Making Smart Choices

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In this Phase II SBIR grant, Danya International, Inc., continues the development and evaluation of Making Smart Choices (MSC), an alcohol prevention curriculum designed to educate adolescents in grades 7 and 8 about the health risks associated with the consumption of alcohol and provide them with information to make safe and healthy decisions. The goal of the curriculum is to educate girls and boys about general and gender- specific health and safety risks associated with alcohol consumption. This innovative, gender-specific approach to alcohol prevention differentiates the MSC curriculum from other alcohol prevention tools for adolescents, and provides teachers with classroom implementation techniques, engaging and developmentally appropriate content and multimedia tools to ensure effective use of the curriculum in the classroom. Evidence strongly supports implementing alcohol prevention curricula in middle school, in particular, prevention programs that address the developmental needs of adolescents. MSC will cover the effects of alcohol on the brain and body, decision making, relationships, and risky sexual behaviors in a biologically and developmentally appropriate manner. Once developed, MSC will consist of: (1) a Teacher's Guide with gender-specific instructions and activities; (2) a video program; and (3) an interactive CD-ROM. In Phase II of the project period, formative research will be conducted, including a needs assessment with students, teachers, and experts to finalize content areas and product design. The product development period will be used to complete the Teacher's Guide, video program, and accompanying CD-ROM. Once these components are developed, we will conduct a full-scale outcome evaluation with students and teachers to determine the effectiveness of the MSC program in increasing knowledge and protective attitudes and intentions toward alcohol use. We will also examine the effectiveness of the gender-specific approach to alcohol prevention. Despite recommendations from substance abuse prevention and curriculum development experts, none of the comprehensive substance abuse education programs currently available include gender-specific information about the relationship between alcohol consumption and risky health behavior. MSC will provide this much- needed gender-specific approach to alcohol prevention, providing teachers with instructions for implementing such an approach. In Phase II of the project period, formative research will be conducted, including a needs assessment with students, teachers, and experts to finalize content areas and product design. The product development period will be used to complete the Teacher's Guide, video program, and accompanying CD-ROM. Once these components are developed, we will conduct a full-scale outcome evaluation with students and teachers to determine the effectiveness of the MSC program in increasing knowledge and protective attitudes and intentions toward alcohol use. We will also examine the effectiveness of the gender-specific approach to alcohol prevention.