W8 [wait]: Evaluation of a school-based alcohol intervention program

The University of Tromsø by RKBU North has conducted the W8 [wait] project which was commissioned by the Directorate of Health to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. 

Background
Youth & Alcohol is an educational programme aimed at preventing the use of alcohol and drugs; it is recommended for eighth grade pupils (age 14 years), and Youth & Alcohol also includes a separate follow-up programme for ninth grade pupils (age 15 years). The intervention involves not only pupils, but also teachers and parents/guardians.

Youth & Alcohol is based on two previous interventions; "Young and Alcohol" (Wilhelmsen, 1997) and “Parents Working Together" (Henriksen, 1999). A quasi-experimental evaluation of "Young and Alcohol” has previously been conducted (Wilhelmsen, Laberg & Klepp, 1994).  The evaluation showed positive results related to changes in perceptions of alcohol and alcohol behavior in the group of pupils which received the most structured program compared to a group that received a less structured version. "Parents Working Together” and “Young & Alcohol” has also been process evaluated (Henriksen, 1999; Andreassen, Steinkjer & Gravrok, 2009; Steinkjer, 2008; Trondsen, 2005).  The process evaluation of “Young & Alcohol” was initiated and implemented in some selected schools in Oslo in 2006/2007 (Steinkjer, 2008). In addition, the online version of the program has been evaluated at two schools in Tromsø (Trondsen, 2005).

Since several changes have been undertaken to revise and expand the previous intervention “Young & Alcohol”, there is a need to perform an evaluation of the effect of the current intervention Youth & Alcohol. Since the program became mandatory in 2006 in all the schools in Oslo, no evaluation by the Youth & Alcohol in its present form has been conducted. A pilot study was previously conducted in five communities in northern Norway in 2009, and a final report is to be found on w8.uit.no (Koposov et.al. 2009).             

Methods

The main objective of the W8 [wait] project was to evaluate the effect of Youth & Alcohol by looking at the program's ability achieve its purpose. The main purpose of Youth & Alcohol was to allow pupils to develop knowledge about alcohol and the ability to think critically about its use. Strengthen attitudes against the use of alcohol and reinforce the ability to say no to alcohol and also delay the first use of alcohol. 

Participants

All schools in Oslo and nearby communities were invited to participate in the project. 

Study design

A Quasi-experimental design (involving a comparison group) was used to investigate the effect of the alcohol prevention program. The pupils completed a survey before the intervention, after and at one year follow up, in addition to questionnaires that were distributed to parents and teachers.

The W8 logo was trademark protected from 04/10/10 to 04/10/2020.

Reference group

• Monica Martinussen, Professor, RKBU Nord, UiT. 
• Martin Eisemann, Professor, IPS, UiT.
• Henrik Natvig, Associated Professor, IPS, UIO.

References:

Andreassen, M., Steinkjer, B., & Gravrok, Ø. (2009). Rusforebyggende arbeid i videregående skole. Erfaringer med tiltaket Unge & Rus. Narvik: Kompetansesenter rus, Nord-Norge.

Henriksen, Ø. (1999). Forebygging, fellesskap og forandring. En rapport om utforming av et rusforebyggende program i ungdomsskolen. HiBo-rapport 2. Høgskolen i Bodø.

Koposov, R., Jørgensen, F. W., Adolfsen, F., & Martinussen, M. (2009): Forebygging av alkoholbruk blant ungdommer i Nord-Norge. Implementering og evaluering av Unge & Rus. Et pilotprosjekt. RBUP Nord, Universitetet i Tromsø.

Steinkjer, B. (2008): Tiltaket Unge & Rus – en prosessevaluering. En studie av iverksetting og gjennomføring av et rusforebyggende tiltak i skolen. Narvik: Nordnorsk kompetansesenter-Rus.

Trondsen, M. (2005). Rusforebygging på nett. Evaluering av nettutgaven til det rusforebyggende tiltaksprogrammet "Unge & Rus". Tromsø: Nasjonalt senter for telemedisin.

