A preliminary evaluation of the effects of a science education curriculum on changes in knowledge of drugs in youth

J Drug Educ. 2007;37(3):317-33. doi: 10.2190/DE.37.3.f.

Abstract

Drug and alcohol use among youth remains at pervasively high levels, but students are receiving less school-based prevention. Infusing health information into core curricula may be a valuable prevention approach. Therefore, behavior change theory was used to develop a science education curriculum on drugs for fourth- and fifth-grade students, which was then evaluated using a pretest/posttest quasi-experimental design. Exposure to the curriculum was associated with a change in knowledge; other characteristics like grade level also played a role. More positive attitudes toward science at pretest predicted greater knowledge change, and students who knew less at the start showed a greater change in knowledge. Results of this evaluation may support the efficacy of the curriculum and the utility of combining behavior change theory with educational approaches.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adolescent Behavior / psychology
  • Child
  • Curriculum
  • Ethnicity
  • Female
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  • Humans
  • Intention
  • Male
  • Science / education*
  • Substance-Related Disorders / psychology*