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SPORT

An Evidence-Based Practice

Description

SPORT is a brief evidence-based program for children, young adolescents, and older adolescents that integrates substance abuse prevention and fitness promotion to help adolescents minimize and avoid substance use. SPORT is based on the Behavior-Image Model, which asserts that social and self-images are key motivators for the development of healthy behaviors. The program promotes the benefits of an active lifestyle with positive images of youth as active and fit, and emphasizes that substance use is counterproductive to achieving positive image and behavior goals. SPORT involves a short, self-administered health behavior screen survey measuring physical activity and sport behaviors, healthy nutrition, sleep, and alcohol use. Participants then receive a 10 to 12 minute tailored consultation from a written script, along with a key facts handout, to motivate positive behavior and image change. Parents/caregivers are also involved in the program, and are given communication cards addressing key content during the consultation. Communication cards are also sent or mailed home to adolescents for 3 to 5 consecutive weeks. Since it was first implemented in 2002, SPORT has been used in 10 sites in the United States, with approximately 2,500 individuals receiving the intervention.

Goal / Mission

To reduce substance abuse and motivate positive behaviors including physical activity in adolescents age 13-17.

Impact

SPORT integrates content targeting alcohol, tobacco and drug prevention with promotion of physical activity and other health enhancing habits in adolescents.

Results / Accomplishments

A total of 604 suburban high school students were randomly assigned to either: (1) the SPORT intervention or (2) a minimal-contact control group that received a wellness brochure (provided in school) and a pamphlet about teen health and fitness (mailed to the home). At 3-month follow-up, students who participated in SPORT reported lower frequency and quantity of alcohol use and less heavy use of alcohol in the past 30 days compared with the control group (p < .002). Drug-using students who participated in SPORT showed significant positive effects at 3-month follow-up compared with drug-using control students in alcohol consumption (frequency, quantity, heavy use), current drug use (cigarette smoking, marijuana use), and past drug use (cigarette smoking, marijuana use), with a p < .005 for all findings. Positive effects for past cigarette and marijuana use continued through 12-month follow-up (p < .003 for both findings).

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
PreventionPLUSWellness
Primary Contact
Chudley Edward Werch, PhD
3595 Forest Bend Terrace
Jacksonville, Fl 32224
(904) 472-5022
cwerch@preventionpluswellness.com
http://preventionpluswellness.com
Topics
Health / Alcohol & Drug Use
Health / Adolescent Health
Health / Physical Activity
Organization(s)
PreventionPLUSWellness
Date of publication
9/6/2005
Date of implementation
2002
For more details
http://preventionpluswellness.com/sport/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?Db=pubmed&Cmd=S...
Target Audience
Teens

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An Evidence-Based Practice meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes at a minimum: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program implementation steps, and outcomes that have demonstrated program success in achieving the program goal in one or more localities.
  2. The results from an evaluation of the program include quantitative measures showing improvement in the outcome(s) of interest after the implementation of the program (i.e. increase in smoking cessation, not just the delivery of a smoking cessation program). The outcome measure(s) is/are compared at relevant time periods before and after the intervention or program implementation. Alternatively, the evaluation study compares the outcome(s) between an intervention group and an appropriate control group.
  3. The study is of peer-review quality and presents numbers in a scientific manner; measurements of precision and reliability are included (e.g. confidence intervals, standard errors), results from statistical tests show a significant difference or change in the outcome measure(s), and relevant point estimates and p-values are presented. Note: if the results from an evaluation of a program are presented in a scientific manner and the outcome measure is improved compared to the baseline measurement or the control group but the difference is not statistically significant, the practice is classified as effective and not evidence-based.
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