Prevention Science[JOURNAL]
Sun
200 papers
Understanding Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among LGBTQ + Youth: Differential Associations Between Bullying and Substance Use.
Tiedge CW, Valido A, Rivas-Koehl M … +4 more , Garcia BA, Robinson LE, Clements G, Espelage DL
Prev Sci · 2025 Apr · PMID 39934543 · Publisher ↗
Rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB, i.e., suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts), substance use, and bullying victimization are higher among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer (LGBTQ +) youth c...
Rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB, i.e., suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts), substance use, and bullying victimization are higher among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer (LGBTQ +) youth compared to their heterosexual peers. However, research examining the interactive and potentially compounding associations of concurrent bullying and substance use (alcohol, cannabis, hallucinogens, and opioids) with STB is sparse, especially among LGBTQ + youth. Thus, the current study aims to understand how these substances moderate the association between bullying victimization and STB by utilizing data (N = 96,482) from the combined 2003-2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). Using a cross-sectional design and hierarchical logistic regression, we found that, on average, LGBTQ + youth who were bullied were more likely to report planning to attempt suicide (O.R. = 2.71, p < .01). Similarly, youth who reported using opioids/prescription drugs (O.R. = 4.60, p < .05) or hallucinogens (O.R. = 8.89, p < .01) were more likely to attempt suicide. No significant associations between alcohol use and STB were found. Lastly, cannabis emerged as a significant moderator of the associations between bullying victimization and suicidal ideation and plans, such that adolescents who were bullied and used cannabis were less likely to report suicidal ideation and planning compared to those who were bullied but did not use cannabis. These findings highlight that different substances are distinctively associated with STB among LGBTQ + youth, providing a better understanding of how individuals who are being bullied may cope and to develop prevention programs to combat suicidal thoughts, planning, and attempts.
History of Alcohol Use Disorder and Housing Instability as Predictors of Fatigue and Mental Health Problems During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Leiter N, Luk JW, Stangl BL … +5 more , Gunawan T, Schwandt ML, Goldman D, Diazgranados N, Ramchandani VA
Prev Sci · 2025 Feb · PMID 39932641 · Full text
Mental health and alcohol problems are significant public health concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Housing instability and symptoms of fatigue are understudied aspects of the pandemic. This study examined history of A...
Mental health and alcohol problems are significant public health concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Housing instability and symptoms of fatigue are understudied aspects of the pandemic. This study examined history of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), history of COVID-19 infection, and housing instability as correlates of fatigue, anxiety, and depression symptoms. Data were drawn from 250 adults enrolled in an online survey within the NIAAA COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Alcohol Study in between April 6 and June 2 of 2022. Participants completed self-report measures of housing stability, fatigue, and mental health symptoms. Multivariable analyses controlling for age, sex, race, ethnicity, and household income were conducted. Individuals with a history of AUD reported higher mental fatigue, anxiety symptoms, and depressive symptoms when compared to those with no history of AUD. Individuals with "other" housing arrangements (not renting or owning) reported higher mental fatigue, pandemic fatigue, anxiety symptoms, and depressive symptoms relative to homeowners. Individuals who worried about not having a place to live in the past 6 months reported higher physical fatigue, mental fatigue, anxiety symptoms, and depressive symptoms when compared to individuals without housing worry. History of COVID-19 infection was neither associated with mental health nor fatigue symptoms. Housing instability, as captured by housing worry and having "other" housing arrangements, was associated with greater fatigue and mental health problems, even after controlling for household income. Housing instability uniquely contributed to mental health symptoms, warranting further research and targeted prevention and intervention efforts.
Using After Action Review to Identify Rapid Response Implementation Strategies for Emerging Drugs Among Youth.
Eisman AB, Koffkey C, Brown S … +5 more , Holmes C, Schmidt B, Swihart E, Robinson T, Kim B
Prev Sci · 2025 Feb · PMID 39930106 · Full text
Drug use trends change rapidly among youth, leaving educators and researchers struggling to respond promptly. Widely adopted universal evidence-based interventions (EBIs), such as the Michigan Model for Health™ (MMH), an...
