Preliminary Evaluation of a Prescription Opioid Misuse Prevention Program Among Rural Middle School Students

AbstractAdolescent opioid misuse, addiction, and overdose have emerged as national health crises. Nearly 17% of high school students have misused prescription opioids. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reach and acceptability of a widely-used prescription opioid misuse prevention program,This Is (Not) About Drugs © (TINAD), and its preliminary efficacy at improving opioid misuse knowledge, opioid misuse attitudes, self-efficacy to avoid opioid misuse, and intentions to misuse opioids. Participants were 576 7th grade students (Mage = 11.8; 51% boys; 39% Hispanic, 31% White, 20% Black) from a rural county in the southeastern U.S. All participants received theTINAD program and completed pretest and immediate posttest assessments. The program was school-based and implemented in collaboration with school teachers and administrators. Over 91% of all eligible students in the school district participated in theTINAD program. Most participants found the program acceptable —over 83% of students liked the program. Approximately 9% of participants reported prior misuse of prescription opioids. After participating inTINAD, students self-reported higher knowledge and self-efficacy as well as safer attitudes. However, there was no change in intentions to misuse opioids in the future. Effects of the program were consistent across gender, socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, and previous opioid misuse.TINAD is acceptable and shows promise for improving opioid-related cogni...
Source: Journal of Community Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research