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The Healthy for Life Project: Behavioral Outcomes

Journal of Primary Prevention volume 21, pages 47–73 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

The Healthy for Life program was designed to positively influence the health behaviors of middle school students in five related areas: alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use, nutrition and sexuality. The in-school, social influences program was supplemented by parent and community components. Twenty-one schools were assigned to two treatment conditions or a random control. Students (n = 2,483) were surveyed annually from grade 6 until grade 10. The results indicate that overall Healthy for Life had minimal effect on the participating students relative to those in the control schools. The Intensive version of the program was more effective than an Age Appropriate version, with small positive results on four measures (frequency of meals, perceptions of peer use, cigarettes and marijuana smoked) and small negative effects for drinking alcohol. Implications for prevention theory are suggested.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Verona, WI.

    Douglas L. Piper & Monica J. King

  2. Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 4119 Keewatin Trail, Verona, WI, 53593

    Douglas L. Piper

  3. Center for Health Policy and Program Evaluation, University of Wisconsin—, Madison

    D. Paul Moberg

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  1. Douglas L. Piper
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  2. D. Paul Moberg
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  3. Monica J. King
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Piper, D.L., Moberg, D.P. & King, M.J. The Healthy for Life Project: Behavioral Outcomes. The Journal of Primary Prevention 21, 47–73 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007005430924

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  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007005430924

  • adolescence
  • prevention research
  • social influences model
  • middle school
  • multi-component
  • alcohol
  • tobacco
  • eating behaviors
  • sexuality
  • substance use