Drug use trends change rapidly among youth, leaving educators and researchers struggling to respond promptly. Widely adopted universal evidence-based interventions (EBIs), such as the Michigan Model for Health™ (MMH), and their delivery systems offer an opportunity to reach large youth populations and reduce the onset and escalation of emerging drug use trends. Tier 1 EBIs do not always reflect the most current needs of the context and population. Implementation strategies are needed to optimize EBIs and system responsiveness to emerging drugs. This study employs after action review (AAR) to examine past responses to emerging drugs and design implementation strategies for rapid responses. AAR centers on four key questions: (1) What was expected to happen? (2) What happened? (3) What went well? and (4) What can be improved? We collected qualitative data from 35 participants, including state education partners, school administrators, counselors, teachers, prevention specialists, and the state's health coordinator network. We used rapid qualitative and iterative inductive-deductive thematic analytic approaches. Data analysis revealed three central tenets for rapid responses: collaboration, readiness, and planning. We then identified implementation strategy core functions aligned with the central tenets and strategy form options (e.g., build/leverage a coalition) for each function to accommodate school-level heterogeneity. We created a systematic process to develop and deploy an implementation blueprint for building prevention infrastructure to enhance rapid responses for emerging drugs leveraging an existing intervention (MMH) and delivery system. AAR is a promising approach to identifying gaps and best practices in school-based responses to urgent drug crises. Our results indicate that while the core implementation strategy functions are constant, health coordinators benefit from strategy options tailored to their context. Trial registration: NCT05806840, https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05806840 .
A Whole New World: Overcoming Methodological Challenges in the Post-Pandemic Recruitment of Pregnant Women at Risk of STIs.
Tzilos Wernette G, Countryman K, Chen D … +4 more , Mmeje O, Sen A, Ngo QM, Zlotnick C
Prev Sci · 2026 Jan · PMID 39918706 · Full text
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on recruitment has been significant, including the recruitment of pregnant individuals with behavioral health risk factors. The objective of this manuscript is to highlight our respons...
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on recruitment has been significant, including the recruitment of pregnant individuals with behavioral health risk factors. The objective of this manuscript is to highlight our response to the methodological challenges created by the pandemic and how we leveraged technology to adapt and expand our recruitment procedures for the Health Check-up for Expectant Moms, a technology-delivered behavioral skills intervention aimed at empowering and motivating pregnant women engaging in substance use and sexual health risks (e.g., condomless sex, multiple partners) to reduce their likelihood of STIs and substance use during pregnancy. After the onset of the pandemic, we transitioned from in-person recruitment to remote clinic recruitment (e.g., by phone, text messaging, and e-mail) as well as social media campaigns via Facebook® and Instagram® with a confidential web-based screening questionnaire for our study targeting pregnant women in 27 counties of Michigan. For remote recruitment, we contacted 6238 women; 1360 completed the study screening questionnaire (mean age = 31.5; SD = 4.6), 90 were eligible, and 73 were enrolled (6% eligibility). For social media recruitment, we had 2512 completing the pre-screening questionnaire. Of these, 501 (mean age = 31.9; SD = 4.6) went on to complete the full study screening questionnaire, 25 women were eligible, and 20 were enrolled (5%). Our 5% eligibility rate from our social media campaign is on par with our remote and in-clinic recruitment methods yet took far less time (15 weeks vs. 150 weeks vs. 48 weeks, respectively). Despite study recruitment challenges related to the pandemic, remote recruitment-particularly social media-was found to be a successful approach, may have a broader reach, and a cost-effective alternative to active recruitment.
Transfer Learning Prediction of Early Exposures and Genetic Risk Score on Adult Obesity in Two Minority Cohorts.
Chen W, Liu Y, Zhang S … +4 more , Jiang Z, Wang T, Huang S, Zeng P
Prev Sci · 2025 Feb · PMID 39913075 · Publisher ↗
Due to ethnic heterogeneity in genetic architecture, genetic risk score (GRS) constructed within the European population generally possesses poor portability in underrepresented non-European populations, but substantial...
Due to ethnic heterogeneity in genetic architecture, genetic risk score (GRS) constructed within the European population generally possesses poor portability in underrepresented non-European populations, but substantial genetic similarity exists across diverse ancestral groups. We here explore the prediction performance of early exposures and GRS on body mass index (BMI) through leveraging genetic similarity knowledge acquired from Europeans into non-Europeans. We present a linear mixed prediction model for BMI in three distinct UK Biobank cohorts under the transfer learning framework, where we consider Asians (n = 7487) and Africans (n = 7533) as target samples and Europeans (n = 280,575) as informative auxiliary samples. Besides environmental and behavior exposures, we incorporate multiple BMI-related variants, by which the GRS is constructed via transfer machine learning techniques informed by genetic similarity shared across target and auxiliary samples. The use of GRS gained more predictive odds for BMI than the model with traditional risk factors alone in the Asian and African cohorts, leading to an approximately 3.6% and 0.7% accuracy improvement in each target population. After borrowing genetic similarity from Europeans via transfer learning, the R increased to 0.270 for Asians and 0.302 for Africans, enhanced by 21.1% and 7.5%, respectively, compared to the early exposure-only models. We also provided evidence for the well-known conclusion that GRS constructed in the European population behaved poorly in non-Europeans. Prediction accuracy is greatly elevated in racial minority or underrepresented populations via the transfer learning method by leveraging shared genetic similarity from informative auxiliary populations.
