A Multihealth Behavior Intervention Integrating Physical Activity and Substance Use Prevention for Adolescents

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of a brief, multi-health behavior intervention integrating physical activity and alcohol use prevention messages for high school-aged adolescents. A total of 604 participants, 335 9th and 269 11th grade students from a suburban high school in northeast Florida participated in this study. A randomized control trial was conducted with participants randomly assigned within grade levels to receive either a brief consultation and prescription with a mailed reinforcing follow-up flyer (Project SPORT) or a minimal intervention control consisting of a wellness brochure provided in school and a pamphlet about teen health and fitness mailed to the home. Differences between intervention groups were evaluated with a series of MANCOVA tests. Project SPORT participants demonstrated significant positive effects at 3-months postintervention for alcohol consumption, alcohol initiation behaviors, alcohol use risk and protective factors, drug use behaviors, and exercise habits, and at 12-months for alcohol use risk and protective factors, cigarette use, and cigarette initiation (p's < 0.05). A post hoc analysis examining interactions between past 30-day use of marijuana and/or cigarettes by treatment group indicates significant positive effects for drug using adolescents who received Project SPORT on alcohol consumption, drug use behaviors, and drug use initiation at 3-months, and for drug use behaviors and exercise habits at 12-months (p's < 0.05). A brief, 12-min one-on-one consultation integrating alcohol avoidance messages within those promoting fitness and other positive health behaviors holds promise for influencing adolescent alcohol and cigarette use and other health behaviors at posttreatment and 1 year later. Long-term sustained effects for cigarette and marijuana use, and both vigorous and moderate physical activity, were found among adolescents using marijuana and/or cigarettes prior to intervention.

Brief Multiple Behavior Interventions in a College Student Health Care Clinic

“…Unlike our previous trials of brief multiple behavior health interventions for adolescents [10,11], the current intervention had surprisingly little effect on alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana consumption. Given the apparent increases in the proportion of students setting goals to stop or reduce substance use across all three treatments, this finding may be the result of a postintervention follow-up period too short to detect change on drug consumption behaviors.…”

“…Given the apparent increases in the proportion of students setting goals to stop or reduce substance use across all three treatments, this finding may be the result of a postintervention follow-up period too short to detect change on drug consumption behaviors. For example, our prior studies examined the effects of brief multiple behavior interventions among adolescents at three-months [10] and one-year follow-up [11]. It may also be that the fitness image for college students differs from that of younger students, or those in non-college environments, by including drug using behaviors as consistent, or at least not in conflict, with the prototypical or future self-image of being an active young adult.…”

“…Recent research has shown that brief interventions using structured one-on-one consultations and goal setting may result in multiple behavior change among both younger and older adolescents [10,11]. While brief interventions have been successfully employed with college students [12], multidimensional programs have targeted multiple health behaviors [13], we were unable to find any studies of college students examining brief interventions that addressed multiple behavior change.…”

The Longitudinal Influence of Physical Activity on Adolescent Alcohol Use

“…Of particular importance to the current study are the simultaneous increases in the onset of alcohol use and frequency of drinking (e.g., binge drinking) ( Some research suggests physical activity is a risk factor for alcohol use (Darling, Caldwell, & Smith, 2005); while others suggest engaging in physical activity decreases the risk for adolescent drinking (Werch, Moore, DiClemente, Bledsoe, & Jobli, 2005). This is, in fact, why studying the interplay among these variables during middle adolescence can be particularly compelling.…”

“…The little research done to date concerning the relationship between physical activity participation and alcohol use among adolescents has been inconsistent. Some studies suggest that physical activity participation in the form of organized sports puts youth at increased risk for alcohol use (Barber, Eccles, & Stone, 2001;Darling, Caldwell, & Smith, 2005) while other studies find that youth engaged in organized sports or in other fitness activities are at lower risk (Collingwood, Sunderlin, & Thomas, 2000;Werch et al, 2003;Werch, Moore, DiClemente, Bledsoe, & Jobli, 2005). As a result of these mixed findings, the nature and extent of relations among physical activity, specific risk or protective factors, and health risk behaviors like underage drinking remain pressing topics for empirical research.…”