventions that have potential to reach large numbers of
children, youth, and families; (b) effective strategies for family
recruitment and retention; (c) the cultural sensitivity of interventions; (d)
application of a developmental life course perspective; (e) strategies for
linking higher-risk population subgroups with potentially beneficial services;
(f) improved diffusion mechanisms for sustained, quality delivery; and (g)
policy making informed by research, including economic analyses. A summary of
how articles address these tasks concludes with a discussion of the importance
of further strengthening a public service orientation in prevention science.
Spoth, R.,
& Redmond, C. (2002). Project Family prevention trials based in
community-university partnerships: Toward scaled‑up preventive
interventions. Prevention Science, 3(3), 203‑221.
(PF 67)
Findings
from Project Family are presented to illustrate how a partnership-based program
of research on universal family- and youth-focused interventions can address a
public health challenge. One aspect of this public health challenge is the high
prevalence of youth problem behaviors and a second aspect concerns barriers to
scaling‑up empirically-supported preventive interventions designed to
ameliorate those problem behaviors. Illustrative findings are presented within
a conceptual framework for scaling‑up preventive interventions to achieve
greater public health impact. Three interrelated sets of research requirements
and findings are addressed within this framework: (a) rigorously
demonstrating intervention effectiveness; (b) attaining sufficient levels
of intervention utilization in diverse general populations, requiring study of
recruitment/retention strategies, cultural competence, and economic viability;
and (c) achieving implementation quality, involving investigation of
adherence and dosage effects, along with theory-driven, intervention quality
improvement. The paper concludes with discussion of the need for careful
investigation of community-university partnership models as a key mechanism for
large-scale implementation.
Spoth, R.,
This
study evaluated the effects of an intervention that combined a family
competency-training intervention with a school-based intervention on substance
initiation. Thirty-six rural schools were matched and then randomly assigned to
one of three conditions: (1) the classroom-based Life Skills Training and the
Strengthening Families Program: For Parents and Children 10-14; (2) Life Skills
Training only; (3) or a control condition. Outcomes were examined one year
following the intervention posttest, using a Substance Initiation Index (SII)
measuring lifetime use of alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana, and by rates of
each individual substance. Planned intervention-control contrasts showed
significant effects for both the combined and the Life Skills-only
interventions on the SII and on marijuana initiation. Relative reduction rates
for alcohol initiation were 30.0% for the combined intervention and 4.1% for
Life Skills only.
Kosterman, R., Hawkins, J. D., Haggerty,
K. P., Spoth, R., & Redmond, C. (2001). Preparing for the Drug Free Years:
Session-specific effects of a universal parent-training intervention with rural
families. Journal of Drug Education, 31, 47-68. (PF 31)
Like
their urban counterparts, adolescents from rural areas are at risk for health
and behavior problems, including alcohol and other drug use. This study tested
the effects on parenting practices of specific sessions of a parent-training
intervention, Preparing for the Drug Free Years, designed to prevent adolescent
substance abuse and other problem behaviors. Two hundred and nine rural
families were randomly assigned to an intervention or a wait-list control
condition. Analyses of covariance comparing adjusted posttest scores revealed
that parents in the intervention condition reported significant improvements in
parenting behaviors targeted by specific intervention sessions when compared
with controls. Effects were most pronounced among mothers. No significant
effects were found for nontargeted parenting
behaviors, and targeted behaviors were most improved among parents attending
relevant program sessions. These results strengthen the internal validity of the
study and increase the plausibility that reported improvements were due to the
intervention.
Molgaard, V., & Spoth, R. (2001). Strengthening Families Program for young
adolescents: Overview and outcomes. In S. I. Pfeiffer & L. A. Reddy
(Eds.), Innovative mental health programs for children: Programs that work (pp.
15-29).