Collaborative Working Relationships Between Community Prevention Coalitions and Their Technical Assistance Providers: A Mixed Methods Approach for the Development of an Innovative Implementation Measure.
Chilenski SM, Small M, Gayles JG … +2 more , Cooper BR, Brown LD
Prev Sci · 2025 Feb · PMID 39907734 · Publisher ↗
Prior research suggests that technical assistance which includes one-on-one, individualized support, guidance, and assistance is necessary to promote high-quality implementation of evidence-based interventions. However,...
Prior research suggests that technical assistance which includes one-on-one, individualized support, guidance, and assistance is necessary to promote high-quality implementation of evidence-based interventions. However, this area lacks measures. This paper uses a mixed methods and community-engaged approach to develop and then evaluate a standardized measure of the collaborative working relationship between technical assistance providers and coalitions/coalition leaders. For measure development, researchers interviewed eight coalition leaders and eight coalition technical assistance providers about their experience providing or receiving technical assistance, using a human-centered design approach. A heat-mapping technique used with the interview data identified 11 themes related to the provision of high-quality technical assistance. Researchers then created survey items through an iterative process. After multiple rounds of revision and feedback with coalition leaders and coalition and technical assistance researchers, the reliability of seven of the constructs was piloted with 52 coalition leaders. The seven constructs included the following: competence and autonomy support, responsiveness, authentic and meaningful participation, co-creation, trust and rapport, compliance, and negative interactions. Researchers used Cronbach's Alphas and correlational analyses to further refine the scales. Empirical results mapped well onto prior theoretical work and suggested that the collaborative working relationship is a multi-dimensional construct. This research moves prevention research methods and measurement development into a more community-engaged, stakeholder-involved approach.
Indigenous Community-Level Protective Factors in the Prevention of Suicide: Enlarging a Definition of Cultural Continuity in Rural Alaska Native Communities.
Allen J, Wexler L, Apok CA … +14 more , Black J, Chaliak JA, Cueva K, Hollingsworth C, McEachern D, Peter ET, Ullrich JS, Grogan-Kaylor A, Lee K, Fok CCT, Berman M, Rataj S, ANCHRR RSC, Rasmus S
Prev Sci · 2025 Feb · PMID 39903393 · Publisher ↗
Suicide research has focused primarily on risk factors at the individual level, overlooking the potential for community-level factors that confer protection from suicide. This study builds on the concept of cultural cont...
Suicide research has focused primarily on risk factors at the individual level, overlooking the potential for community-level factors that confer protection from suicide. This study builds on the concept of cultural continuity from the Indigenous suicide prevention literature. It seeks to understand the collective influences shaping individual experiences across time and frames resilience as a culturally situated process that helps individuals to navigate challenges and facilitate positive health behaviors. A collaborative Alaska Native (AN) partnership designed the Protective Community Scale (PCS) to identify mutable community-level protective factors in rural AN communities hypothesized to reduce suicide among youth, who represent the highest risk demographic in this at-risk population. Study objectives were to (a) test the measurement structure of community-level protection from suicide, (b) select best functioning items to define this structure, and (c) test the association of community protection with community-level suicide deaths and attempts. In 65 rural AN communities, 3-5 residents (n = 251) were peer-nominated for their knowledge of local resources and completed the PCS in structured interviews. Findings show community members can reliably assess the theoretically rich, multidimensional community-level protective factor structure of cultural continuity with sufficient precision to establish its inverse association with community-level suicide. Community-level protection emerges as a promising approach for universal suicide prevention in Indigenous contexts that can guide multi-level strategies that expand beyond individual-level, tertiary prevention to focus on the continuity of cultural processes as resources to build protection. These findings point the field toward consideration of cultural continuity and community protection as key factors for Indigenous suicide prevention.
Training and Technical Assistance Increase the Fidelity of Implementation of a Universal Prevention Initiative in Rural Schools: Results from a 3-Year Cluster-Randomized Trial.
