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Effectiveness Evaluation of the Unplugged – Substance Abuse Prevention Program in Croatia

The Unplugged program was implemented, from 2009. to 2010., in 5 new European countries, including the Croatia, within the project Unplugged: European Drug Abuse Prevention (EUDAP): Adaptation, Pilot and Evaluation of a Substance Abuse Prevention and Health Promotion Initiative for 12-14 year olds, The Mentor Foundation (International). The Unplugged program is a school-based prevention program. The goals of the program are: increased health related awareness and knowledge of social influences, delayed onset of drug use, improved knowledge, attitudes and skills concerning health behaviors and drug use, reduction in the use of tobacco, alcohol and cannabis and reduction in the likelihood of future drug abuse. During the school year 2009/2010. Unplugged was implemented in 5 schools in Zagreb district (367 students, 16 classes, 16 teachers and 5 school counselors). Process evaluation and effectiveness evaluation were planned and organized by Piedmont Centre for Drug Addiction Epidemiology (Torino, Italy). The main aim of this poster is to present the results of effectiveness evaluation. Randomized control trial was conducted and for that purpose Questionnaire on knowledge, attitudes and behaviors regarding tobacco, alcohol and substance use was used. The questionnaire contains several areas of assessment: social environment ; own substance use ; knowledge and opinions about substances ; substance use in the nearest environment ; family and social environment ; school environment ; school climate and problems and skills. The total sample of students in trial consisted of 766 students (367 students in experimental group ; 399 students in control group). In this poster, the results of effectiveness evaluation will be presented regarding the goals of the program. Because of the rigorous methodology protocol and multi- country evaluation plan, data analyses for Croatian students are still in progress and will be finished in next two months. In Croatia there is still relatively strong insufficiency of evidence-based prevention programs. That is way the results of effectiveness evaluation will be important for the dissemination of the Unplugged program in Croatia, and on that way, enrichment of Croatian prevention practice.

Unplugged prevention program; evaluation; substance use

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