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Completed

NCT Number: NCT00650585

An Effectiveness Trial of Project ALERT

The purpose of this study is to replicate a longitudinal evaluation of Project ALERT, a substance abuse prevention program that targets middle school students.

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Key information

Conditions

Alcohol Drinking Behavior Drinking Behavior Marijuana Smoking Marijuana Use Smoking Smoking, Non-Tobacco Products

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Pacific Institute for Research & Evaluation

Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27514, United States

About this study

Project ALERT is a substance abuse prevention program that targets middle school students. The purposes of this evaluation are to test its immediate and one-year effectiveness in a randomized experimental design that will span a total of 2.5 years for each of two cohorts. The cohorts are spaced one year apart to reduce our implementation and data collection burdens at any one time. The design for the two cohorts is identical. In schools randomly assigned to the treatment group, instructors receive Project ALERT training and materials prior to beginning the program and have access to technical assistance on request. In schools randomly assigned to the control group, teachers implement whatever substance abuse prevention curricula they normally would (if any).

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • schools with 6th-8th grades housed together on a common campus
  • schools with 6th grade student population of at least 100 students
  • schools with no current 6th, 7th, or 8th grade implementation of any drug prevention curriculum recognized as a model program by a federally-sponsored registry
  • all regular education students in the targeted grade must participate

Exclusion criteria

  • students in self-contained classrooms (i.e., special education classes)

Treatment and study plan

Project ALERT

Behavioral

Project ALERT (Adolescent Learning Experiences in Resistance Training) is a drug prevention curriculum designed for middle-school students (11 to 14 years old). The 11 lessons in the first year and 3 booster lessons in the second year focus on alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and inhalants - the substances that adolescents are most likely to use. Project ALERT uses participatory activities and videos to help motivate youth to avoid drug use, to teach youth skills and strategies to resist peer pressures to use drugs, and to establish social norms against drug-use. More information about Project ALERT may be found at http://www.projectalert.best.org/.

Other names: Adolescent Learning Experiences in Resistance Training

Primary outcomes

  1. Self-reported 30-day Use of Alcohol

    Time frame: measured approximately 30 days after intervention completed

    Students completed an 81-item self-report questionnaire. They were asked on how many days they had used alcohol in the previous 30 days. Response options included "none," "1 or 2 days in the last month," "3 to 5 days in the last month," "6 to 19 days in the last month," and "20 or more days in the last month." Response options were dichotomized into none and at least one day.

  2. Self-reported 30-day Use of Cigarettes

    Time frame: measured approximately 30 days after intervention completed

    Students completed an 81-item self-report questionnaire. They were asked on how many days they had smoked cigarettes in the previous 30 days. Response options included "none," "1 or 2 days in the last month," "3 to 5 days in the last month," "6 to 19 days in the last month," and "20 or more days in the last month." Response options were dichotomized into none and at least one day.

  3. Self-reported 30-day Marijuana Use

    Time frame: measured approximately 30 days after intervention completed

    Students completed an 81-item self-report questionnaire. They were asked on how many days they had used marijuana in the previous 30 days. Response options included "none," "1 or 2 days in the last month," "3 to 5 days in the last month," "6 to 19 days in the last month," and "20 or more days in the last month." Response options were dichotomized into none and at least one day.

  4. Self-reported 30-day Inhalant Use

    Time frame: measured approximately 30 days after intervention completed

    Students completed an 81-item self-report questionnaire. They were asked on how many days they had used inhalants in the previous 30 days. Response options included "none," "1 or 2 days in the last month," "3 to 5 days in the last month," "6 to 19 days in the last month," and "20 or more days in the last month." Response options were dichotomized into none and at least one day.

  5. Self-reported Lifetime Alcohol Use

    Time frame: measured approximately 30 days after intervention completed

    Students completed an 81-item self-report questionnaire. To assess lifetime use, we asked if the respondent had ever used alcohol (yes or no).

  6. Self-reported Lifetime Cigarette Use

    Time frame: measured approximately 30 days after intervention completed

    Students completed an 81-item self-report questionnaire. To assess lifetime use, we asked if the respondent had ever smoked cigarettes (yes or no).

  7. Self-reported Lifetime Marijuana Use

    Time frame: measured approximately 30 days after intervention completed

    Students completed an 81-item self-report questionnaire. To assess lifetime use, we asked if the respondent had ever used marijuana (yes or no).

  8. Self-reported Lifetime Inhalant Use

    Time frame: measured approximately 30 days after intervention completed

    Students completed an 81-item self-report questionnaire. To assess lifetime use, we asked if the respondent had ever used inhalants (yes or no).

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Promising Programs for Substance Abuse Prevention: Replication and Evaluation Initiative

Important dates

Study start
2004
Primary completion
2008
Study completion
2008
First posted
Apr 2, 2008
Registry last updated
Jun 13, 2013

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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