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Adaptations in a Community-Based Family Intervention: Replication of Two Coding Schemes

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Abstract

Although program adaptation is a reality in community-based implementations of evidence-based programs, much of the discussion about adaptation remains theoretical. The primary aim of this study was to replicate two coding systems to examine adaptations in large-scale, community-based disseminations of the Strengthening Families Program for Parents and Youth 10–14, a family-based substance use prevention program. Our second aim was to explore intersections between various dimensions of facilitator-reported adaptations from these two coding systems. Our results indicate that only a few types of adaptations and a few reasons accounted for a majority (over 70 %) of all reported adaptations. We also found that most adaptations were logistical, reactive, and not aligned with program’s goals. In many ways, our findings replicate those of the original studies, suggesting the two coding systems are robust even when applied to self-reported data collected from community-based implementations. Our findings on the associations between adaptation dimensions can inform future studies assessing the relationship between adaptations and program outcomes. Studies of local adaptations, like the present one, should help researchers, program developers, and policymakers better understand the issues faced by implementers and guide efforts related to program development, transferability, and sustainability.

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Notes

  1. The Extension system, a part of the land-grant university present in each of the United States, is a disseminated network of state university personnel. The mission of Extension is to identify community needs and to support the development of community practices, informed by university research, to meet those needs. County-based personnel serve as the link between campus-based researchers and community agencies, translating research to practice on the one hand and informing the research agenda of the university on the other.

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Acknowledgments

Portions of this research were supported by two grants from the National Institute of Drug Abuse of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (R21 DA025139-01Al, R21 DA19758-01). Our thanks to the program providers and families who participated in this research and to our undergraduate and graduate research assistants.

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  1. Department of Human Development, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA

    Brittany Rhoades Cooper, Gitanjali Shrestha, Leah Hyman & Laura Hill

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  1. Brittany Rhoades Cooper
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Correspondence to Brittany Rhoades Cooper.

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Cooper, B.R., Shrestha, G., Hyman, L. et al. Adaptations in a Community-Based Family Intervention: Replication of Two Coding Schemes. J Primary Prevent 37, 33–52 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-015-0413-4

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