Effects of a Community Prevention Intervention on Public Awareness, Knowledge, and Risk Perception of Club Drug Use by Youth in Taiwan

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of mobilizing community coalitions and implementing prevention intervention concerning public awareness, knowledge, and perception of the risks associated with club drug use by Taiwanese urban youth. A quasi-experimental design was used. Three communities in Taipei city were included in the present study. A total of 328 residents successfully participated in the baseline survey (April 2008), and 276 residents were successfully interviewed for the follow-up survey (September 2008). The generalized estimating equation (GEE) method was used. The percentage of the intervention respondents who reported having seen or heard antidrug messages increased significantly between the time of the baseline survey (63.7%) and the follow-up survey (77.4%), while the percentage of attendance at antidrug events increased from 23.1% to 38.7% during the same time interval. In addition, community knowledge and perception of the problem of club drug use by youth rose significantly between the baseline and the follow-up in the intervention communities. The study's limitations are noted.

RÉSUMÉ

Effets d'une intervention de prévention de la communauté sur la perception de conscience du public, de connaissance et de risque de l'utilisation de drogue de club de jeunes à Taiwan

Cette étude a évalué les effets de mobiliser des coalitions de la communauté et de mettre en application l'intervention de prévention au sujet de la conscience du public, la connaissance et la perception des risques associées à l'utilisation de drogue de club par jeunes. Un projet quasi-expérimental a été employé. Trois communautés dans la ville de Taïpei ont été comprises dans la présente étude. Un total de 328 résidants ont participé à l'enquête de niveau de référence (avril 2008) avec succès et 276 résidants ont été interviewés pour l'enquête de suivi avec succès (septembre 2008). La méthode de GEE a été employée. Le pourcentage des répondants d'intervention rapporté a vu ou entendu les messages anti-drogue accrus sensiblement entre le moment de l'enquête de niveau de référence (63.7%) et de l'enquête de suivi (77.4%), alors que le pourcentage de l'assistance aux événements anti-drogue augmentait de 23.1% à 38.7% pendant le même intervalle de temps. En outre, la connaissance de la communauté et la perception du problème de l'utilisation de drogue de club de jeunes ont monté de manière significative entre la niveau de référence et le suivi dans les communautés d'intervention.

Mots clés: communauté, jeune, drogue de club, conscience, connaissance

RESUMEN

Efectos de una intervención preventiva comunitaria sobre la concientización, conocimiento y percepción del riesgo del uso de las drogas de club entre los jóvenes de Taiwán

Este studio evaluaba los efectos de la mobilización de las coaliciones comunitarias e implementación de intervención preventiva en cuanto a la concientización, conocimiento y percepción del riesgo relacionados con el uso de drogas de club entre los jóvenes. Se aplicó Un diseño cuasi-experimental y se incluyeron tres comunidades en la ciudad de Taipéi en este estudio. Un total de 328 residentes participaron con éxito en esta encuesta preliminar que servía de línea de base en abril, 2008, y dentro de ellos, se entrevistaron con éxito 276 residentes en la encuesta del seguimiento. Se utilizó el método de Ecuación Estimada Generalizada. El porcentaje de los sujetos que respodieron a la intervención y que decían haber visto o escuchado mensajes antidrogas aumentó significativamente entre la encuesta preliminar (63.7%) y la del seguimiento (77.4%), mientras que el porcentaje de asistencia a eventos antidrogas aumentó desde 23.1% a 38.7% durante el mismo período de tiempo. Además, conocimiento y la percepción de la comunidad sobre el problema de uso de droga de club entre los jóvenes subió considerablemente entre la línea de base y el seguimeinto en las comunidades intervenidas.

Palabras claves: comunidad, jóvenes, drogas de club, concientización, conocimiento

Keywords:

• community
• youth
• club drug
• awareness
• knowledge

THE AUTHORS

Ching-Mei Lee, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Health Promotion and Health Education at the National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan. She has been engaged in adolescent drug use prevention, tobacco control, and youth cessation research for many years and has published extensively in the field. She has trained teachers and health officials in prevention work and creative health education for many years. She has received a Ministry of Education Outstanding Teacher Award, a National Taiwan Normal University Excellent Teacher Award, and a ROC Educational Academic Alliance Research Award.

Fong-Ching Chang, Dr. P.H., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Promotion and Health Education at National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan. She has worked for the Department of Health, Taiwan, for more than 10 years. Her research interests include tobacco control, adolescent substance use prevention, and policy evaluation.

Nae-Fang Miao, RN, Ed.D., is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan. Her main research topics are tobacco control, substance misuse by adolescents, and evaluation of intervention for the promotion of a healthy life for school-aged children and adolescents.

Meei-Ling Shyu, RN, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan. Her research interests include health promotion, nursing care of children and adolescence, family nursing, and nursing administration.

Shu-Ching Lee, MEd, teaches at Jhonghe High School and is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Health Promotion and Health Education at the National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan. She has devoted her professional career to adolescent tobacco control.

Yu-Chen Chang, MEd, is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Health Promotion and Health Education at National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan. Her research interests include youth drug abuse and the use of mixed qualitative and quantitative methods in adolescent health research.

Sieh-Hwa Lin, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling at the National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan. His research interests include measurement, statistics, and research methodology.

Ying-Ting Chen, MEd, graduated from the Department of Education at the Taipei Municipal University of Education. She is a coordinator in the School of Continuing Education at the National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan. Her main research interest is education.

Meng-Chun Hsu, MS, graduated from the Department of Industrial and Business Management at the Chang Gung University, Taipei, Taiwan. Her research interest is management.

Jin-Ping Ruo, MEd, graduated from the Department of Health Promotion and Health Education at the National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan. Her research interest is community volunteerism.