Abstract
Substance misuse is a global phenomenon representing a major public health issue worldwide. Though the exact nature and patterning of the problem vary across countries there are striking similarities providing opportunities for thinking about substance misuse internationally. Similar risk and protective factors are seen in contrasting national contexts such as parenting practices and family relationships. Similarly, the short- and long-term health effects of substance misuse by young people manifest themselves across contrasting cultural and socio-economic settings. Whilst the development and effectiveness of prevention efforts vary widely, many countries have introduced prevention initiatives aimed at young people that address known risk and protective factors. School- and family-based interventions are common in many parts of the world for instance. At their best such efforts comprise well-theorised interventions with clear mechanisms of action operating within broader prevention systems which support intervention development, evaluation and long-term implementation. But there is considerable variation in the development of prevention systems, particularly when comparing high- and low/middle-income nations. Two key aspects of the development of international research and collaboration within the field of prevention science are discussed: first why international embrace of prevention science is important and the ways in which it contributes to the development of the field; and second some of the major challenges to building international research including the varying capacity of prevention systems, the complexities of working across geographical and cultural borders, the questions raised when interventions are transported to new settings and the appropriateness of undertaking cultural adaptations. The chapter describes some of the current strategies and initiatives which seek to address these challenges to build an international prevention science.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Bagshaw, D., Lepp, M., Zorn., C. (2007) International research collaboration: Building teams and managing conflicts. Conflict Resolution Quarterly 24(4), 433–446
Bonell, C., Oakley, A., Hargreaves, J., Strange, V., & Rees, R. (2006). Assessment of generalisability in trials of health interventions: Suggested framework and systematic review. BMJ: British Medical Journal, 333(7563), 346.
Castro, F., Barrera, M., Jr., & Martinez, C., Jr. (2004). The cultural adaptation of prevention interventions: Resolving tensions between fidelity and fit. Prevention Science, 5(1), 41–45.
Catalano, R., Fagan, A., Gavin, L., Greenberg, M., Irwin, C., Jr., Ross, D., & Shek, D. (2012). Worldwide application of prevention science in adolescent health. The Lancet, 379(9826), 1653–1664.
Colby, M., Hecht, M., Miller-Day, M., Krieger, J., Syvertsen, K., Graham, J., & Pettigrew, J. (2013). Adapting school-based substance use prevention curriculum through cultural grounding: A review and exemplar of adaptation processes for rural schools. American Journal of Community Psychology, 51(1-2), 190–205.
de Grijs, R. (2015). Ten simple rules for establishing international research collaborations. PLoS Computational Biology, 11(10), e1004311.
Evans, E., Craig, P., Hoddinott, P., Littlecot, H., Moore, L., Murphy, S., O’Cathain, A., Pfadenhauer, L., Rehfuess, E., Segrott, J., Moore, G. (2018). Adaptation of population health interventions for new contexts: The need for guidance. Under review by Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
Freshwater, D., Sherwood, G., & Drury, V. (2006). International research collaboration: Issues, benefits and challenges of the global networks. Journal of Research in Nursing, 11(4), 295–303.
Gardner, F., Montgomery, P., & Knerr, W. (2016). Transporting evidence-based parenting programs for child problem behavior (age 3–10) between countries: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 45(6), 749–762.
Giannotta, F., Vigna-Taglianti, F., Galanti, R., Scatigna, M., & Faggiano, F. (2014). Short-term mediating factors of a school-based intervention to prevent youth substance use in Europe. Journal of Adolescent Health, 54(5), 565–573.
Hawe, P., Shiell, A., & Riley, T. (2009). Theorising interventions as events in systems. American Journal of Community Psychology, 43(3-4), 267–276.
Hosman, C., & Clayton, R. (2000). Prevention and health promotion on the international scene: The need for a more effective and comprehensive approach. Addictive Behaviors, 25(6), 943–954.
International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP). (n.d.) Universal prevention curriculum. Retrieved June 6, 2018, from https://www.issup.net/training/universal-prevention-curriculum.
Kumpfer, K., & Alvarado, R. (2003). Family-strengthening approaches for the prevention of youth problem behaviors. American Psychologist, 58(6–7), 457–465.
May, C. (2013). Towards a general theory of implementation. Implementation Science, 8(1), 18.
McArdle, P., Wiegersma, A., Gilvarry, E., Kolte, B., McCarthy, S., Fitzgerald, M., …., & Quensel, S.. (2002). European adolescent substance use: The roles of family structure, function and gender. Addiction, 97(3), 329–336.
Mejia, A., Ulph, F., & Calam, R. (2016). Preventing interpersonal violence in Panama: Is a parenting intervention developed in Australia culturally appropriate? International Journal of Public Health, 61(8), 915–922.
Moore, G., Audrey, S., Barker, M., Bond L., Bonell C., Hardeman W., …, Baird J. (2015). Process evaluation of complex interventions: Medical Research Council guidance. British Medical Journal, 350: h1258.
Romano, J., & Israelashvili, M. (2017). Prevention science: A call for global action. Chapter 43. In M. Israelashvili & J. Romano (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of international prevention science (pp. 1021–1036). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Stirman, S., Miller, C., Toder, K., & Calloway, A. (2013). Development of a framework and coding system for modifications and adaptations of evidence-based interventions. Implementation Science, 8, 65.
Stokols, D., Misra, S., Moser, R., Hall, K., & Taylor, B. (2008). The ecology of team science: understanding contextual influences on transdisciplinary collaboration. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 35(2 suppl), S96–S115.
Sweetland, A., Oquendo, M., Sidat, M., Santos PF, Vermund SH, Duarte CS, …, Wainberg ML (2014). Closing the mental health gap in low-income settings by building research capacity: Perspectives from Mozambique. Annals of Mental Health, 80 (2), 126–133.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (2015). International standards on drug use prevention. Retrieved June 6 2018, from https://www.unodc.org/documents/prevention/UNODC_2013_2015_international_standards_on_drug_use_prevention_E.pdf
Yen, J., Yen, C., Chen, C., Chen, S., & Ko, C. (2007). Family factors of internet addiction and substance use experience in Taiwanese adolescents. Cyber Psychology & Behavior, 10(3), 323–329.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Segrott, J. (2019). Supporting Prevention Science and Prevention Research Internationally. In: Sloboda, Z., Petras, H., Robertson, E., Hingson, R. (eds) Prevention of Substance Use. Advances in Prevention Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-00627-3_24
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-00627-3_24
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-00625-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-00627-3
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)