Preventing Multiple Risk Behaviors through Social Skill Development in Elementary-Schools

Friday, April 1, 2011: 4:00 PM
Room 30A (Convention Center)
Jeffrey Clark1, Jim O'Neill2 and James Jones1, (1)Ball State University, Muncie, IN, (2)Madonna University, Livonia, MI
PURPOSE: To determine the impact of the Michigan Model for Health (MMH) curriculum on elementary student knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behaviors across multiple health areas, including socio-emotional skills, drug use, and violence.

SIGNIFICANCE: Good social skills are critical to successful health promotion efforts. Social skills are also believed to influence students' academic performance, behavior, and social relationships. This study examines the impact of the MMH across multiple health areas in the same students.

PROCEDURES: 2,512 students were recruited from 52 schools to participate in a two-year study. The schools were randomly assigned to an intervention group (received MMH) curriculum) or comparison group (did not receive MMH) and students were followed through fourth and fifth grade. An incentive to participate in the study was provide to teachers and schools. Participating teachers attended curriculum implementation training. Each school year, a pre-test, an immediate post-test conducted at the conclusion of instruction, and a five weeks delayed-post test was conducted afterward by project staff. Data collectors were blind to experimental condition. Data were analyzed using inferential statistics.

FINDINGS: Analyses indicated that the MMH significantly improved students' interpersonal communication skills, social emotional skills, and drug refusal skills. In addition, students who received the curriculum exhibited lower intentions to use drugs, less alcohol and tobacco use initiated during the study and in the past 30 days, and less aggression.

CONCLUSION: Results are consistent with the theoretical model guiding the intervention and support efforts to reduce health-risk behaviors through A comprehensive school health education curriculum can produce significant student improvements across multiple health skills, behavioral intentions, and behaviors across the two-year span.

Handouts
  • Social Skill Develop AAHE 2011.pdf (473.0 kB)
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