Wilhelmsen, B. U., Laberg, J. C., & Klepp, K. I. (1994). Evaluation of two student and teacher involved alcohol prevention programmes. Addiction, 89, 1158-1165.

Wilhelmsen, B.U. (1997). Development and evaluation of two educational programmes designed to prevent alcohol use among adolescents. Bergen: Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen.

Papers and posters 

Jørgensen Wang, Fredrik; Adolfsen, Frode; Martinussen, Monica; Koposov, Roman A. Forebygging av alkoholbruk blant ungdommer i Nord-Norge. Implementering og evaluering av programmet Unge & Rus. Et Pilotprosjekt. Tromsø: Universitetet i Tromsø, RBUP Nord 2009 (ISBN 978-82-93031-05-5) 25 s. 

Adolfsen, Frode; Koposov, Roman A; Strøm, Henriette Kyrrestad; Handegård, Bjørn Helge; Martinussen, Monica. (2012). Prevalence and determinants of alcohol use among adolescents in Norway. 3rd International Conference “Common risk and protective factors, and prevention of multiple risk factors”. 

Strøm, Henriette Kyrrestad; Adolfsen, Frode; Martinussen, Monica; Handegård, Bjørn Helge; Natvig, Henrik; Koposov, Roman A. (2013). Evaluation of a school-based alcohol intervention program in Norway: Changes in students`intentions and alohol use. Society for Prevention Research 21st Annual Meeting. 

Adolfsen, Frode; Strøm, Henriette Kyrrestad; Martinussen, Monica; Handegård, Bjørn Helge; Natvig, Henrik; Koposov, Roman A. (2013). Evaluation of a school-based alcohol intervention program in Norway: Changes in parents’ attitudes and behavior. Society for Preventive Research, SPR. 

Koposov, Roman A; Strøm, Henriette Kyrrestad; Adolfsen, Frode; Handegård, Bjørn Helge; Martinussen, Monica. W8 [wait] – Effektevaluering av det rusforebyggende undervisningsprogrammet Unge & Rus. (2014). 40 s. 

Adolfsen, Frode; Strøm, Henriette Kyrrestad; Martinussen, Monica; Natvig, Henrik; Eisemann, Martin; Handegård, Bjørn Helge; Koposov, Roman A. Early drinking onset: A study of prevalence and determinants among 13-year-old adolescents in Norway. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 2014 ;Volum 55.(5) s. 505-512 

Koposov, Roman A; Adolfsen, Frode; Strøm, Henriette Kyrrestad; Handegård, Bjørn Helge; Natvig, Henrik; Eisemann, Martin; Martinussen, Monica. (2014). A study of factors associated with early drinking onset among 13-year olds in Norway: From research to intervention. Comprehensive and Coordinated Prevention Systems: Building Partnerships and Transcending Boundaries; Conference paper. (ISBN 978-82-93031-31-4) 40 s. 

Strøm HK, Adolfsen F, Handegård BH, Natvig H, Eisemann M, Martinussen M, Koposov R. (2015). Preventing alcohol use with a universal school-based intervention: results from an effectiveness study. BMC Public Health. 15:337.  

Adolfsen, Frode; Strøm, Henriette Kyrrestad; Martinussen, Monica; Handegård, Bjørn Helge; Natvig, Henrik; Eisemann, Martin; Koposov, Roman A. (2017). Parent participation in alcohol prevention: Evaluation of an alcohol prevention programme. Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs (NAD), 34(6), 456-470. 

Henriette Kyrrestad Strøm, Frode Adolfsen, Sturla Fossum, Sabine Kaiser & Monica Martinussen. (2014). Effectiveness of school-based preventive interventions on adolescent alcohol use: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy. 48. 

Henriette Kyrrestad, Geraldine Mabille, Frode Adolfsen, Roman Koposov & Monica Martinussen (2022) Gender differences in alcohol onset and drinking frequency in adolescents: an application of the theory of planned behavior, Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, 29:1, 21-31.