Tobacco World: Interactive Tobacco Education for Teens

描述(申请者提供)：该项目将开发一个针对中学生的交互式计算机防烟程序。该唯读光碟是为六至八年级现有的健康教育课程而设计的附属课程。该光盘是根据我们的第一阶段原型项目“烟草世界”制作的，在该项目中，向学生展示了一个视频游戏厅界面，让他们可以随机进入几个类似游戏的活动，在这些活动中，他们可以了解烟草以及与烟草使用相关的负面健康影响。我们将扩大选择范围，包括更复杂的活动和娱乐游戏。第二阶段计划将提供吸引人的媒体，教育学生烟草的风险以及同龄人和行业对他们关于烟草决策的影响。游戏和活动将被设计成通过改变态度、社会形象、对短期和长期身体后果的信念、对同龄人社会形象的感知、主观规范和感知的行为控制，来有效地减少吸烟意图的机制。我们将在中学生中测试该计划的各个组成部分在改变与烟草的启动和使用有关的中介变量方面的有效性。最终的计划将在随机试验中进行评估，俄勒冈州和纽约州的中学将被分配到既定的烟草预防课程中，或者被分配到通常的烟草课程和烟草世界计划中。学生将在前、后和6个月的随访中接受评估，以评估计划使用对意图和实际烟草使用的影响。一个配套网站将通过互联网向教师提供管理和评分反馈。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed project will develop an interactive computer-based program for tobacco prevention aimed at middle school students. The CD-ROM is designed to be an adjunct to the existing health education curriculum provided for 6th through 8th grades. The CD-ROM is based upon our Phase I prototype program entitled Tobacco World in which students are presented with a video arcade interface that offers them random access to several game-like activities in which they learn about tobacco and the negative health effects associated with tobacco use. We will expand the menu of options to include more complex activities and entertaining games. The Phase II program will deliver engaging media to educate students about the risks of tobacco and peer and industry influences on their decisions regarding tobacco. Games and activities will be designed to act on mechanisms shown to be effective in decreasing intentions to use tobacco through changing attitudes, social images, beliefs about short and long term physical consequences, perceptions of peers' social images, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. We will test individual components of the program with middle school students for effectiveness in changing mediating variables related to initiation and use of tobacco. The final program will be evaluated in a randomized trial where middle schools in Oregon and New York will be assigned to either an established tobacco prevention curriculum, or to the usual tobacco curriculum plus the Tobacco World program. Students will be assessed at pre-, post- and 6-month follow-up to evaluate the impact of program use on intentions, and actual tobacco use. A companion website will offer administrative and scoring feedback to teachers via the Internet.