Project AIM: Preventing Illicit Substance Use Among Middle School Children

说明（由申请人提供）：青少年使用非法药物仍然是一个严重的公共卫生问题，特别是大量中学生和低年级学生酗酒和吸毒。此外，尽管高中生的药物使用似乎有所下降，但中学生的这种下降并不明显。以学校为基础的预防方案是青少年使用最广泛的预防方法，这种方案可以有效地推迟开始和减少物质使用的频率。但在我们这个对学业成绩负责的时代，这样的项目更难实施。很明显，在提高学业成绩和促进积极发展的同时，还需要继续发展以学校为基础的简短项目，以解决药物使用和其他问题行为。拟议研究的总体目标是测试一项创新的，理论驱动的中学预防计划的适应性，aim项目（成人身份指导），该计划有望预防或延迟早期开始使用物质，减少其他问题行为，提高学业成绩，并教授识别和追求生活目标的技能。我们提出了一项前瞻性非随机准实验对照组研究，在四所中学中对AIM课程的有效性进行研究，这些中学的学生有较高的物质使用风险，相关行为问题和学习困难。每所学校的六年级学生要么将AIM课程作为一年的健康课程的一部分，要么单独接受标准的健康课程。该申请与PA-06-317，药物滥用预防干预研究：R21一致，因为它提出了一个基于理论的，发展知情的研究计划，将当前关于社会认知和个体差异的知识应用于预防药物使用和其他问题行为结果。公共卫生相关性：在提高学业成绩和促进积极发展的同时，显然需要继续发展以学校为基础的简短预防计划，以解决药物使用和其他问题行为。拟议中的研究将测试一个创新的、理论驱动的、以中学为基础的预防项目，AIM项目（成人身份指导），该项目有望预防或推迟早期开始使用药物，减少其他问题行为，并教授识别和追求生活目标的技能。该申请与PA-06-317，药物滥用预防干预研究（R21）的目标是一致的，因为它提出了一个基于理论的，发展知情的研究计划，将当前关于社会认知和个体差异的知识应用于预防药物使用和其他问题行为结果。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Illicit substance use among youth continues to be a serious public health concern, particularly the vast numbers of youth in middle school and lower grades who use alcohol and drugs. Also, whereas substance use appears to be declining among high school students, no such decline is evident among middle schoolers. School-based prevention programs are the most widely used prevention method for adolescents, and such programs can be effective in delaying initiation and reducing frequency of substance use. But such programs are more difficult to implement in our era of accountability for academic achievement. There is a clear need for continued development of brief school-based programs that address substance use and other problem behaviors while enhancing academic achievement and promoting positive development. The overall aim of the proposed research is to test an innovative, theory-driven adaptation of a middle-school-based prevention program, Project AIM (Adult Identity Mentoring), that shows promise for preventing or delaying early initiation of substance use, curtailing other problem behaviors, enhancing academic achievement, and teaching skills for identifying and pursuing life goals. We propose a prospective nonrandomized quasi-experimental comparison group study of the efficacy of the AIM curriculum within four middle schools with high percentages of students who are at risk for substance use, related behavioral problems, and academic difficulties. Cohorts of sixth graders at each school will either receive the AIM curriculum as part of their year-long Health course or will receive the standard Health course alone. This application is consistent with PA-06-317, Drug Abuse Prevention Intervention Research: R21, in that it proposes a theory-based, developmentally informed program of research that applies current knowledge regarding social cognition and individual differences to the prevention of substance use and other problematic behavioral outcomes. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: There is a clear need for continued development of brief school-based prevention programs that address substance use and other problem behaviors while enhancing academic achievement and promoting positive development. The proposed research will test an innovative, theory- driven middle-school-based prevention program, Project AIM (Adult Identity Mentoring), that shows promise for preventing or delaying early initiation of substance use, curtailing other problem behaviors, and teaching skills for identifying and pursuing life goals. This application is consistent with the goals of PA-06-317, Drug Abuse Prevention Intervention Research (R21), in that it proposes a theory-based, developmentally informed program of research that applies current knowledge regarding social cognition and individual differences to the prevention of substance use and other problematic behavioral outcomes.