Effects of a Social-Network Method for Group Assignment Strategies on Peer-Led Tobacco Prevention Programs in Schools

Valente, Thomas W.; Hoffman, Beth R.; Ritt-Olson, Annamara; Lichtman, Kara; Johnson, C. Anderson

doi:10.2105/ajph.93.11.1837

Cited by 253 publications

(193 citation statements)

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“…There has been a recent move to incorporate social network analysis methods into prevention and intervention strategies, particularly in the domain of peer-led prevention programs. These strategies are predicated on understanding the value of knowing which adolescents are perceived of as popular or as leaders, and by whom, thereby taking advantage of grouping adolescents together based on their real-world social relationships (Valente et al, 2003). Our findings would suggest that the beginning of the fall of grade 7, or even as early as by the end of grade 6, is a propitious time for prevention programs to occur, particularly those programs that deal with peer resistance, the nature of popularity, and the effects of influence of others on one's behavior.…”

Section: Implications For Preventionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Peer Standing and Substance Use in Early-Adolescent Grade-Level Networks: A Short-Term Longitudinal Study

2006

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Two competing hypotheses were tested concerning the associations between current alcohol and cigarette use and measures of individual, group and network peer standing in an ethnically-diverse sample of 156 male and female adolescents sampled at two time points in the seventh grade. Findings lent greater support to the person hypothesis, with early regular substance users enjoying elevated standing amongst their peers and maintaining this standing regardless of their maintenance of or desistance from current use later in the school year. In the fall semester, users (n=20, 13%) had greater social impact, were described by their peers as more popular, and were more central to the peer network than abstainers (i.e., those who did not report current use).Conversely, in the spring semester, there were no differences between users (n=22, 13%) and abstainers in peer ratings of popularity or social impact. Notably, the spring semester users group retained fewer than half of the users from the fall semester. Further, students who had reported current use in the fall, as a group, retained their positions of elevated peer standing in the spring, compared to all other students, and continued to be rated by their peers as more popular and as having greater social impact.We discuss the findings in terms of the benefit of employing simultaneous systemic and individual measures of peer standing or group prominence, which in the case of peer-based prevention programs, can help clarify the truly influential from the "pretenders" in the case of diffusion of risk-related behaviors. KeywordsEarly adolescents; Substance use; Peer standing; Social networksThe social dynamics of influence in peer networks have been well documented in the social psychological research literature, yet very little of this basic research has been applied in drug prevention programming. Studies that have taken this approach have demonstrated that social influences are the primary factor in the adolescent initiation of drug using and abusing behaviors (Donaldson et al., 1996;Flom, Friedman, Jose, & Curtis, 2001 & Park, 2000;Olds & Thombs, 2001). For adolescents, peer influence supplants adult influence as a prime factor in shaping behavioral norms, beliefs, and a wide range of both positive and negative behaviors, including substance use (Dishion & Medici Skaggs, 2000;Ennett & Baumann, 1994;Kandel, 1978;Thornberry & Krohn, 1997;Urberg, Degirmencioglu & Pilgrim, 1997).In recognition of the power of influential peers, guidelines for substance use prevention programs in schools recommend the use of peer leaders (Journal of School Health, 1994), and many such active peer-led programs are successful at reducing substance use in the schools (Black, Tobler, & Sciacca, 1998). However, peer influence is not equally distributed across the peer network. Rather, there is a hierarchy of influence power in peer social groups, with some individuals being more potent than others, and consequently with greater power to transmit information about norms and behaviors. I...

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Section: Implications For Preventionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Peer Standing and Substance Use in Early-Adolescent Grade-Level Networks: A Short-Term Longitudinal Study

2006

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“…[8][9][10][11] Our prior work with a tobacco prevention program showed that using network information to structure a school-based tobacco prevention program increased its effectiveness. 11,12 The statistical analysis revealed a program by network interaction such that the network condition, peers assigned to groups based on their social networks, was more effective in the culturally tailored curriculum than in the traditional social-influences one. Specifically, the culturally tailored program was effective in preventing smoking if students participated in the activities in groups composed of their social network members.…”