Calvert HG, Fleming CM, Lowe M … +6 more , Lewis T, Siebert CF, Havlicak A, Anderson N, Castleton T, Turner L
Prev Sci · 2025 Jan · PMID 39899222 · Full text
The need for well-implemented evidence-based interventions (EBIs) for the prevention of behavioral issues among children and adolescents is substantial. In rural areas, the need often matches or surpasses that of urban a...
The need for well-implemented evidence-based interventions (EBIs) for the prevention of behavioral issues among children and adolescents is substantial. In rural areas, the need often matches or surpasses that of urban areas. Schools have a wide reach for prevention-focused EBIs. However, implementation in rural schools is often hindered by limited resources and capacity. Rural School Support Strategies (RS3) are a bundle of implementation supports that address implementation challenges in rural settings. They include providing additional leadership and coaching training, individualized technical assistance (mostly virtual), and monthly meetings of a virtual learning collaborative. A cluster-randomized Hybrid Type 3 implementation-effectiveness trial tested RS3 for implementing school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), a universal prevention approach to improving student behavior, academic outcomes, and school climate. Forty rural schools received a multi-day training on PBIS each summer for 3 years. Half were randomized to also receive RS3 support. Linear and logistic regression models examined the effect of treatment condition and dosage of support on implementation fidelity for Tier 1 (universal) PBIS. Condition and dosage (number of hours) of support increased the odds of schools achieving the 70% threshold for adequate implementation fidelity. In the first year, the higher dosage of technical assistance events increased the likelihood of schools reaching fidelity, whereas later in the trial, the higher dosage of attendance at the virtual learning collaborative sessions yielded significant improvements in fidelity. Implications for accelerating the implementation of universal prevention initiatives in schools-particularly in rural settings-are discussed. This study was prospectively registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03736395), on November 9, 2018.
Exploring Cultural Adaptations: A Scoping Review on Adolescent Mental Health and Substance Use Prevention Programs.
Corpus-Espinosa C, Mac Fadden I, Del Carmen Torrejón-Guirado M … +1 more , Lima-Serrano M
Prev Sci · 2025 Feb · PMID 39888521 · Full text
Adolescence is a critical period for developing risk behaviors such as substance use, which can impact health in adulthood. Culturally adapted evidence-based programs (EBPs) are promising for prevention. This review expl...
Adolescence is a critical period for developing risk behaviors such as substance use, which can impact health in adulthood. Culturally adapted evidence-based programs (EBPs) are promising for prevention. This review explores the processes for culturally adapting EBPs targeting alcohol, tobacco, or cannabis use, and/or anxiety or depression in adolescents. We searched multiple databases, grey literature, and relevant websites for studies detailing the cultural adaptation process of EBPs. We then categorized common adaptation steps, classified adaptations using the cultural sensitivity model, identified prevalent adaptation techniques, and determined effectiveness assessment methods. We reviewed the cultural adaptation processes of 43 EBPs. These programs were implemented in schools (51%), followed by family settings (30%), community settings (14%), and multi-component settings (5%). Eleven key steps were identified across the documents: local needs assessment, program selection, understanding of the program's curriculum, advisory group establishment, first draft of initial adaptation changes, staff selection and training, pilot study, enhanced cultural adaptation, implementation, evaluation and monitoring, and dissemination. Most programs integrated both surface (e.g., use of local images, material translation) and deep adaptations (e.g., incorporation of cultural values like "familismo"). Despite the common use of the cultural sensitivity model, detailed adaptation frameworks were often lacking. The field has advanced, but clearer documentation is needed to improve research and practical application.
Initial Results of the Québec Resilience Project (QRP): a Longitudinal and Representative Population-Based Study of Children's Development Prior to and During the COVID-19 Pandemic (2017-2022).
Collet OA, Orri M, Galéra C … +6 more , Loose T, Perron B, Larose S, Charland P, Haeck C, Côté SM
Prev Sci · 2026 Jan · PMID 39878840 · Publisher ↗
The COVID-19 pandemic instigated changes in almost all aspects of youth's life. While numerous studies have been implemented to understand how these changes are related to youth's development, few concerned large represe...
