Does #Tamojunto alter the dynamic between drug use and school violence among youth?: Secondary analysis from a large cluster-randomized trial

The present study investigated how intervention might alter the relationship between perpetrating violence and later drug use. A cluster-randomized controlled trial design involving 72 schools (38 intervention, 34 control) and 6390 students attending grades 7 and 8 was employed in Brazil. Drug use and violence were assessed at three points. A random-intercept cross-lagged panel model examined the reciprocal association between drug use and school violence domains across the three data collection waves. For both groups, we found that the cross-lagged effect of perpetration on further drug use in adolescents was stronger than the reverse, but the interrelationship was not statistically significant between #Tamojunto and control schools. The carry-over effects of drug use and violence were also not significantly different between groups. There is a lack of evidence showing that #Tamojunto can modify the dynamics between drug use and school violence across the 21-month period. The direction of the causal effect (i.e., the more perpetration behavior, the more subsequent drug use behavior) is present, but weak in both groups. The trial registration protocol at the national Brazilian Register of Clinical Trials (REBEC) is #RBR-4mnv5g.publishedVersio

Does #Tamojunto alter the dynamic between drug use and school violence among youth? Secondary analysis from a large cluster-randomized trial

The present study investigated how intervention might alter the relationship between perpetrating violence and later drug use. A cluster-randomized controlled trial design involving 72 schools (38 intervention, 34 control) and 6390 students attending grades 7 and 8 was employed in Brazil. Drug use and violence were assessed at three points. A random-intercept cross-lagged panel model examined the reciprocal association between drug use and school violence domains across the three data collection waves. For both groups, we found that the cross-lagged effect of perpetration on further drug use in adolescents was stronger than the reverse, but the interrelationship was not statistically significant between #Tamojunto and control schools. The carry-over effects of drug use and violence were also not significantly different between groups. There is a lack of evidence showing that #Tamojunto can modify the dynamics between drug use and school violence across the 21-month period. The direction of the causal effect (i.e., the more perpetration behavior, the more subsequent drug use behavior) is present, but weak in both groups. The trial registration protocol at the national Brazilian Register of Clinical Trials (REBEC) is #RBR-4mnv5g

A secondary analysis of the #Tamojunto cluster-randomized trial

Aims: To investigate the mediating effects of normative beliefs of drug use on the effects of the #Tamojunto school-based prevention program (Unplugged). Design: Secondary analysis of a cluster randomized controlled trial. Setting: Brazil. Participants: A total of 6,391 adolescents (12.68 y.o) from 72 public schools in 6 Brazilian cities. Intervention: Schools were assigned to an experimental condition (#Tamojunto curriculum) or a control condition (no prevention program). Measurements: Baseline data were collected prior to program implementation, and follow-up data were collected 9 and 21 months later. The substances examined were alcohol (including binge drinking), tobacco, marijuana and inhalants. Five in-parallel mediation models evaluated whether the positive and negative beliefs were mediators of the likely effects of the intervention on drug use. Findings: Lack of evidences regarding differences in normative beliefs or drug use were found between the intervention and control groups. However, there was a clear association between negative drug beliefs and lower consumption (i.e. OR = 0.78; 95% CI 0.70; 0.87, for cannabis use) as well as between positive drug beliefs and higher consumption (i.e. OR = 1.77; 95% CI 1.56; 2.02, for cannabis use) independent of the assigned group. Conclusions: These results suggest that there is a lack of evidence that the program impact the normative beliefs, as proposed by the theoretical model of the program, suggesting that modifications are needed to produce the intended effect of the program. Negative normative beliefs seem to be a potential protective factor for drug use, but the program’s effect itself on drug use via normative beliefs was not found to be statistically significant. Program activities intended to affect normative beliefs should be improved

