The effectiveness of a tobacco prevention program with adolescents living in a tobacco-producing region

• Published in: American journal of public health (1971) Vol. 88; no. 12; pp. 1862 - 1865
• Main Authors: Noland, M P, Kryscio, R J, Riggs, R S, Linville, L H, Ford, V Y, Tucker, T C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC Am Public Health Assoc 01.12.1998; American Public Health Association
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescent Health Services - organization & administration; Agriculture; Biological and medical sciences; Carbon monoxide; Child; Curricula; Data analysis; Factors; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health education; Health Education - organization & administration; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Intervention; Kentucky; Male; Medical sciences; Nicotiana; Peer Group; Plants, Toxic; Prevention and actions; Prevention programs; Preventive medicine; Preventive programmes; Program Evaluation; Public health; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Regional economy; School Health Services - organization & administration; Schools; Smoking; Smoking Prevention; Specific populations (family, woman, child, elderly...); Students; Surveys and Questionnaires; Teenagers; Tobacco; Tobacco industry; Young people; United States; North America; America; Human; Prevention; Evaluation; Sanitary program; Efficiency; Adolescent; Tobacco smoking; Public health
• ISSN: 0090-0036; 1541-0048
• DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.88.12.1862

This study investigated the efficacy of a social-influences tobacco prevention program conducted with adolescents living in a high tobacco production area. Students in 10 experimental schools completed the tobacco prevention program and a booster intervention. Control students received health education as usual. After 2 years of treatment, smoking rates in the treatment group (vs the control group) were lower for 30-day, 7-day, and 24-hour smoking. The intervention had more of an impact on those who were involved in raising tobacco than it did on those not involved in raising tobacco. Although modest, effects were achieved with minimal intervention time in a high-risk group, indicating that social-influences prevention programs may be effective in such groups.