The COVID-19 pandemic instigated changes in almost all aspects of youth's life. While numerous studies have been implemented to understand how these changes are related to youth's development, few concerned large representative samples. This study introduces the methodology and initial results of the Quebec (Canada) Resilience Project (QRP), a representative longitudinal study. The QRP encompassed three phases: (a) 2017 census survey assessing school readiness in kindergarteners before the pandemic (n = 83,335, aged 6 years); (b) 2021 questionnaire study assessing family functioning during COVID-19-related lockdowns (n = 4524, aged 10 years); and (c) 2022 questionnaire survey assessing children's school performance and mental health post-lockdowns (n = 8217, aged 11 years). In total, 3871 children were assessed either by parents or teachers in the three phases. We explored factors associated with children school performance (maths, reading, and writing) and mental health (emotional, withdrawal, hyperactivity/impulsivity/inattention, and conduct problems symptoms). Population weights were estimated from census data to maintain the representativeness of the population. School readiness vulnerability in kindergarten and parental anxiety and depression during lockdowns were associated with both children's lower school performances and higher levels of all mental health symptoms post-lockdown. Loss in family income and parental difficulties in maintaining work-life balance during lockdowns were associated with children's lower school performance and higher levels of some mental health symptoms (emotional and hyperactivity/impulsivity/inattention) post-lockdown. The results underscore that pandemic-related disruptions were negatively associated with children's school performance, emphasizing the need for interventions in the school environment. Associations between pandemic-related disruptions and children mental health were less consistent yet emphasize the importance of parental mental health.
A Pilot Study to Examine the Effects of an Emotion Coaching Parenting Program for Chinese Parents of Preschoolers.
Liu S, Ren L
Prev Sci · 2025 Feb · PMID 39871019 · Publisher ↗
Parental emotion socialization is crucial to children's development, yet emotion-focused parenting programs are scarce in non-Western contexts. In this study, we developed a four-week emotion-focused parenting program ba...
Parental emotion socialization is crucial to children's development, yet emotion-focused parenting programs are scarce in non-Western contexts. In this study, we developed a four-week emotion-focused parenting program based on the principles of emotion coaching for Chinese families with preschool-aged children. This program integrated parent group sessions with home-based parent-child shared reading. A total of 73 parents of preschoolers were recruited and randomly assigned to experimental and waitlist control groups. Three waves of data on parents' emotion-related parenting beliefs and practices and parenting stress were collected at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and three-month follow-up. Significant reductions in parents' punitive reactions, minimization reactions, and parent-child dysfunctional interactions were found in both the experimental and the waitlist control groups immediately after completion of the program. When combining data from both groups, a significant improvement in parents' expressive encouragement was observed at post-intervention and follow-up. Additionally, delayed effects of the program were found on parents' emotion-dismissing beliefs, problem-focused reactions, and overall parenting stress. This study was one of the first in China to develop an emotion-focused parenting program and rigorously examine its feasibility and effects, offering insights into the development of similar parenting programs in China.
The Association Between College Enrollment and Suicide Attempts by Race and Ethnicity.
Witmer AM, Deng Y, Mojtabai R … +2 more , Wilcox HC, Aluri J
Prev Sci · 2025 Jan · PMID 39847204 · Publisher ↗
Little is known about how race and ethnicity influence the association between college enrollment and past-year suicide attempts. In this brief report, the relationship between college enrollment and past-year suicide at...
Little is known about how race and ethnicity influence the association between college enrollment and past-year suicide attempts. In this brief report, the relationship between college enrollment and past-year suicide attempts varied across racial groups in a nationally representative sample of 12,474 full-time college enrolled and unenrolled young adults. Only White students displayed a protective association between enrollment and past-year suicide attempts (aOR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.17, 0.62). Race and ethnicity significantly moderated the relationship between enrollment and past-year suicide attempts for Black/African American (P = 0.003) and multiracial (P = 0.03) compared to White young adults.
Model Building with Youth: Applying a System Science Approach to Examine the Dynamic Social Context of Adolescent and Young Adult Marijuana Use.
Matson PA, Flessa S, Stankov I … +4 more , Fortenberry JD, Trent M, Frerichs L, Lich KH
Prev Sci · 2025 Jan · PMID 39832056 · Publisher ↗
Marijuana use in adolescence is associated with significant adverse outcomes. Romantic relationships are an important context for marijuana use. Prior research suggests a bi-directional relationship between marijuana use...
Marijuana use in adolescence is associated with significant adverse outcomes. Romantic relationships are an important context for marijuana use. Prior research suggests a bi-directional relationship between marijuana use and relationship functioning; however, the complex interplay between adolescent relationship dynamics and marijuana use remains unclear. We engaged youth to participate in group model building, a system science approach, to understand from their perspective how social complexities influence the uptake, continuation, and escalation of marijuana use. Two independent groups of clinic and community-recruited youth aged 15-20 participated in a series of four 2-h workshops. Through structured activities, participants generated a causal loop diagram (CLD) representing critical features of the complex and dynamic social system impacting marijuana use for youth in their community. The CLD that emerged represents the mental models of youth and features fourteen feedback loops, including balancing and reinforcing loops, across three domains. These interrelated domains span within-relationship behaviors, factors proximal to marijuana use, and influences on the partner pool, which impact the quality of adolescent romantic relationships and contribute to a high prevalence of marijuana use among youth. Applying a system perspective offers new insights on how stress, and behaviors within relationships in response to stress, feed back to magnify relationship dysfunction and fuel marijuana use. This model provides a new foundation for future research and data collection to better understand and test the identified relationships and feedback loops. Our findings further underscore the importance of educational programs that teach youth about healthy relationship dynamics and stress-coping approaches that do not involve substance use. Understanding how factors function as a system provides important information toward illuminating relationship dynamics and designing more impactful and synergistic interventions.
