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Evaluating Mediators of the Impact of the Linking the Interests of Families and Teachers (LIFT) Multimodal Preventive Intervention on Substance Use Initiation and Growth Across Adolescence

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Abstract

Substance use outcomes were examined for 351 youth participating in a randomized controlled trial designed to assess the efficacy of a school-based multimodal universal preventive intervention, Linking the Interests of Families and Teachers (LIFT). Frequency of any use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs was assessed via self-report from grades 5 through 12. Latent variable growth models specified average level, linear growth and accelerated growth. The LIFT intervention had a significant effect on reducing the rate of growth in use of tobacco and illicit drugs, particularly for girls, and had an overall impact on average levels of use of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs. Average tobacco use reductions were mediated by increases in family problem solving. The intervention had significant indirect effects on growth in substance use through intervention effects on reduced playground aggression and increased family problem solving. The intervention was also associated with roughly a 10% reduced risk in initiating tobacco and alcohol use. Implications for future studies of multimodal preventive interventions are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

Support for this project was provided by Grant R01 MH054248 from the Prevention and Behavioral Medicine Research Branch, Division of Epidemiology and Services Research, NIMH, U.S. PHS; by Grant P30 MH 46690 from Prevention and Behavioral Medicine Research Branch, Division of Epidemiology and Services Research, NIMH & ORMH, U.S. PHS; P30 DA 023920, Division of Epidemiology, Services and Prevention Branch, NIDA and by a center infrastructure development grant from the McConnell Clark Foundation. Special thanks to the children and families who have shared their lives with us during the tenure of the LIFT project; to the school administrators, teachers, and staff in the Bethel, Eugene 4 J, and Springfield public school districts, without whose support and efforts this study could not have been done; and to the many OSLC administrative and research staff members who have contributed their time, energy, and talents over the years, especially Kathy Jordan, Alice Holmes, Theresa Mayne, Margaret Lathrop, Diana Strand, Barb Bellows, and Julie Stubbs. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to: David DeGarmo, Oregon Social Learning Center, 10 Shelton McMurphey Blvd., Eugene, Oregon, 97401. E-mail: davidd@oslc.org. Correspondence about LIFT in general should be addressed to: J. Mark Eddy at the same address. Email: marke@oslc.org

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DeGarmo, D.S., Eddy, J.M., Reid, J.B. et al. Evaluating Mediators of the Impact of the Linking the Interests of Families and Teachers (LIFT) Multimodal Preventive Intervention on Substance Use Initiation and Growth Across Adolescence. Prev Sci 10, 208–220 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-009-0126-0

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