Developing and implementing a community-based substance use prevention program in Iranian adolescents (SUPPIA): A study protocol

ABSTRACT

Objective

As substance use disorders are globally among the top causes of preventable mortality and morbidity among adolescents, there is a need for developing effective prevention programs to address the rising prevalence and the associated health consequences. The main aim of this study is to develop a community-based study protocol for preventing substance use in Iranian adolescents.

Methods and results

An ecological approach, mobilizing for action through planning and partnership (MAPP), was used to develop a study protocol for preventing substance use among 14–18-year-old adolescents participating in this study. Participants were randomized to the intervention (n = 70) or control (n = 70) groups. The intervention group was exposed to eight individual sessions by two qualified trainers over eight weeks to stimulate (1) positive outcome expectations, (2) self-efficacy, e.g., to resist social pressure, (3) self-regulation, e.g., by self-monitoring of stress and emotions. Outcomes were assessed by the percentage reduction in substance use after six, 18, and 24 months after the intervention.

Discussion

In this study, we have been to outline and explain the steps of developing and implementing a community-based study protocol. This protocol, if practical and effective, could be easily implemented in various settings and would reach large numbers of young people cost-effectively.

KEYWORDS:

• Adolescence
• community-based
• substance use
• study protocol
• mobilizing for action through planning and partnership (MAPP)
• social cognitive theory

Abbreviation

SUPPIA: substance use prevention program in adolescents

MAPP: mobilizing for action through partnership and planning

SCT: social cognitive theory

HBM: health belief model

TPB: theory of planned behavior

TRA: theory of reasoned action

GST: Goal Setting Theory

TTM: Ttrans Theoretical Model

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank all adolescents and also all people in Qahjavarestan county for participating in SUPPIA. Qahjavarestan municipality , Social Deputy of Police of Isfahan, and Isfahan university of medical sciences are hereby appreciated for their support.

Availability of data and material

Data sharing does not apply to this article because in this article only the intervention protocol is explained and due to lack of space, the data will be printed in the next article as an intervention result.

Ethical approval and consent to participate

Before completing the questionnaire, the study was approved by the committee of faculty members and the ethics committee of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (No:73/M/4/12), Social Deputy of Police (No:91397882), and Drug Coordinating Council (No:358048).

For ethical reasons, a cover letter was attached to each questionnaire, emphasizing that participants’ responses were anonymous and would remain confidential. Participation was voluntary and participants had the opportunity to review the study questionnaire before indicating whether they wanted to participate. All adolescents gave written informed consent from their parents to participate in the study.

Consent to publish from adolescents did not apply to our manuscript, since we did not disclose any of the personal details of the teens in the manuscript, but the publication license was issued from Isfahan University of Medical Sciences.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This article is a part of the Ph.D. dissertation (project number:392259). Funding for this study was provided by Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. IUMS had no role in this study design, collection, analysis, or interpretation of the data and writing the manuscript;