An Effectiveness Trial of Project ALERT

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The purpose of this study is to replicate a longitudinal evaluation of Project ALERT, a substance abuse prevention program that targets middle school students.

Detailed Description
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Project ALERT is a substance abuse prevention program that targets middle school students. The purposes of this evaluation are to test its immediate and one-year effectiveness in a randomized experimental design that will span a total of 2.5 years for each of two cohorts. The cohorts are spaced one year apart to reduce our implementation and data collection burdens at any one time. The design for the two cohorts is identical. In schools randomly assigned to the treatment group, instructors receive Project ALERT training and materials prior to beginning the program and have access to technical assistance on request. In schools randomly assigned to the control group, teachers implement whatever substance abuse prevention curricula they normally would (if any).

Official Title
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Promising Programs for Substance Abuse Prevention: Replication and Evaluation Initiative

Conditions
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Alcohol Drinking, Smoking, Marijuana Smoking

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Project ALERT


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: schools with 6th-8th grades housed together on a common campus schools with 6th grade student population of at least 100 students schools with no current 6th, 7th, or 8th grade implementation of any drug prevention curriculum recognized as a model program by a federally-sponsored registry all regular education students in the targeted grade must participate Exclusion Criteria: students in self-contained classrooms (i.e., special education classes)
Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| No Intervention: Control group<br>Did not receive Project ALERT | |
| Experimental: Treatment group<br>Received Project ALERT | Behavioral: Project ALERT<br>* Project ALERT (Adolescent Learning Experiences in Resistance Training) is a drug prevention curriculum designed for middle-school students (11 to 14 years old). The 11 lessons in the first year and 3 booster lessons in the second year focus on alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and inhalants - the substances that adolescents are most likely to use. Project ALERT uses participatory activities and videos to help motivate youth to avoid drug use, to teach youth skills and strategies to resist peer pressures to use drugs, and to establish social norms against drug-use. More information about Project ALERT may be found at http://www.projectalert.best.org/.<br>* Other names: Adolescent Learning Experiences in Resistance Training;|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Self-reported 30-day Use of Alcohol | Students completed an 81-item self-report questionnaire. They were asked on how many days they had used alcohol in the previous 30 days. Response options included none, 1 or 2 days in the last month, 3 to 5 days in the last month, 6 to 19 days in the last month, and 20 or more days in the last month. Response options were dichotomized into none and at least one day. | measured approximately 30 days after intervention completed | 
| Self-reported 30-day Use of Cigarettes | Students completed an 81-item self-report questionnaire. They were asked on how many days they had smoked cigarettes in the previous 30 days. Response options included none, 1 or 2 days in the last month, 3 to 5 days in the last month, 6 to 19 days in the last month, and 20 or more days in the last month. Response options were dichotomized into none and at least one day. | measured approximately 30 days after intervention completed | 
| Self-reported 30-day Marijuana Use | Students completed an 81-item self-report questionnaire. They were asked on how many days they had used marijuana in the previous 30 days. Response options included none, 1 or 2 days in the last month, 3 to 5 days in the last month, 6 to 19 days in the last month, and 20 or more days in the last month. Response options were dichotomized into none and at least one day. | measured approximately 30 days after intervention completed | 
| Self-reported 30-day Inhalant Use | Students completed an 81-item self-report questionnaire. They were asked on how many days they had used inhalants in the previous 30 days. Response options included none, 1 or 2 days in the last month, 3 to 5 days in the last month, 6 to 19 days in the last month, and 20 or more days in the last month. Response options were dichotomized into none and at least one day. | measured approximately 30 days after intervention completed | 
| Self-reported Lifetime Alcohol Use | Students completed an 81-item self-report questionnaire. To assess lifetime use, we asked if the respondent had ever used alcohol (yes or no). | measured approximately 30 days after intervention completed | 
| Self-reported Lifetime Cigarette Use | Students completed an 81-item self-report questionnaire. To assess lifetime use, we asked if the respondent had ever smoked cigarettes (yes or no). | measured approximately 30 days after intervention completed | 
| Self-reported Lifetime Marijuana Use | Students completed an 81-item self-report questionnaire. To assess lifetime use, we asked if the respondent had ever used marijuana (yes or no). | measured approximately 30 days after intervention completed | 
| Self-reported Lifetime Inhalant Use | Students completed an 81-item self-report questionnaire. To assess lifetime use, we asked if the respondent had ever used inhalants (yes or no). | measured approximately 30 days after intervention completed | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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smoking, alcohol, prevention, prevention & control