Effectiveness of a School-based Tobacco Prevention Program for Middle School Students in Saudi Arabia

King Abdulaziz University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Tobacco Use

Treatments: Behavioral: DFND Program

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03579355

554/254/1432/1

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study evaluated a school-based tobacco program, "Dentists Fighting Nicotine Dependence (DFND)", to prevent the initiation of tobacco use among middle school students in Saudi Arabia using a social competences/social influence approaches.

Full description

A quasi-experimental controlled trial design was utilized. Eight middle schools were selected from the regional education registry; four allocated to treatment arm and four to control arm.

A total of 28 seventh grade classes were included in the study; 14 served as treatment and 14 as control arms. All students present in these classes on the initial visit were invited to take part in the study [Treatment=379; Control=255].

The treatment arm received the new tobacco prevention program (DFND) whereas the control arm received only the regular tobacco prevention program administered by the Department of Education. DFND was delivered by trained health educators over 5 weeks, two sessions per week. Two follow up surveys were administered; at one week and at two years post-intervention. Study outcomes were current tobacco use, knowledge about tobacco, attitude toward not using tobacco, and perceived behavioral control (PBC) of tobacco use. Covariates included sex, parent education, academic performance, absenteeism, student allowance, and religiosity.

Enrollment: 634 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 12 to 15 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Students in 7th grade
• Gave verbal assent

Exclusion criteria

• no assent

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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634 participants in 2 patient groups

DFND Program

Experimental group

Description:

"Dentist Fighting Nicotine Dependence, (DFND)" intervention program consisted primarily of a 10-session curriculum, each session lasting about an hour. The curriculum was comprehensive and incorporated information about tobacco and its adverse health effects, social influences, and social competence skills. DFND was administered over 5 weeks, at a rate of 2 sessions per week. Each session lasts an hour. Fourteen classrooms in four schools represented the experimental arm and received DFND.

Treatment:

Behavioral: DFND Program

Informational Booklet

No Intervention group

Description:

Fourteen classrooms in four schools represented the No Intervention arm (control). They received only an informational booklet about tobacco adverse health effects.