Effectiveness of the Updated Version of the School-based Program Diario Della Salute (DDS-2)
Condition: Adolescent Behavior; Health Behavior; Mental Health Wellness 1
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This study evaluates the short- and long-term effects on psychological wellbeing and
      health-related behaviours of the updated version of a universal school-based program called
      Diario della Salute (DDS-2) in Italian students aged 11-13 years.
    

Detailed description: 
      The updated version of Diario della Salute (DDS-2) is a universal school-based intervention
      aimed at promoting psychological and emotional well-being and preventing unhealthy and risky
      behaviours (cigarettes smoking, alcohol abuse, unhealthy eating habits, physical inactivity)
      in preadolescence. The program is composed by 5 highly standardized interactive units
      delivered by previously trained teachers during school hours on emotional and social issues
      related to developmental tasks in adolescence. The kit includes: 1) a teacher's manual, 2) a
      booklet for each participating student, 3) a booklet for parents of each participating
      student. The objective is to promote and reinforce adolescents' emotional and social skills
      as factors contributing to adolescent well-being and health.

      A randomised controlled trial with two parallel groups is performed, with 1:1 allocation
      ratio, in two different Regions of Italy (Piedmont and Veneto). Schools are randomly assigned
      to one of the two groups (DDS-2 intervention vs. no intervention) and are used as the unit of
      allocation. Individual participants (i.e. students) are the unit of analysis. Schools are
      matched by number of students and average socioeconomic status. Eligible schools are
      identified from the list of all schools having students from 11 to 13 located in study sites.
      A number of eligible schools accounting for the requested number of students in the target
      grades is invited to participate in the study. If a school does not respond to the invitation
      or declines to participate, the school recruitment process is repeated, and another eligible
      school is invited to participate. The process continues until achievement of the sample size.
      No incentive is offered to students, families and schools for participating in the study.

      A paper-and-pencil self-report anonymous questionnaire developed by the research group is
      used to determine whether the interventions have changed the outcomes. The questionnaire will
      be administered in classes by the researchers at baseline, at the end of the intervention and
      one-year after the end of the intervention (at equal intervals both in the intervention and
      in the control group). The questionnaire consists of the following sections: 1) demographics,
      2) emotional and social skills, 3) psychological wellbeing, 4) school experience, 5)
      unhealthy and risky behaviours, 6) prosocial and aggressive behaviours. Questionnaires are
      linked through an anonymous self-generated code.
    

Intervention name(s): Diario della Salute (DDS-2)
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): The updated version of Diario della Salute program (DDS-2) includes: 1) teachers' manual, 2) a booklet for teens telling the story of four same-age students (e.g. experimenting with risky behaviours, conflicting feelings and thoughts, need for independence and control, etc.), 3) a booklet for parents telling the experience of a mum and a dad with teenage children (e.g. problems in the relationship with teenage children, family conflicts, parental control and supervision, family communication, etc.).
Other intervention name(s): Percorsi di promozione del benessere tra i pre-adolescenti
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: adolescence; prevention; wellbeing; evaluation; effectiveness; school-based program