The Adolescent Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention (ASAP) Program at the University of New Mexico has two primary long-term goals: (1) preventing morbidity and mortality from alcohol and drug abuse among predominantly minority youth in high risk communities; and (2) empowering program participants to become leaders capable of promoting change in their communities' drinking norms. The ASAP program integrates two theoretical models into its programming: the dialogical model of Paulo Freire and protection-motivation theory. The 5-year research project is intended to compare the effectiveness of the ASAP model to current educational programs; and to investigate the efficacy of ASAP's innovative prevention strategies for minority and low-income youth primarily Hispanic. The proposed evaluation design is a randomized mixed factorial design t hat contrasts a control group and the standard version of the ASAP program. The study population will be selected from seventh grade adolescents from high minority, economically disadvantaged communities in the semi-rural and urban school districts surrounding Albuquerque, N.M. Eight mid schools will be randomly assigned to the two conditions. Participation in the program within each school condition will be voluntary pending parental consent. Under the direct supervision of the P.I.s, university students will be trained and monitored as facilitators to implement the program. Research assistants will be trained in a variety of assessment techniques.
| Helitzer, D; Yoon, S J; Wallerstein, N et al. (2000) The role of process evaluation in the training of facilitators for an adolescent health education program. J Sch Health 70:141-7 |
