The proposed study will evaluate the long-term effectiveness of the Life Skills Training (LST) program for preventing onset of cigarette smoking in a cohort of urban Hispanic students, and will obtain basic knowledge about the family determinants of smoking behavior in this population. In a randomized-blocks design, 30 schools with 50% or more Hispanic students will be randomly assigned to either experimental or control groups. In the experimental group, schools will receive the complete LST program for smoking prevention, which emphasizes social and personal competence skills; in the control group, schools will receive only existing educational activities. Students will be followed over a 4-year period to determine the long-term effectiveness of the program. Within the experimental group, half the schools will be junior high schools, and the LST intervention will begin in 7th grade; half the schools will be intermediate schools, and within this group intervention will begin in the 6th grade and 7th grade for half the schools, and will begin only in 7th grade for the other half of the schools. The primary evaluation question will be addressed by using school means (n = 15 per group) as the unit of analysis. The secondary evaluation question will compare effect of intervention in junior high school with effect of intervention in intermediate school using individual subjects as the unit of analysis (n = 1100 per group). The primary dependent measure wil be enhanced self-reports of cigarette smoking using the """"""""bogus pipeline"""""""" technique, supplemented by subsamples of saliva thiocyanate (SCN). The impact of the prevention program on mediating cognitive, attitudinal, and psycholsocial variables will be assessed, and moderator effects of sex, ethnicity, and family characteristics will be analyzed. Additionally, telephone interviews with families of Hispanic students in experimental and control groups (total n = 2,000 families) will be conducted to obtain data on smoking and drinking behavior anong Hispanic families and the relation of these behaviors and other family characteristics (e.g., health attitudes and family stress) to smoking among Hispanic adolescents. Developmental research will be conducted to develop family intervention components that can be added to the school-based prevention program. In conclusion, the project offers the potential of providing an effective approach to smoking prevention with Hispanic adolescents that would reduce cancer risk in this population.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Research Demonstration and Dissemination Projects (R18)
Project #
5R18CA039280-05
Application #
3441313
Study Section
(SRC)
Project Start
1985-07-01
Project End
1991-06-30
Budget Start
1989-07-01
Budget End
1991-06-30
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
1989
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
201373169
City
New York
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
10065
Epstein, Jennifer A; Bang, Heejung; Botvin, Gilbert J (2007) Which psychosocial factors moderate or directly affect substance use among inner-city adolescents? Addict Behav 32:700-13
Epstein, Jennifer A; Doyle, Margaret; Botvin, Gilbert J (2003) A mediational model of the relationship between linguistic acculturation and polydrug use among Hispanic adolescents. Psychol Rep 93:859-66
Epstein, Jennifer A; Griffin, Kenneth W; Botvin, Gilbert J (2002) Positive impact of competence skills and psychological wellness in protecting inner-city adolescents from alcohol use. Prev Sci 3:95-104
Epstein, Jennifer A; Botvin, Gilbert J (2002) The moderating role of risk-taking tendency and refusal assertiveness on social influences in alcohol use among inner-city adolescents. J Stud Alcohol 63:456-9
Epstein, J A; Griffin, K W; Botvin, G J (2001) Risk taking and refusal assertiveness in a longitudinal model of alcohol use among inner-city adolescents. Prev Sci 2:193-200
Epstein, J A; Botvin, G J; Diaz, T (2001) Linguistic acculturation associated with higher marijuana and polydrug use among Hispanic adolescents. Subst Use Misuse 36:477-99
Epstein, J A; Botvin, G J; Diaz, T (2001) Alcohol use among Dominican and Puerto Rican adolescents residing in New York City: role of Hispanic group and gender. J Dev Behav Pediatr 22:113-8
Epstein, J A; Griffin, K W; Botvin, G J (2000) A model of smoking among inner-city adolescents: the role of personal competence and perceived social benefits of smoking. Prev Med 31:107-14
Epstein, J A; Griffin, K W; Botvin, G J (2000) Role of general and specific competence skills in protecting inner-city adolescents from alcohol use. J Stud Alcohol 61:379-86
Epstein, J A; Griffin, K W; Botvin, G J (2000) Competence skills help deter smoking among inner city adolescents. Tob Control 9:33-9

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