Validation of a Tool to Evaluate Drug Prevention Programs Among Students

Background: School-based prevention programs have been implemented worldwide with the intention of reducing or delaying the onset of alcohol and drug use among adolescents. However, their effects need to be evaluated, being essential to use validated and reliable questionnaires for this purpose. This study aimed to verify the semantic validity and reliability of an instrument developed to evaluate the results of a government drug prevention program for schoolchildren called #Tamojunto2.0.Methods: This is a mixed methods study with quantitative (test-retest, confirmatory factor analysis and non-response evaluation) and qualitative analyses (focus group and field cards). The self-administered questionnaires were used for a sample of 262 eighth-grade students (elementary school II) in 11 classes of four public schools in the city of São Paulo.Results: The level of agreement was substantial (Kappa 0.60–0.79) or almost perfect (Kappa > 0.8) for almost all questions about the use of marijuana, alcohol, cigarettes, cocaine, crack, and binge drinking. The model fit indices, for almost all secondary outcomes, indicated that the modls underlying each scale, constituted by observed and latent variables, had a good fit adjustument. The focus groups and field cards provided high-quality information that helped the researchers identify the main difficulties in applying and understanding the questions.Conclusion: The questionnaire showed high factorial validity, reliability and understanding by adolescents. After the necessary changes, identified in this study, the questionnaire will be suitable to evaluate the results of the #Tamojunto2.0 program in a randomized controlled trial

Does #Tamojunto alter the dynamic between drug use and school violence among youth?: Secondary analysis from a large cluster-randomized trial

The present study investigated how intervention might alter the relationship between perpetrating violence and later drug use. A cluster-randomized controlled trial design involving 72 schools (38 intervention, 34 control) and 6390 students attending grades 7 and 8 was employed in Brazil. Drug use and violence were assessed at three points. A random-intercept cross-lagged panel model examined the reciprocal association between drug use and school violence domains across the three data collection waves. For both groups, we found that the cross-lagged effect of perpetration on further drug use in adolescents was stronger than the reverse, but the interrelationship was not statistically significant between #Tamojunto and control schools. The carry-over effects of drug use and violence were also not significantly different between groups. There is a lack of evidence showing that #Tamojunto can modify the dynamics between drug use and school violence across the 21-month period. The direction of the causal effect (i.e., the more perpetration behavior, the more subsequent drug use behavior) is present, but weak in both groups. The trial registration protocol at the national Brazilian Register of Clinical Trials (REBEC) is #RBR-4mnv5g

Binge drinking in Brazilian adolescents: results of a national household survey

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of binge drinking and other alcohol consumption patterns and analyze the sociodemographic characteristics associated with binge drinking among Brazilian adolescents aged 15 to 17 years. A cross-sectional household survey including 2,315 adolescents from the 2019 Brazilian National Health Survey who answered a questionnaire on alcohol consumption (weekly frequency, average amount consumed in a drinking day, and binge drinking). A descriptive analysis of alcohol consumption by sociodemographic characteristics and a multivariable logistic regression model were performed. The prevalence of binge drinking (past 30 days) was 8.1% (95%CI: 6.2-10.3). Adolescents who did not attend school (OR = 2.8; 95%CI: 1.6-5.0) had greater odds of binge drinking than adolescents attending school. Higher socioeconomic status (measured via wealth score) was also associated with higher odds of binge drinking compared with lower socioeconomic status (e.g., 5th quintile vs. 1st quintile: OR = 2.9; 95%CI: 1.1-7.7). Girls had lower odds of binge drinking (OR = 0.5; 95%CI: 0.2-0.8) than boys. The prevalence of binge drinking among adolescents, especially boys, who did not attend school and had higher socioeconomic status was high. Monitoring alcohol consumption patterns in adolescents may provide important information on policies or actions to prevent binge drinking

Violence in Brazilian schools: Analysis of the effect of the #Tamojunto prevention program for bullying and physical violence

A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 6637 7th-and 8th-grade students in 72 public schools in 6 Brazilian cities to evaluate the effects of the European drug prevention program Unplugged, called #Tamojunto in Brazil. This article evaluates the effects of #Tamojunto on the prevention of bullying and physical violence. Baseline data were collected from both intervention and control groups prior to program implementation. Follow-up data collection was performed 9 and 21 months later. Generalized estimating equations were used to evaluate changes in the reporting of receiving or practicing bullying and physical violence over time. The program was found to reduce the likelihood of receiving bullying, particularly in the stratum of girls aged 13-15 years at the 9-month follow-up time point. The effect was not sustained at 21 months. There was no significant effect for practicing bullying and for receiving or practicing physical violence.Brazilian Ministry of Health - Ministerio da Saude [TED 89/2014]Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Prevent Med, Rua Bontcatu 740,4 Andar, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Prevent Med, Rua Bontcatu 740,4 Andar, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilMinisterio da Saude: TED 89/2014Web of Scienc