Family Based Prevention of Alcohol and Risky Sex for Older Teens
Condition: Alcohol Drinking; Alcohol Intoxication; Alcohol Poison; Alcohol-Related Disorders; Alcohol Impairment; Alcohol Withdrawal; Alcohol Abstinence; Alcohol; Harmful Use; Sex Behavior; Sexual Aggression; Sexual Harassment; Relation, Interpersonal
MeSH terms: Alcohol-Related Disorders; Alcoholic Intoxication; Aggression; Alcohol Drinking; Alcohol Abstinence
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      An online, interactive web-based program for older teens and their parents is designed to
      address teen alcohol use and teen relationships. The parent-teen dyad both participate in the
      web-based program and engage in off-line discussion activities. This intervention promotes
      communication skills, refusal skills, and helps teens consider how to make healthy choices. A
      total of 411 family dyads (one parent, one teen) were recruited.
    

Detailed description: 
      This purpose of this study is to develop an interactive, web-based prevention program for
      parents and older teens that focuses on teen use of alcohol and teen relationships. The study
      is designed as a randomized controlled trial.

      Specific Aim 1: To adapt two parent-based prevention strategies (Family Matters and Parent
      Handbook) to provide a family-based approach for addressing older teen alcohol related risk
      behaviors and sexual risk behaviors and sex in combination with alcohol use (hereafter called
      alcohol and/or sexual risk behaviors) using the web as the program delivery mode.

      Specific Aim 2: To test whether exposure to the program leads to expected changes in targeted
      teen beliefs and behaviors, including reductions in alcohol and/or sexual risk behaviors.

      Specific Aim 3: To examine whether program effects on teen alcohol and/or sexual risk
      behaviors are mediated through changes in intermediate program targeted beliefs (parents and
      teen) and behaviors (e.g., parent-teen--communication). Program fidelity and process measures
      may also mediate these outcomes.

      Phase I integrates and adapts the two parent-based approaches and creates a web-based
      interactive delivery of materials. Expert panels, focus groups, and usability assessments
      will inform the process. Phase II is an RCT with 400 families with the web-based
      intervention. Surveys will be conducted at baseline, and for three follow-up periods (6, 12,
      & 18 months). Analyses will examine teen outcomes related to alcohol and/or sexual risk
      behaviors. Changes in mediators directly impacted by the program for both teens and parents
      will be examined. Process and fidelity information will be collected and assessed.

      A web-based prevention strategy supporting parents and teens, is significant and timely.
      Parents and teens will use the internet to make health decisions. This program is uniquely
      different from other programs be-cause it addresses teens at high risk for alcohol and/or
      sexual risk behaviors. Further, the strategy involves both parents and teens through an
      interactive framework. The approach utilizes the strengths of Family Matters which promotes
      specific exercises and activities between parents and teens and the strengths of the Parent
      Handbook which addresses issues of importance to this age range.
    

Intervention name(s): Smart Choices 4 Teens
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): This is a web-based prevention program designed to convey information about alcohol and relationships and the types of choices that they are making regarding these topics. General communications was another core element of the program that provided parents and teens with some key elements of talking to each other.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: Randomized Controlled Trial
Masking: Single (Participant)
Primary purpose: Prevention