The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #66517

Kelli A. Komro, PhD¹, Cheryl L. Perry, PhD¹, Sara Veblen-Mortenson, MPH, MSW², Linda M. Bosma, MA³, Carolyn L. Williams, PhD², Rhonda J. Jones-Webb, DrPH³, and Traci L. Toomey, MPH, PhD¹. (1) Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 South Second Street, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55454, 612-625-7333, komro@epi.umn.edu, (2) Epidemiology, University of Minnesota, 1300 South Second Street, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55454, (3) School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 South Second Street, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55454-1015

The purpose of this presentation is to describe the research and intervention design and first year results of a new randomized trial to evaluate an adaptation of Project Northland for urban youth. Project Northland, a multi-component and community-wide alcohol use prevention program that significantly reduced alcohol use among youth living in rural white communities, is considered a model program by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention and the U.S. Department of Education. In the current trial, Project Northland is being adapted, implemented and evaluated in Chicago public schools and surrounding neighborhoods. Sixty-one Chicago public schools were recruited and agreed to participate and be randomly assigned to intervention or “delayed program” control condition. A cohort of approximately 5,000 sixth grade students will receive three years of intervention strategies (curricula, parent involvement, peer leadership, community organizing) and participate in yearly surveys to measure their alcohol use and related risk and protective factors. Additional evaluation strategies include a parent survey, neighborhood leader survey, alcohol purchase attempts, and an assessment of outdoor alcohol advertising. In this presentation particular attention will be paid to the cultural adaptation of the Project Northland programs for racially and ethnically diverse youth living in a large city. The adaptation process has included a series of steps that will be described in this presentation. In addition an overview of the first year intervention activities and results will be presented.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to:
• Describe the four intervention components of Project Northland Chicago, an alcohol use preventive intervention for 6th-8th graders.
• Understand the cultural adaptation process used to redesign an intervention for racially and ethnically diverse youth living in a large city.
• Discuss the first year results of the community trial designed to evaluate the adapted Project Northland.

Keywords: Alcohol, Research

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.