The
Strengthening Families Program: For Parents and Youth 10-14 (SFP 10-14)
is a video-based program designed to reduce substance abuse and other problem
behavior in youth. Objectives include 1) building skills in youth to reduce
risk and build protective factors, 2) improving parenting practices known to
reduce risk in youth, and 3) building stronger family units to support and
guide youth. The SFP 10-14 is a universal program designed for
ethnically-diverse general populations at all economic
and educational levels. The 10 to 14-year-old youth, late elementary and middle
school age, attend the program and practice skills together with their parents.
Spoth, R.,
Goldberg, C., Neppl, T., Trudeau, L., & Ramisetty-Mikler, S (2001). Rural-urban differences in the distribution of
parent-reported risk factors for substance abuse among young adolescents.
Journal of Substance Abuse, 13(4),609-623. (PF 37)
A
recent report (National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse [CASA], 2000)
found that the rural-urban distribution of substance use and known risk factors
for substance use differed, with rural youth showing higher levels of risk
factors, as well as higher levels of use. The current investigation, while not
directly examining substance use per se, further examined rural-urban
differences in the distribution of known risk factors for substance use among
youth, based on information from parent reports. We hypothesized that risk
factors would be more commonly reported in rural areas. In addition, analyses
were conducted to examine the sensitivity of the findings to selected
rural-urban classification schemes. Study 1 data were collected from a random sample
of Midwestern parents (N = 339) with a young adolescent between the ages of 11
and 13 years. Study 2 data were collected from a second sample of Midwestern
parents (N = 593) with a young adolescent in the same age range. Rural-urban
analysis of variance comparisons demonstrated higher levels of cumulative risk
among rural youth. An evaluation of the sensitivity of the analysis to
rural-urban classification schemes indicated the findings were robust, but that
there was some minor variation in rural-urban differences by classification
scheme.
Spoth, R.,
This
study examined the long-term substance use outcomes of two brief interventions
designed for general population families of young adolescents. Thirty-three
public schools were randomly assigned to three conditions: the five-session
Preparing for the Drug Free Years Program, the seven-session Iowa Strengthening
Families Program, and a minimal contact control condition. The pretest involved
667 sixth graders and their families. Assessments included multiple measures of
initiation and current use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana. Pretest data
were collected in the sixth grade and the reported follow-up data were
collected in the tenth grade. Significant intervention-control differences in
initiation and current use were found for both interventions. It is concluded
that brief family skills-training interventions designed for general
populations have the potential to reduce adolescent substance use and thus have
important public health implications.
Spoth, R.,
The
reported study tests an extension of a previously supported model of health
belief and family context predictors of parental inclination to enroll in
preventive interventions. The extended model addresses limitations in the prior
investigation by examining the role of intervention-related beliefs and
inclinations on actual enrollment in a skills training intervention research
project. Model testing was conducted with an independent sample of 1,043
parents of 6th graders, using data from a prospective participation factor
survey conducted six months prior to research project recruitment. The model
fit is strong and all but one of the primary hypothesized effects is supported.
Notably, both stated inclination to enroll in an intervention and in the
research project had significant positive effects on actual project enrollment
occurring six months later. Perceived intervention benefits and barriers had
significant effects on both types of stated inclination to enroll. Examination
of modification indices for the model suggested an additional path linking
educational attainment with actual enrollment.
Spoth, R.,
Objective. The objective of this study was to
examine the long-term effects of a brief family intervention on general
population adolescents' aggressive and hostile behaviors.
Design. This study was a randomized trial including 22
public schools assigned to the Iowa Strengthening Families Program (ISFP) or a
control condition. Analyses supported sample representativeness
and failed to show differential attrition effects four years following
baseline.
Intervention. The ISFP is a seven-session intervention
for parents and their sixth-grade child.
Measures. The multi-informant, multimethod
measures included independent observer ratings of adolescent aggressive-hostile
behaviors in adolescent-parent interactions, family member report of
aggressive-hostile behaviors in those interactions, and adolescent self report
of aggressive-destructive conduct across settings. Data were collected during
the sixth (pre- and post-intervention), seventh, eighth, and tenth grades.
