Studying the Effectiveness of School-based Universal Prevention Interventions in the Czech Republic and Slovakia
Abstrakt
Background: In this paper, we introduce the designs of two semi-independent randomized controlled prevention trials. Objectives: The objective of both research projects is to examine the effect of a school-based prevention intervention, called Unplugged, on substance use in Czech and Slovak sixth-graders.
In the Czech Republic, in addition, another primary aim is to study the effect of the n-Prevention intervention, which follows the Unplugged intervention in the seventh grade. Settings: The settings were basic schools in the Czech Republic and Slovakia in the years 2012-2015.
Methods: Czech Republic - Students: ESPAD 2010, Strengthening Families Questionnaire, and knowledge test; Parents: Strengthening Families Questionnaire; Teachers: evaluation questionnaires and focus groups; Slovak Republic - Students: the Slovak version of the 2007 ESPAD questionnaire and the self-liking/self-competence, self-control, self-efficacy, resilience, cognitive autonomy, and self-evaluation scales. Results: We plan to pool the data from both research projects in order to further study the effect of Unplugged.
Additionally, the independent results from both countries may be further compared and utilised. Conclusion: Research project pursues different secondary objectives - this should result in more evidence being provided on the various aspects of the effectiveness of the intervention and a higher number of valuable publications.