CLIMATE Schools: Alcohol Module - The development and evaluation of a universal computer driven school-based prevention program for problems with alcohol misuse and related harms

NDARC Staff

Laura Vogl, Maree Teesson, Paul Dillon and Bronwyn Steadman

Other Investigators

Helen van Vliet, Gavin Andrews (School of Psychiatry, UNSW) Kevin Bird (School of Psychology)

Aims

To develop and evaluate an evidence based computer delivered alcohol misuse prevention program for school students.

Design and Method

The development of the Climate Schools: Alcohol Module program was completed in January 2004. This involved the collaboration of teachers, students, police and specialists in the area of alcohol and other drug research. The program was designed to be embedded in the NSW Personal Development, Health and Physical Education Curriculum. The program consists of six interactive computer-driven lessons and a range of other classroom activities. Climate Schools: Alcohol Module utilises a cartoon-based soap opera which allows students to learn about preventive strategies in real-life contexts.

A longitudinal cluster randomized controlled trial involving 1435 Year 8 students (13 years old) from 16 schools was utilized to evaluate the program. Schools were randomly assigned to complete the Climate Schools program or to receive alcohol education as usual. Students were followed for a two year period after the intervention. Data was collected in 2005 and 2006, and analysis completed in 2007.

Benefits

Follow-up results demonstrated that the Climate Schools: Alcohol Module was more effective than standard alcohol prevention education for increasing young people’s knowledge about skills required to minimise alcohol-related harm and for decreasing young people’s expectations regarding the positive social benefits of drinking alcohol. The program was considerably more effective in decreasing average alcohol consumption, alcohol misuse and related harms for females than standard alcohol prevention programs delivered in schools. For males, immediately after the intervention, Climate Schools: Alcohol Module was more effective than standard alcohol education programs for decreasing average alcohol consumption and delaying the onset of alcohol use. However, these differences in consumption were not sustained six months after the program had been completed. These differences are consistent with other school-based drug education programs which have also found superior prevention outcomes for females. Climate Schools: Alcohol Module was positively evaluated by both students and teachers. Teachers rated this program to be better than other drug education programs and students were keen to learn other educational topics using this delivery format.

Output

This research has been disseminated in peer-reviewed journal publications:

Vogl, L.E., Teesson, M., Andrews, G., Bird, K., Steadman, B. and Dillon, P. (2009). A computerized harm minimization prevention program for alcohol misuse and related harms: Randomized controlled trial. Addiction, 104 (4), 564-575.

Newton, N.C., Vogl, L.E., Teesson, M. and Andrews, G. (2009). CLIMATE Schools: Alcohol Module: Cross-validation of a school-based prevention programme for alcohol misuse. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 43(3), 201 — 207

Vogl, L & Teesson, M. (2006). The efficacy of a computerised school based prevention program for problems with alcohol use: CLIMATE Schools. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, Suppl., 30(6), 198A.

It has also been presented at both international and national conferences:

Newton, N., Vogl, L.E., Teesson, M., Andrews, G. (2008). CLIMATE Schools: Cannabis and Alcohol Module: A cluster randomised controlled trial for the prevention of alcohol and cannabis use in adolescents. APSAD 2008

Vogl, L., Teesson, M., Andrews, G., Newton, N., & van Vliet, H. (2007) CLIMATE Schools Alcohol Module- Evidence-based drug education in schools - Workshop. 25th ACHPER International / Biennial Conference; Pace Yourself 2007, Freemantle, Australia.

Vogl, L and Teesson, M. (2006). CLIMATE Schools Alcohol: The efficacy of a school based prevention program for problems with alcohol misuse. Proceedings of the 36th Annual Congress of the European Association of Behaviour and Cognitive Therapists. Paris France 20-23rd September 2006.

Vogl, L and Teesson, M. (2006). The efficacy if a computerised school based prevention program for problems with alcohol use: CLIMATE Schools. The 29th Annual Meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism, June 23-29, 2006, Baltimore, Maryland.

Van Vliet, H, Vogl, L & Newton, N. (2006). CLIMATE Schools: The development and evaluation of a computer-based prevention program for adolescents. The 5th Australian and New Zealand Adolescent Health Conference. Sydney Australia, 13-15 November 2006

Vogl, L and Teesson, M. (2006). The efficacy of a school-based prevention program for problems with alcohol use: CLIMATE Schools: alcohol. 5th International Conference on Drugs and Young People.

Vogl, L and Teesson, M. (2006). The efficacy of a school-based prevention program for problems with alcohol use in Australia: CLIMATE Schools: Alcohol. 19th Biennial Meeting of the International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development (ISSBD)-Children at Risk. Invited presentation.

Vogl, L and Teesson, M. (2005). CLIMATE Schools Alcohol: The efficacy of a school based prevention program for problems with alcohol misuse. Proceedings of the 35th Annual Congress of the European Association of Behaviour and Cognitive Therapists. Thessaloniki Greece 21-24rd September 2005.

National:

Vogl, L. (2007). Climate Schools: The efficacy of a school-based prevention program for problems with alcohol use. Presentation at the NDARC Canberra Seminar Series, Canberra, 1 August.

Vogl, L and Teesson, M. (2006). CLIMATE Schools Alcohol: The efficacy of a school based prevention program for problems with alcohol misuse. National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre Symposium.

Vogl, L., Teesson, M. and Dillon, P. (2004). CLIMATE Schools: Developing and evaluating the effectiveness of an interactive school-based prevention program for alcohol use and related harms. National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre Seminar Series.

Vogl, L. and Teesson, M. (2003). CLIMATE Schools: Evaluating the effectiveness of an interactive school-based prevention program for alcohol use and related harms. School of Public Health and Community Medicine Postgraduate Retreat.

The CLIMATE Schools: Alcohol Module is being disseminated as a web-based program at the following web-address:

http://www.climateschools.tv

Funding

Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing and the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre