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

Abstract #72570

Steven H Kelder, PhD, MPH¹, Alexander V. Prokhorov, MD, PhD², Nancy G Murray, DrPH³, Ross Shegog, PhD⁴, Jennifer L. Conroy, DrPH, MPH², and Carolyn Agurcia, MA⁴. (1) School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research, 7000 Fannin, Suite 2658, Houston, TX 77030, 713-500-9636, Steven.H.Kelder@uth.tmc.edu, (2) Department of Behavioral Sciences, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, HMB 3.063.11, Houston, TX 77030, (3) School of Public Health - Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research, University of Texas, 7000 Fannin, UCT 2620, Houston, TX 77030, (4) Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research, UT-Houston School of Public Health, 7000 Fannin, Houston, TX 77030

Despite significant school and community efforts teenage smoking prevalence today is the same as in was 1980. Reasons for this are complex and include: 1) effective prevention programs are not widely disseminated; 2) smoking teens are reluctant to seek assistance; 3) programs are incompletely implemented; 4), programs often fail to account for individual differences salient to adolescent smoking initiation and cessation. ASPIRE is a smoking prevention and cessation program designed to address these issues. ASPIRE is an interactive, multimedia CD_ROM based on the Transtheoretical Model of Change. Software assesses student smoking status, stages of smoking acquisition and cessation, nicotine dependence, and depression. The program then provides 8 educational “tracks” that are tailored to student characteristics. Students use the program in 5 classroom sessions, each approx 30 – 40 minutes in duration. ASPIRE will be evaluated in a randomized controlled trial of 16 urban highschools. Students will be evaluated five times: at baseline (fall 2002), 6 weeks, and at 6, 12, and 18 month follow-ups. Main outcome measures include self-reported smoking status, processes of change, nicotine dependence, and symptoms of depression. Biochemical validation of smoking status will also be taken at 18 month follow-up. Other impact variables include self-efficacy, knowledge, skills, personal beliefs, and perception of parents' and peers' norms. This presentation will cover lessons learned in the development of the program and initial implementation. This project was funded by NCI and is a collaborative effort by MD Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this session participants will be able to:
• Describe the study design, theory and developmental process for ASPIRE, a CD_ROM smoking prevention adn cessation progra

Keywords: Tobacco, Prevention

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.