This application proposes a 5-year investigation designed to identify cognitive-behavioral mediating mechanisms related to the efficacy of a broad-spectrum, competence enhancement and drug abuse prevention intervention called Life Skills Training (LST). The proposed study will utilize data from a recently funded school-based drug abuse and violence project with inner-city minority students. The proposed study would expand the ongoing project by adding the assessment of cognitive-behavioral skills for a subsample of treatment and control students (n=500 per group). The LST intervention includes problem-specific material concerning drug abuse and violence prevention as well as generic cognitive-behavioral skills. New observational measures of cognitive-behavioral skills will be added to the existing battery of evaluation items. In addition to the observational study of 1,000 students, a substudy will be conducted on 200 adolescents selected from this group for a more in-depth analysis of family interactions and stress reactivity. The proposed study is divided into a 6-month developmental period, a 6-month pilot period, a 36-month intervention phase consisting of a large-scale randomized trial, and a 12-month data analysis/scientific dissemination phase. Forty New York City schools (N=4,000) would be randomly assigned to treatment and control conditions. The treatment condition would receive a drug abuse and violence prevention intervention consisting of school and parent intervention components. A secondary objective will be to assess the role of cognitive-behavioral skills acquisition in the development of adolescent drug use and aggressive/violent behavior among non-treated controls. A final objective is to increase our understanding of family interactions and physiological processes and their role in the etiology and prevention od drug abuse. The study is significant because it would not only offer the potential of demonstrating the effectiveness of a promising intervention on two important public heath problems, but would also provide the opportunity to investigate linkages between these important problem behaviors' and cognitive-behavioral skills hypothesized to be associated with both drug use and aggression/violence.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Specialized Center (P50)
Project #
5P50DA007656-08
Application #
6218910
Study Section
Project Start
1999-08-01
Project End
2000-07-31
Budget Start
1998-10-01
Budget End
1999-09-30
Support Year
8
Fiscal Year
1999
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Department
Type
DUNS #
201373169
City
New York
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
10065
Scheier, Lawrence M; Grenard, Jerry L; Holtz, Kristen D (2011) An empirical assessment of the Above the Influence advertising campaign. J Drug Educ 41:431-61
Lynne-Landsman, Sarah D; Graber, Julia A; Nichols, Tracy R et al. (2011) Is sensation seeking a stable trait or does it change over time? J Youth Adolesc 40:48-58
Nichols, Tracy R; Birnel, Sara; Graber, Julia A et al. (2010) Refusal skill ability: an examination of adolescent perceptions of effectiveness. J Prim Prev 31:127-37
Epstein, Jennifer A; Botvin, Gilbert J (2008) Media resistance skills and drug skill refusal techniques: What is their relationship with alcohol use among inner-city adolescents? Addict Behav 33:528-37
Epstein, Jennifer A; Griffin, Kenneth W; Botvin, Gilbert J (2008) A social influence model of alcohol use for inner-city adolescents: family drinking, perceived drinking norms, and perceived social benefits of drinking. J Stud Alcohol Drugs 69:397-405
Lynne, Sarah D; Graber, Julia A; Nichols, Tracy R et al. (2007) Links between pubertal timing, peer influences, and externalizing behaviors among urban students followed through middle school. J Adolesc Health 40:181.e7-13
Nichols, Tracy R; Birnbaum, Amanda S; Birnel, Sara et al. (2006) Perceived smoking environment and smoking initiation among multi-ethnic urban girls. J Adolesc Health 38:369-75
Nichols, Tracy R; Graber, Julia A; Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne et al. (2006) Ways to say no: refusal skill strategies among urban adolescents. Am J Health Behav 30:227-36
Griffin, Kenneth W; Botvin, Gilbert J; Nichols, Tracy R (2006) Effects of a school-based drug abuse prevention program for adolescents on HIV risk behavior in young adulthood. Prev Sci 7:103-12
Griffin, Kenneth W; Botvin, Gilbert J; Nichols, Tracy R (2004) Long-term follow-up effects of a school-based drug abuse prevention program on adolescent risky driving. Prev Sci 5:207-12

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