Attendance of Underserved Populations at Field-Based Health Services Events: Application of Quasi-Experimental Methods that Accommodate the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Leve LD, DeGarmo DS, Searcy J … +4 more , Budd EL, Ramírez García JI, Mauricio AM, Cresko WA
Prev Sci · 2026 Jan · PMID 39828881 · Full text
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the ability to receive health care services. Field-based health services became a logistically feasible alternative to medical center-based care. We compared two different field-based appr...
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the ability to receive health care services. Field-based health services became a logistically feasible alternative to medical center-based care. We compared two different field-based approaches to the delivery of SARS-CoV-2 testing and health education services for Latine communities using a quasi-experimental design that included propensity score matching to accommodate the challenges posed to research by the pandemic. From September 2021 through October 2022, we held 434 testing events, of which 234 used a geolocation approach and 200 used a partner-located approach to determine the location of the health services (n = 68 field sites in Oregon). We hypothesized that partner-located sites would obtain higher numbers of tests collected relative to geolocated sites, and that longer drive times to testing sites would be associated with lower testing rates. There were no differences in the number of tests collected by geolocated versus partner-located sites, controlling for population size and time-varying pandemic vulnerabilities measured as COVID-19 cases and deaths. Prior to propensity score weighting, a longer drive time to the testing site (both site types) was associated with a lower likelihood of total tests (IRR = .87, p < .01, CI [0.54, 0.92]), of Latine tests (IRR = .69, p < .001, CI [0.56, 0.84]), and of male tests collected (IRR = .67, p < .05, CI [0.47, 0.94]). The site's number of prior tests was associated with a significant 2% increase in tests collected and the prior week's number of county deaths was associated with a roughly 30% decrease in the likelihood of tests collected. However, the reduced testing rate when the death rate was higher was less likely in geolocated sites (IRR = 1.55, p < .001, CI [1.20, 2.01]). Implications for the utility of propensity score matching and time-varying covariates to accommodate pandemic challenges posed to research are discussed. Clinicaltrials.gov registration number: NCT05082935. Date of registration: 10/15/2021.
Applying an Equity Lens to Evidence-Based Preventive Interventions: a Systematic Review of Subgroup Findings from Experimental Evaluations.
Buckley PR, Gust CJ, Coffin SG … +3 more , Aikawa SM, Steeger CM, Pampel FC
Prev Sci · 2025 Jan · PMID 39821577 · Full text
Evidence reveals that minoritized groups face disparities, underscoring the need for interventions to address behavioral health inequities. This review examined which minoritized populations are represented in evidence-b...
Evidence reveals that minoritized groups face disparities, underscoring the need for interventions to address behavioral health inequities. This review examined which minoritized populations are represented in evidence-based preventive interventions (EBPIs) and whether they equitably benefit from these programs. Using the Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development online clearinghouse, we synthesized findings from 240 high-quality experimental evaluations of EBPIs conducted in the U.S. between 2010 and 2023 and performed a descriptive analysis based on consensus coding to assess (1) the prevalence of culturally tailored EBPIs; (2) how frequently tests for subgroup effects were conducted; and (3) whether subgroup tests indicated differential benefits for minoritized groups. We found few culturally tailored interventions (31%), with 4% evaluating EBPIs developed for African American or Black populations and 1% for Hispanic or Latino youth. Additionally, only 25% and 15% tested for subgroup effects by race and ethnicity, respectively. For other subgroups, few (28%) evaluations included effects by economic disadvantage while 47% examined outcomes by binary gender categories. Essentially no reports tested for subgroup effects by sexual identity, location, or nativity status. Encouraging findings were that EBPIs more often benefited racial and ethnic minoritized groups, and there was an upward trend in reporting subgroup tests across time. EBPIs should test for subgroup effects to answer the questions of "what works for whom?" and "in which settings?" and to better understand the generalizability of findings. Investments are needed in culturally grounded programs developed for historically marginalized populations and trials of EBPIs that investigate mitigating health disparities.
