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Training and Implementation Fidelity of the Life
Skills Training Program in Kentucky
Ellen Hahn, D.N.S.,
Principal Investigator
Melody
Noland, Ph.D. (Education),
Lynne Hall, Dr.P.H.,
Mary Kay Rayens, Ph.D.,
Co-investigators
Funded by the University of Kentucky Medical
Center Research Grants Program
(1999-2000)
Abstract
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Alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use among Kentucky
youth is a major health problem. In 1997, nearly one half of
Kentucky students in grades 9-12 had at least one drink of
alcohol and had smoked cigarettes in the past month. Almost
one third of Kentucky teens (29 percent) reported using
marijuana in the past 30 days (Karin et al., 1998). Social
influences programs increase youth awareness of social
pressures to use ATODs and inoculate them against the
external influences to use ATODs (Botvin, Baker, Filazzola,
& Botvin, 1990).
The purpose of the study is to investigate factors
affecting training and program implementation of a social
influences program, the Life Skills Training (LST) Program,
in Eastern Kentucky middle schools. The study is a pilot for
a large-scale prevention trial of the LST Program with
6th-8th graders in all regions of Kentucky.
The LST Program is a research-based, three-year
intervention program that targets the prevention of drug use
initiation and progression among adolescents through
reducing risk and enhancing protective factors. The proposed
pilot project and the subsequent large-scale prevention
trial will be conducted in collaboration with the Kentucky
Department of Education plan to infuse the LST program into
Kentucky schools. LST has been shown to be efficacious in
controlled trials (Botvin, Baker, Dusenbury, Botvin, & Diaz,
1995, Botvin et al., 1990). However, its effectiveness in
real-world settings with uncontrolled conditions has not
been tested. This study will lead directly to the submission
of an RO1 to test the training and implementation fidelity
and program effectiveness of the LST Program in Kentucky.
This descriptive/exploratory study includes a Training
Phase and an Implementation Phase. During the Training
Phase, nationally certified LST trainers will conduct a
training workshop for approximately 30 trainers in Eastern
Kentucky. It is estimated that 10 of these trainers will
conduct one-day training sessions for a total of 50
teachers. During the Implementation Phase, 30 of the trained
teachers are expected to implement the LST Program with
sixth grade children. Trained research associates (RAs) will
observe both trainers and teachers in order to rate the
fidelity of training and program implementation. The RAs
will also assess training dosage for each training session
(number of training session hours). Master trainers will
self-report program dosage (number of training session
hours). Teachers will self- report program dosage (number of
LST sessions taught). Data will be collected from trainers
on potential factors that may influence fidelity of training
and training dosage, including sociodemographic and
psychosocial characteristics, socioenvironmental influences,
and barriers to training. Data will be collected from the
teachers on potential factors that may influence fidelity of
program implementation and program dosage, including
sociodemographic and psychosocial characteristics and
barriers to implementation.
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