The main purpose of this proposal is to provide funding for a follow-up to a prevention project previously funded by NIAAA (Grant No. 5 R23 AA06912). In the original project, data were collected at the onset of the study and after prevention activities were completed, three years later. The follow- up will extend the period of study to five years, using a survey at year five which will assess the continuing or changing effects of the prevention work and changes in the control group. The long-term objective of the original project was the prevention of alcohol-related problems through norm development and education tailored to the needs and constraints of the target population. After completing an initial questionnaire assessing alcohol consumption habits, knowledge of alcohol, and norms about use, the 494 business and professional women were assigned to either an experimental or control group. The former were exposed to prevention messages through a series of twelve bimonthly newsletters. A second questionnaire, sent in April of 1989, assessed the immediate effect of the prevention efforts. Although changes in behavior, norms, and knowledge of alcohol effects following a primary prevention effort certainly was desirable, in order to affect the health of participants in a positive manner the effects must last beyond the immediate intervention period. The extension of the project for a follow-up period will enable assessment of the durability of changes which may have occurred as a result of the prevention activities. In order to increase the likelihood that subjects will remain involved, during the follow-up period participants will receive, at six-month intervals, three reports of the results of the second survey and the activities of the Research Group on Women and Work, the organization through which this research is being conducted. In April, 1991 they will receive the follow-up questionnaire. In order to increase the likelihood that subjects will remain involved, during the follow-up period participants will receive, at six-month intervals, reports of the results of the second survey provided by other members of the Research Group on Women and Work (ie, excluding alcohol or prevention results). In April, 1991 participants will receive a follow-up questionnaire. After these data are analyzed participants will receive a final report which will provide them with feedback on the alcohol data from all three surveys. The final report also will debrief the participants as to the prevention experiment that was conducted. During the grant period articles and presentations will be prepared to disseminate the results of these investigations to professionals and interested community members.
| Shore, E R (1994) Outcomes of a primary prevention project for business and professional women. J Stud Alcohol 55:657-9 |