Factors Associated with Nonspecialist Quality of Delivery within a Family Strengthening Intervention in Rwanda: a Parallel Latent Growth Model.
Bond L, Placencio-Castro M, Byansi W … +2 more , Puffer E, Betancourt TS
Prev Sci · 2025 Jan · PMID 39821153 · Publisher ↗
In task-shared, mental health, and psychosocial support interventions, monitoring the quality of delivery (fidelity and competence) of nonspecialist providers is critical. Quality of delivery is frequently reported in br...
In task-shared, mental health, and psychosocial support interventions, monitoring the quality of delivery (fidelity and competence) of nonspecialist providers is critical. Quality of delivery is frequently reported in brief, summary statistics, and while both fidelity and competence scores tend to be high, rarely have factors associated with quality of delivery in low-resource, mental health, and psychosocial support interventions been examined using inferential statistics. Understanding both modifiable and non-modifiable predictors of quality of delivery is important for adapting training and supervision approaches throughout intervention delivery. In this study, we use a parallel process latent growth model to examine the association of non-modifiable, demographic characteristics of nonspecialists and changes in both fidelity and competence over time. We find that nonspecialist age is significantly associated with higher initial fidelity and competence scores and smaller improvements in fidelity and competence over time, although this finding is interpreted in the presence of ceiling effects. In addition, nonspecialists in a certain district were more likely to have higher initial fidelity and competence scores but also see smaller changes over time. Fidelity and competence were found to significantly co-vary. This study provides conceptual and measurement guidance regarding quality of delivery, suggesting that fidelity and competence are theoretically distinct and must be measured separately, but linked together under the umbrella of quality of delivery. This study also has implications for recruiting, training, and supporting nonspecialists delivering behavioral interventions, suggesting that future implementation teams can further contribute to research on how to better support high-quality training, supervision, and personal and professional growth among the growing nonspecialist workforce globally.
Can Peer Acceptance and Perceptual Accuracy Impact the Effectiveness of Two Formats of a Preventative Intervention on Functional Subtypes of Aggression in Youth?
Heilman ME, Lochman JE, Laird RD … +5 more , McDonald KL, Barth JM, Powell NP, Boxmeyer CL, White BA
Prev Sci · 2025 May · PMID 39806163 · Publisher ↗
Coping Power (CP) is an empirically supported school-based intervention for children at risk for aggression. A child's social status with peers and the extent to which they accurately perceive it are important aspects of...
Coping Power (CP) is an empirically supported school-based intervention for children at risk for aggression. A child's social status with peers and the extent to which they accurately perceive it are important aspects of preadolescent social development that may influence how intervention format affects disruptive behavior outcomes. Further, reactive (RA) and proactive (PA) functional subtypes of aggression have differential relations with peer acceptance. This study is the first to test whether the effects of group (GCP) and individual (ICP) format of CP on RA and PA differed based on children's actual social status (aim 1) and whether they over- or underestimated their acceptance relative to their actual social status (perceptual accuracy; aim 2). This study involved secondary data analyses using a large-scale randomized controlled trial that assigned 360 children ages 9 to 11 (M = 9.74, SD = .62), predominantly male (n = 234, 65%), and Black (n = 273, 75.8%), with elevated levels of aggression to either ICP or GCP condition. Polynomial regression analyses and three-dimensional response surface plots tested and probed significant (p < .05) interactions between either actual acceptance or perceptual accuracy and intervention format on postintervention reactive and proactive aggression. Actual acceptance moderated the effects of GCP on RA, such that those with higher acceptance showed smaller reductions in RA from either preintervention or postintervention to follow-up. Perceptual accuracy also moderated the effects of ICP on PA, with those underestimating their acceptance showing smaller decreases in PA from postintervention to follow-up. These findings provide valuable insights into how children's actual peer acceptance and perceptual accuracy influence CP outcomes for different functional subtypes of aggression based on intervention format, raising important questions about potential mechanisms.
Acceptability and Feasibility of a Blended School-Based Intervention to Prevent Suicidal Ideation Among Adolescents in Chile: Results from a Randomized Control Pilot Study.
Gaete J, Meza D, Andaur J … +3 more , McKay S, Robinson J, Nuñez D
Prev Sci · 2025 Jan · PMID 39799257 · Publisher ↗
Suicide prevention programs delivered in school settings have been shown to reduce suicide attempts and ideation among adolescents. School-based digital interventions targeting at-risk youth are a promising avenue for su...