Results. All measures showed a generally positive trend
in intervention-control group differences over time. During the tenth grade,
significant intervention-control differences were found for adolescent self
report of aggressive-destructive conduct, with relative reduction rates ranging
from 31.7% to 77.0%. Significant differences were shown for observer-rated
aggressive-hostile behaviors in adolescent-parent interactions; differences in
family member reports of those behaviors were not significant. Supplemental
analyses of both interactional behavior measures,
specific to parent gender, indicated significant experimental group differences
in interactions with mothers but not with fathers.
Conclusions. Brief family competency-training
interventions designed for general populations have potential to reduce aggressive
and hostile behaviors in adolescent's interactions with parents, as well as
adolescent aggressive behaviors occurring outside of the home setting. Thus,
this type of intervention has important public health implications.
Haggerty, K.
P., Kosterman, R., Catalano, R. F., & Hawkins, J.
D. (1999). Parenting for prevention of adolescent problem behaviors with
Preparing for the Drug Free Years. OJJDP: Juvenile Justice Bulletin. (PF
47)
This
Bulletin provides an overview of the Preparing for the Drug Free Years (PDFY)
parenting program, beginning with the program’s history from its introduction
in the public schools of
The
present investigation extends the work described in Spoth,
Spoth, R.,
Redmond, C., & Lepper, H. (1999). Alcohol initiation outcomes of universal family-focused
preventive interventions: One- and two-year follow-ups of a controlled study
(Invited article for Alcohol and the Family: Opportunities for Prevention
[Special issue]). Journal of Studies on Alcohol (Suppl.
13), 103-111. (PF 44)
Objective. This article summarizes the literature
on alcohol initiation outcomes of universal family interventions and examines
the long-term effects of the Iowa Strengthening Families Program (ISFP) on
these outcomes.
Method. A longitudinal, controlled efficacy study of
the ISFP was conducted with 446 families from 22 rural school districts in a
Midwestern state. Alcohol initiation behaviors were measured by a four item
index (Alcohol Initiation Index – AII), with low scores representing a lower
level of alcohol initiation. The AII was examined using mixed-model ANCOVAs. Relative reduction rates for individual initiation
behaviors and initiation differences among higher- and lower-dosage
intervention groups were calculated.
Results. AII scores were significantly lower among
intervention group adolescents than among control group adolescents at one- and
two-year follow-up assessments. Relative-reduction rate differences between
intervention and control groups on specific alcohol initiation behaviors (e.g.,
onset of drinking without parental permission, onset of drunkenness) ranged
from approximately 30% to 60%. Dosage-related initiation differences were
evident only at the one-year follow-up.
Conclusions. Studies indicating the public health
benefits of universal interventions that delay the initiation of alcohol use
also underscore the importance of the current line of investigation. AII effect
sizes and relative reduction rates of specific alcohol initiation behaviors
support the practical significance of the findings. A gap in the prevention
outcome knowledge base could be filled with more rigorous universal
family-focused intervention studies that address the wide range of
implementation and methodological issues in this area of investigation.
Catalano, R., Kosterman, R., Haggerty, K., Hawkins, D., & Spoth, R.
(1999). A universal
intervention for the prevention of substance abuse: Preparing for the Drug Free
Years. In R. Ashery, E. Robertson, & K. Kumpfer (Eds.), NIDA Research Monograph on drug abuse
prevention through family interventions.
This
chapter presents a paradigm for empirically based universal intervention
programs that focus on risk reduction and protective factor enhancement among
adolescent populations. Given the high prevalence of substance abuse
among
Spoth, R. (1999). Family-focused
preventive intervention research: A pragmatic perspective on issues and future
directions. In R. Ashery, E. Robertson, & K. Kumpfer (Eds.), NIDA Research Monograph on drug abuse
prevention through family interventions (pp. 459-510).
