Citizen participation in prevention activities: A path model

Abstract

Effective, community-wide AOD prevention activities require a broad base of citizen involvement in program planning and implementation. Yet what influences an individual's decision to participate in these activities, particularly in a socially distressed community, is not well known. In a previous study, the authors developed a three-factor path model of participation. These factors were participation accessibility, the desire to participate, and knowledge about participation. The present investigation is a replication of that study with two purposes: (1) expansion of the initial findings by adding additional indicators of the model constructs, and (2) examination of the adequacy of the model for predicting participation in an economically and socially distressed community. The findings of this study were based upon random digit dialing telephone interviews of 250 residents of Chester, PA. The respondents were interviewed about their knowledge of and participation in prevention activities, their perception of the seriousness of AOD and other problems, and their demographic characteristics. Data were analyzed by multiple regression. Findings indicate that knowledge had the strongest direct effect on participation, with desire and accessibility adding important indirect effects. Overall, 34% of the variance was explained. The primary implications drawn from this study are: (1) the model, at variance with previous research by the authors, requires additional testing under a variety of social conditions and with an expansion of construct indicators; and (2) citizen participation programs in low-income neighborhoods should focus on building awareness of these programs.