RESUMO
This study examined whether two versions of a drug and alcohol curriculum explaining how substances affect behavior and health, one version more causally coherent than the other, were more effective than a control curriculum on disease in changing school-age children's (N=327) beliefs and attitudes regarding cocaine and alcohol. Few differences were found between the two drug and alcohol curricula. Compared to children receiving the control curriculum, however, both treatment groups demonstrated greater understanding of the circulation of alcohol and cocaine throughout the body, the true long-term effects of these substances, and the stimulant effects of cocaine. Moreover, they had less positive attitudes and intentions toward cocaine. Several differences were evident at both a 3-month post-test and a 1-year follow-up, pointing to the potential value of applying an intuitive theories perspective in designing drug prevention and other health education programs.
Assuntos
Currículo , Educação em Saúde/métodos , Transtornos Relacionados ao Uso de Substâncias/prevenção & controle , Ensino/métodos , Análise de Variância , Criança , Avaliação Educacional , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Modelos Educacionais , Avaliação de Programas e Projetos de Saúde , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
The authors asked whether having a base of relevant biological knowledge put school children in a better position to understand the effects of alcohol and cocaine and to learn about these effects when exposed to a curriculum presenting a physiological theory of drug action. Participants were 337 ethnically diverse 3rd- through 6th-grade students who were pretested, trained, and posttested. Multiple regression analyses revealed that knowledge of the basic functions of the heart, blood, and brain predicted certain drug-knowledge variables. Students with greater biological background knowledge also learned more from instruction, a finding with implications for enhancing drug and other health education programs.