The
purpose of this paper is to present a pragmatic, issues-oriented approach to
future research on family-focused preventive interventions. Issues to be
addressed by future research are presented in a framework that hierarchically
orders researcher activities oriented toward the goal of practical applications
of research findings. An overview of challenges associated with the performance
of research activities is provided. Selected issues are discussed in greater
depth, using current research projects to illustrate options for addressing
them. Among the selected issues are practical application of etiological
research on family processes to intervention design, the need to enhance the
sensitivity of evaluation study designs, the use of consumer research methods
to strengthen strategies for recruitment and retention, and the development of
guidelines for the dissemination of findings to the field. Finally, issues
crosscutting multiple phases of research activity are briefly discussed,
including the consideration of data on family needs when setting the research
agenda for the field and the development of an infrastructure to support this
area of research.
Spoth, R.,
Recent
literature underscores the need for studies of family-based preventive
interventions oriented toward public health objectives. This article
illustrates a program evaluation approach for the study of family intervention
outcomes in general populations. Thirty-three rural
schools were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: the Preparing for
the Drug Free Years Program (PDFY), the Iowa Strengthening Families Program
(ISFP), and a minimal-contact control group. Self-report and observational data
collected from 523 families were used to develop measurement models of three
latent parenting constructs that included measurement method effects. Analyses
were conducted to ensure initial and attrition-related group equivalencies and
to assess school effects. Structural equation models of the hypothesized
sequence of direct and indirect effects for both PDFY and ISFP were then fit to
the data. All hypothesized effects were significant for both interventions. The
discussion addresses the potential public health benefits of evaluation
research on universal preventive interventions.
Kosterman, R., Hawkins, J. D., Spoth, R.,
Haggerty, K. P., & Zhu, K. (1997).
Effects of a preventive parent-training intervention on observed family
interactions: Proximal outcomes from Preparing for the Drug Free Years. Journal
of Community Psychology, 25, 337-352. (PF 22)
Children
are especially vulnerable to the initiation of substance use and other problem
behaviors as they move from childhood into early adolescence. This is true for
children living in urban and rural areas alike. A number of family-related
factors have been identified that contribute to the risk for or protection
against such problems. This article reports the results of an experimental test
of the effects of Preparing for the Drug Free Years (PDFY) on targeted parental
behaviors. PDFY is a parenting curriculum based theoretically on the social
development model; it seeks to reduce risks and enhance protection against
early substance use initiation by improving patterns of parental behavior and
family interaction predictive of childhood substance use. The study examined
parental behavior targeted by specific intervention sessions, based on systematic
observations of videotaped family interactions. The sample consisted of
economically stressed, rural Midwestern families. Consistent with hypotheses,
the PDFY intervention was found to be effective in promoting proactive
communication from parent to child and in improving the quality of parent-child
relationships. PDFY also reduced mothers' negative interactions with their
children in the study.
Spoth, R.,
Prior
research by the authors tested a model of factors influencing parent
inclination to participate in parenting intervention. Family context, belief,
attitude, and inclination to participate variables from this model were used to
predict the actual participation of 1,121 families in assessment and
intervention activities of a family-focused preventive intervention research
project. Invitations to the project assessment and intervention components
were, respectively, about 6 months and 10 months following the initiation of a
telephone survey collecting predictor variable data. Logistic regression
analyses examining each predictor individually showed that a number of family context, belief, attitude, and inclination variables were
predictive of project participation. Subsequently, multiple logistic
regressions were conducted, entering variables by blocks corresponding to
theoretical model components. These analyses showed that prospectively stated
inclination to participate in a parenting intervention and level
of education were consistently significant predictors of both assessment
participation and intervention enrollment. Implications for both research and
practice are discussed.
Kumpfer, K. L., Molgaard,
V., & Spoth, R. (1996).
