Brief Image-Based Health Behavior Messages for Adolescents and Their Parents

ABSTRACT

This study tested the efficacy of brief image-based print-mediated parent/caregiver and adolescent messages integrating physical activity with alcohol use avoidance. A total of 684 high school students were randomly assigned to either the parent postcard or adolescent flyer arm, with baseline and four-month postintervention data collections. A significant repeated measures interaction (group × time) was found (F(4,344) = 2.48, p = .04), with univariate tests showing less alcohol use frequency and problems (ps < .05) among adolescents exposed to parent materials. Repeated measures factorial MANOVAs for group × time × prior current drug use were significant, with drug using adolescents receiving parent print messages showing less alcohol initiation and frequency and marijuana initiation and frequency (ps < .05). Very brief print materials sent to parents/caregivers may hold some promise for influencing substance use among adolescents, particularly those already using drugs.

KEYWORDS:

• Adolescents
• brief
• health behavior
• image
• parents
• print

This manuscript was supported in part by grants from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (Grant #AA9283), and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (Grant #DA018872 and #DA019172). We also thank Edessa Jobli, MPH, for her data analysis in this study.

Notes

Higher mean score = higher risk.

∗p value by Time × Assignment.

Higher mean score = higher risk.

∗∗Drug use = Yes/No to Cigarette OR Marijuana use at Baseline.