Suicide prevention programs delivered in school settings have been shown to reduce suicide attempts and ideation among adolescents. School-based digital interventions targeting at-risk youth are a promising avenue for suicide prevention, and some evidence has shown that blending digital and face-to-face components may improve the effectiveness. However, further evidence on its acceptability, feasibility, and effectiveness is needed, especially in Latin America, where mental health support is limited. Reframe-IT is an internet-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) program to reduce youth suicidal ideation in school settings. We created four complementary face-to-face CBT sessions and, through a pilot study, tested the acceptability, feasibility, and effectiveness of a blended intervention (Reframe-IT +) in adolescents (N = 52) from 6 public schools in Chile, randomized into two groups: Reframe-IT + (N = 33) and Control (N = 19). We found that the intervention was acceptable and feasible, with high degrees of satisfaction and adherence. We also observed a significant reduction in suicidal ideation and depressive symptoms in the intervention group compared to the control group at post-intervention. Our results suggest that the Reframe-IT + could be delivered as a suitable, acceptable, and effective intervention to reduce suicide ideation in adolescents in school settings. Further research is needed to confirm these preliminary results.
Harmful Marketing: An Overlooked Social Determinant of Health.
Westling E, Gordon J, Meng PM … +4 more , O'Hara CA, Purdum B, Bonner AC, Biglan A
Prev Sci · 2025 Jan · PMID 39789304 · Full text
This paper reviews evidence about the impact of marketing on ill health. We summarize evidence that marketing practices in six industries (tobacco, alcohol, pharmaceutical, processed food, firearm, and fossil fuel) are c...
This paper reviews evidence about the impact of marketing on ill health. We summarize evidence that marketing practices in six industries (tobacco, alcohol, pharmaceutical, processed food, firearm, and fossil fuel) are causal influences on the occurrence of injury, disease, and premature death. For each industry, we provide a brief overview on the extent of harmful marketing, efforts from each industry to obscure or otherwise conceal the impact of their marketing strategies, and efforts to counter the impact of harmful marketing in these industries. However, considering the ubiquitous belief that regulation is harmful to society, little headway has been made in reducing harmful marketing. We propose the substitution of a public health framework for the currently dominant free market ideology. Doing so would situate harmful marketing as a social determinant of health and consolidate the disparate efforts to regulate marketing of harmful products. Implications for future policy and research efforts are discussed.
A Trauma-Focused Screening Approach for Teen Dating Violence Prevention.
Cohen JR, Choi JW, Fishbach JS … +1 more , Temple JR
Prev Sci · 2025 Jan · PMID 39789303 · Publisher ↗
Developing accurate and equitable screening protocols can lead to more targeted, efficient, and effective, teen dating violence (TDV) prevention programming. Current TDV screening protocols perform poorly and are rarely...
Developing accurate and equitable screening protocols can lead to more targeted, efficient, and effective, teen dating violence (TDV) prevention programming. Current TDV screening protocols perform poorly and are rarely implemented, but recent research and policy emphasizes the importance of leveraging more trauma-focused screening measures for improved prevention outcomes. In response, the present study examined which adversities (i.e., indices of family violence), trauma-focused risk factors (i.e., threat and reward biases) and strengths (i.e., social support and racial/ethnic identity) best classified concurrent and prospective risk for physical and psychological forms of TDV-perpetration. Participants included 584 adolescents aged 12-18 years (M = 14.43; SD = 1.22), evenly distributed across gender (48.9% female), race (35% African American; 38.5% White) and ethnicity (40% Hispanic). Surveys completed at baseline and 1-year follow-up were analyzed using an evidence-based medicine (EBM) analytic protocol (i.e., logistic regression, area-under-the-curve; (AUC), diagnostic likelihood ratios (DLR), calibration curves) and compared to machine learning models. Results revealed hostility best classified risk for concurrent and prospective physical TDV-perpetration (AUCs > 0.70; DLRs > 2.0). Additionally, domestic violence (DV) exposure best forecasted prospective psychological TDV-perpetration (AUC > 0.70; DLR > 3.0). Both indices were well-calibrated (i.e., non-significant Spiegelhalter's Z statistics) and statistically fair. Machine learning models added minimal incremental validity. Results demonstrate the importance of prioritizing hostility and DV-exposure for accurate, equitable, and feasible screening for physical and psychological forms of TDV-perpetration, respectively. Integrating these findings into existing prevention protocols can lead to a more targeted approach to reducing TDV-perpetration.
About
- Frequency
- Sun
- Papers found
- 200
- RSS feed
- Subscribe