The Strengthening Families Program for the prevention of delinquency and drug
use. In R. D. Peters & R. J. McMahon (Eds.), Preventing childhood
disorders, substance abuse, and delinquency (pp. 241-267).
This
chapter describes the theoretical underpinnings, development, implementation,
and results of evaluations of the Strengthening Families Program (SFP), which
is a family-focused prevention intervention for high-risk families from special
populations. This program has two versions: (a) one for elementary school
children and their families and (b) another for middle school or junior high
school students and their families. The SFP is a comprehensive
family-focused curriculum that includes three components: parent training,
children’s skills training, and family skills training. A number of
evaluation and demonstration projects have evaluated the effectiveness of SFP
for several populations at risk for substance abuse and delinquency.
These have included children of substance abusers, children at risk for
outplacement due to child abuse and neglect, and low-income rural and urban
parents of different ethnic groups (i.e., African American, Asian Pacific
Islander, Latino or Mexican American, and French Canadian). This chapter
discusses the results of the original SFP evaluation project, several
replications with minority families, and a current National Institute of Mental
Health-funded clinical trial in 19
Spoth, R.,
Ball, A. B., Klose, A., & Redmond, C. (1996). Illustration of a market segmentation
technique using family-focused prevention program preference data.
Health Education Research, 11, 259-267. (PF 15)
Using
family-focused prevention programs as an example, this paper illustrates how
consumer research techniques can be employed to segment populations targeted
for the promotion of preventive interventions. Two multivariate statistical
techniques, conjoint analysis and cluster analysis, can be used to clarify
differences in program preferences among target population segments which can
be helpful in tailoring program promotions to those segments. Following a
summary of the rationale and indications for preference-based segmentation, an
application of the two techniques is presented. Using data on parents'
preferences for various features of family skills programs, three clusters were
identified which varied along several dimensions, including preferred level of
effort expended for a program. Practical strategies for program promotions
suggested by segmentation analyses are outlined.
Spoth, R.,
This
study extends a line of programmatic research on families who decline
participation in intervention and assessment components of family-focused
prevention projects. Parents responding to a brief telephone interview (N =
459) identified the most important of 28 barriers concerning project
assessments, intervention-related time demands and logistic requirements,
beliefs and attitudes about interventions, and family member influences.
Results demonstrated that several time-related factors, logistic requirements,
and family member influences were important barriers. Findings also showed that
sociodemographic factors were associated with
unfavorable attitudes about interventions and their assessments. Implications
for the development of effective recruitment strategies and for future research
are presented.
Spoth, R., Ramisetty-Mikler, S., & Goldberg, C. J. (1995a). Parent-reported risk and protective factors for substance
use among
Part
1 Introduction
Part 2 Methods
Questionnaire Development
Sampling Strategy
Data Collection, Data Analysis
Part 3 Findings
Sample Characteristics
Family Factors
Conflict
Quality of Parent-Child
Relationship
Family Financial Stress
Family Substance
Behavior and Attitudes
Parental Antisocial
Behavior and Mental Health
Family Management
Factors
Child and Peer Factors
Problem Behaviors
Goal Setting and
Planning Skills
Attendance at Religious
Activities
Peer Factors
School Factors
Community Factors
Part 4 Summary
Spoth, R., Ramisetty-Mikler, S., & Goldberg, C. J. (1995b). Teacher perceptions of risk and protective factors for
substance use among
Part
1 Introduction
Part 2 Methods
Questionnaire Development
Sampling Strategy
Data Collection
Data Analysis
Part 3 Findings
Sample Characteristics
Student Behavior and Peer Factors
Behavior Problems in the
Classroom
Aggressive/Violent
Behaviors Outside the Classroom
Student Substance Use on
School Property
Student Characteristics
Peer Rejection
Academic Difficulties
Classroom Environment Factors
Teacher Satisfaction
Time for Students with
"Special Needs"
Classroom
Decision-Making
Disciplinary Techniques
Employed by Teachers
School Level Factors
School Resources for
Students with "Special Needs"
Level of Involvement in
Prevention
School Policies and
Practices Related to Substance Use
Substance Abuse
Prevention Programs and Methods for Students
Parent and Teacher
Programs Related to Prevention of Substance Use
Community Level Factors
Part 4 Summary
Spoth, R.,
Redmond, C., Haggerty, K., & Ward, T. (1995). A controlled parenting skills outcome
study examining individual difference and attendance effects. Journal of
Marriage and the Family, 57, 449-464. (PF 10)
This
controlled study addresses several deficiencies noted in prevention-focused
parent skills training outcome literature. These include the failure to model
effects of individual differences and level of intervention attendance.
