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Preventing Drug Abuse Among Adolescent Girls: Outcome Data from an Internet-Based Intervention

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Abstract

This study developed and tested an Internet-based gender-specific drug abuse prevention program for adolescent girls. A sample of seventh, eighth, and ninth grade girls (N = 236) from 42 states and 4 Canadian provinces were randomly assigned to an intervention or control group. All girls completed an online pretest battery. Following pretest, intervention girls interacted with a 12-session, Internet-based gender-specific drug prevention program. Girls in both groups completed the measurement battery at posttest and 6-month follow-up. Analysis of posttest scores revealed no differences between groups for 30-day reports of alcohol, marijuana, poly drug use, or total substance use (alcohol and drugs). At 6-month follow-up, between-group effects were found on measures of 30-day alcohol use, marijuana use, poly drug use, and total substance use. Relative to girls in the control group, girls exposed to the Internet-based intervention reported lower rates of use for these substances. Moreover, girls receiving the intervention achieved gains over girls in the control group on normative beliefs and self-efficacy at posttest and 6-month follow-up, respectively.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by National Institute on Drug Abuse Grant DA13305. We also thank Berlin Productions, Inc. for their technical support of the RealTeen program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Work, Columbia University, 1255 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY, 10027, USA

    Traci M. Schwinn & Steven P. Schinke

  2. William Paterson University, 300 Pompton Road, Wayne, NJ, 07470, USA

    Jennifer Di Noia

Authors
  1. Traci M. Schwinn
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  2. Steven P. Schinke
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  3. Jennifer Di Noia
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Correspondence to Traci M. Schwinn.

Additional information

Supported by funding from Grant DA13305 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

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Schwinn, T.M., Schinke, S.P. & Di Noia, J. Preventing Drug Abuse Among Adolescent Girls: Outcome Data from an Internet-Based Intervention. Prev Sci 11, 24–32 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-009-0146-9

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