Section: Author Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Students who nominated these leaders were then assigned to be members in the corresponding group. 11 The purpose of the present study is to determine whether there were differences in the implementation of the 2 curricula and assess whether we can anticipate differences in outcomes based on implementation differences. Two sources of data for this process evaluation are health educator assessments conducted after each session they taught and observers who monitored selected sessions.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…[4][5][6][7] Most programs, however, incorporate peer influence factors only tangentially, primarily through role modeling and resistance-skills training. [8][9][10][11] Our prior work with a tobacco prevention program showed that using network information to structure a school-based tobacco prevention program increased its effectiveness. 11,12 The statistical analysis revealed a program by network interaction such that the network condition, peers assigned to groups based on their social networks, was more effective in the culturally tailored curriculum than in the traditional social-influences one.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Differences in Perceived Implementation of a Standard Versus Peer-led Interactive Substance Abuse Prevention Program

Valente

Okamoto²,

Pumpuang

et al. 2007

am j health behav

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Objective-To assess perceived implementation of 2 substance-abuse prevention programs: a standard one and a peer-led interactive one.Methods-Data from 16 health educators were collected after 504 classroom sessions, 63 of which were observed by 24 monitors.Results-In the interactive program, health educators (HEs) followed the curriculum less closely, reported less favorable classroom processes and less off-task talking than in the standard one.Conclusions-These data indicate that an interactive substance-abuse prevention program does not necessarily entail more off-task discussion but also does not necessarily guarantee more favorable program implementation.Keywords substance use; process evaluation; schools; prevention Project Towards No Drug Abuse (TND) is a school-based curriculum designed to motivate youth to change their perspectives on and perceptions of drug use, learn social and life skills to bond to prosocial institutions, and learn decision making to help them plan good solutions to complex, problem situations. 1 A one-year follow-up study of TND has shown decreased use of cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, hard drugs, and weapons carrying. 2 Effects on cigarette smoking, hard drug use, and marijuana use (the latter, among male nonusers at baseline) were also maintained at 2-year follow-up. 3 Address correspondence to Dr Valente, Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1000 S. Fremont Avenue, Building A Room 5133, Alhambra CA 91803. tvalente@usc.edu. NIH Public Access Author ManuscriptAm J Health Behav. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2011 July 12.Published in final edited form as: Am J Health Behav. 2007 ; 31(3): 297-311. doi:10.5555/ajhb.2007.31.3.297. NIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript TND, and many other substance abuse prevention programs, have been created and implemented with limited success perhaps because they have not adequately incorporated the power and influence of peer social networks. Social networks have been shown repeatedly to be a significant covariate of adolescent substance use. [4][5][6][7] Most programs, however, incorporate peer influence factors only tangentially, primarily through role modeling and resistance-skills training. [8][9][10][11] Our prior work with a tobacco prevention program showed that using network information to structure a school-based tobacco prevention program increased its effectiveness. 11,12 The statistical analysis revealed a program by network interaction such that the network condition, peers assigned to groups based on their social networks, was more effective in the culturally tailored curriculum than in the traditional social-influences one. Specifically, the culturally tailored program was effective in preventing smoking if students participated in the activities in groups composed of their social network members. However, a traditional social-influences program did not appear to be more effective when students participated in groups with their ...

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“…Nevertheless, this effort remained limited. In a study, a peerled Tobacco Prevention Program fulfilled to randomly selected 84 students of 6 th Class in 16 schools by Southern California University (32)(33)(34). This program provided many improvements on the attitudes of students towards smoking (p< 0.01) and improvement on self-efficacy (p< 0.01) and decreased the intention to smoke (p< 0.05).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of smoking behaviors of 2509 Turkish university students and its correlates: a cross-sectional study

Mergen

Be²,

Tavli³

et al. 2011

Tuberk Toraks

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Effects of a Social-Network Method for Group Assignment Strategies on Peer-Led Tobacco Prevention Programs in Schools

Abstract: The network method was the most effective way to structure the program. Future programs may refine this technique and use it in other settings.

Cited by 253 publications

References 51 publications

Peer Standing and Substance Use in Early-Adolescent Grade-Level Networks: A Short-Term Longitudinal Study

Peer Standing and Substance Use in Early-Adolescent Grade-Level Networks: A Short-Term Longitudinal Study

Differences in Perceived Implementation of a Standard Versus Peer-led Interactive Substance Abuse Prevention Program

Assessment of smoking behaviors of 2509 Turkish university students and its correlates: a cross-sectional study

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