Conventional ANCOVA analyses of intervention-control group differences on (a)
protective parenting behaviors directly targeted by the intervention and (b)
general child management skills, in a sample of families residing in an
economically stressed rural area (n = 209), showed significant intervention
effects on both measures for both mothers and fathers. Results also indicated that
both mothers' and fathers' level of intervention attendance and expressed
readiness for parenting change were significant predictors of the targeted
parenting outcomes, as was parent self-efficacy among mothers. The targeted
parenting measure, in turn, significantly affected the general child management
outcome, for both mothers and fathers. Finally, findings showed a significant
interaction of intervention attendance and intervention-targeted parenting at
pretest for fathers; no interaction effects for mothers were found.
Spoth, R., & Conroy, S. (1993). Survey of prevention-relevant beliefs and efforts to enhance
parenting skills among rural parents. The Journal of Rural Health, 9,
227-239. (PF 3)
The
first objective of this article is to summarize literature on selected
variables that can influence parents' efforts to enhance their parenting
skills, including participation in prevention-oriented education and
skills-training programs. The second objective is to report the results of a
survey of rural parents with preadolescents (N=203) on prevention-relevant
parenting beliefs and past parenting enhancement efforts, such as parent
education program attendance. Descriptive analyses of these variables and their
relationships to socioeconomic status and family composition are reported. results regarding prevention-relevant parenting beliefs
indicate relatively low levels of perceived susceptibility to adolescent
problem behaviors and high levels of perceived parent efficacy in prevention
adolescent problems. high levels of past parenting
enhancement efforts also were reported. Little evidence of gender differences
on the parenting belief and enhancement variables was found, but education,
income, and family structure and composition variables were significantly
associated with several key parenting belief and enhancement variables.
Spoth, R., & Redmond, C. (1993a). Identifying program preferences through conjoint analysis:
Illustrative results from a parent sample. American Journal of Health
Promotion, 8, 124-133. (PF 1)
Purpose. The purpose of this article is
to illustrate the application of a consumer research technique called conjoint
analysis using data from a survey of parents' preferences for prevention
programs.
Design. This study utilized a one-time,
cross-sectional telephone survey.
Setting. Data were collected from subjects
living in economically disadvantaged rural midwestern
counties.
Subjects. Subjects were 202 randomly selected
parents with preadolescents who indicated interest in family-focused prevention
programs.
Measures. Conjoint analysis software was
employed in computerÄassisted telephone interviews to
evaluate relative preferences for 39 individual features of family-focused
prevention programs falling under 11 categories (e.g., program meeting time,
facilitator background). The software also guided computer simulations of
parent choices among four types of programs.
Results. Findings indicated that meeting time
was the most important category of program features. Strongly preferred
individual features included meetings scheduled on weekday evenings,
instruction by child development specialists, and programs based on extensive
research. Two multiple-session programs evaluated via computer simulations
incorporated several preferred features and received higher ratings than did
single-session programs. Estimated variance z-tests indicated limited
differences in perceived importance of program feature categories across sociodemographic subgroups.
Conclusions. Findings highlight (a) differences
in the relative value parents place on various features of prevention programs
in the surveyed population and (b) the importance of practical aspects of
program delivery.