Mediation of a preventive intervention's 6-year effects on health risk behaviors

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

Using data from a 6-year longitudinal follow-up sample of 240 youth who participated in a randomized experimental trial of a preventive intervention for divorced families with children ages 9 to 12, the current study tested mechanisms by which the intervention reduced substance use and risky sexual behavior in mid to late adolescence (15-19 years old). Mechanisms tested included parental monitoring, adaptive coping, and negative errors. Parental monitoring at 6-year follow-up mediated program effects to reduce alcohol and marijuana use, polydrug use, and other drug use for those with high pretest risk for maladjustment. In the condition that included a program for mothers only, increases in youth adaptive coping at 6-year follow-up mediated program effects on risky sexual behavior for those with high pretest risk for maladjustment. Contrary to expectation, program participation increased negative errors and decreased adaptive coping among low-risk youth in some of the analyses. Ways in which this study furthers our understanding of pathways through which evidence-based preventive interventions affect health risk behaviors are discussed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)300-310
Number of pages11
JournalPsychology of Addictive Behaviors
Volume24
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2010

Keywords

  • Adolescent risky sexual behavior
  • Adolescent substance use
  • Divorced families
  • Negative errors
  • Parental monitoring

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Medicine (miscellaneous)
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Mediation of a preventive intervention's 6-year effects on health risk behaviors'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this