Evaluation of the preventive intervention for adolescent students at risk (IPEA-R) in high school students

Abstract

Adolescence is considered the highest risk stage for starting drug use, so it is necessary to have evidence-based preventive interventions that help prevent drug use in adolescents. Objective. To evaluate the effectiveness of the Preventive Intervention for Teenage Students at Risk (IPEA-R) applied to a sample of high school students from México. Method. The study had a quasi-experimental design and 60 students participated, 56.7% women and 43.3% men, the average age was 12.20 years (SD =.40). The intervention is made up of one evaluation session, eight intervention sessions and two follow-ups. A Mixed ANOVA was performed to identify differences between the experimental and control groups in the pretest, posttest, first follow-up and second followup measurements. Results. Statistically significant differences were found in the frequencies of tobacco and alcohol consumption, as well as in resistance to social pressure, self-control, emotional clarity, emotional repair, perception of risk associated with tobacco, and various toxic substances. Conclusion. IPEA-R is an evidence-based intervention with positive effects both in reducing the frequency of consumption of different toxic substances and in improving the personal skills of adolescents.