Suchergebnisse

Historically, demand and supply reduction approaches to the prevention and control of tobacco, alcohol, and other drug abuse have been treated as independent efforts in the United States, vying for public attention and funding. Separate reviews of research suggest that the more effective components of each approach can reduce potential drug use by 20% to 40% for 3 years and sometimes longer. Review of theories relevant to behavior change suggest that integrating the two approaches could increase this proportion to 40% to 50% for longer periods by synergistically affecting community anti-drug use norms and compliance. This article briefly reviews demand and supply reduction approaches to drug abuse prevention and presents hypothetical models of change in drug use behavior based on program and policy interventions that are introduced sequentially into communities.

The overall aim of the two school-based pilot studies was to evaluate whether an approach to prevention that focused on changing child impulse control, decision making, and social competence can be effective in changing attitudes toward food intake and physical activity as risk factors for obesity. The strategy used was to translate specific components of one evidence-based program for violence prevention (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies: PATHS) into an elementary school curriculum program for obesity prevention. Both studies demonstrated significant changes in positive attitudes toward self-regulation of appetitive behavior. In addition, Study 2 demonstrated positive changes in actual food choices and television viewing patterns. Implications are that comprehensive efforts to prevent youth risk for obesity should include as one component school-based curricula that target self-regulation and decision-making skills.

Over the past twenty-five years, tremendous progress has been made in the area of drug abuse prevention research. The accumulated findings from longitudinal studies of adolescents regarding the factors associated with vulnerability to the substance use and abuse and trends from national surveys of substance use showing their association to societal perceptions of the harmfulness resulting from the use of these substances have informed the development of effective innovative prevention strategies. The 1990s saw a reversal in the perception of the value and importance of drug abuse prevention research with recognition of the field's approach to intervention development and implementation and its scientific rigor in demonstrating intervention impact. This paper reflects on this history anticipating both the positive and negative aspects of the future for the field.

Purpose. To examine whether residing in a community designed to promote physical activity moderates the relationship between parent perceptions of the neighborhood and general physical activity or active commuting to school in their children. Design. Cross-sectional. Setting. San Bernardino County, California. Subjects. Three hundred sixty-five families (one parent and one child in grades four through eight). Eighty-five reside in a smart growth community designed to be more conducive to physical activity. Measures. Parent perceptions assessed using the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS). General child physical activity was measured using accelerometers, and active commuting was self-reported by children. Analysis. Two sets of regressions were performed: one for general physical activity, and one for active commuting. Separate models were run in the two sets for each of the 14 NEWS factors, while controlling for demographics. Results. For general physical activity, walking infrastructure, lack of cul-de-sacs, and social interaction had significant main effect associations (p ≤ .05). No factors were moderated by community. The relationships between active commuting to school and perceived crime, traffic hazards, hilliness, physical barriers, cul-de-sac connectivity, aesthetics, and walking infrastructure were significant for those in the smart growth community only (p ≤ .05). Conclusions. Living in an activity-friendly environment is associated with positive relationships between parent perceptions and active commuting behaviors in children. Future interventions should account for both the perceived neighborhood environment and available physical activity infrastructure.