Drug use prevention: factors associated with program implementation in Brazilian urban schools

Zila M. Sanchez,Ana Paula Dias Pereira

doi:10.1186/s12889-018-5242-y

Abstract

BackgroundA school is a learning environment that contributes to the construction of personal values, beliefs, habits and lifestyles, provide convenient settings for the implementation of drug use prevention programs targeting adolescents, who are the population group at highest risk of initiating drug use. The objective of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of factors associated with implementing drug use prevention programs in Brazilian public and private middle and high urban schools.MethodsThe present population-based cross-sectional survey was conducted with a probability sample of 1151 school administrators stratified by the 5 Brazilian administrative divisions, in 2014. A close-ended, self-reported online questionnaire was used. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with implementing drug use prevention programs in schools.ResultsA total of 51.1% of the schools had adopted drug use prevention programs. The factors associated with program implementation were as follows: belonging to the public school network; having a library; development of activities targeting sexuality; development of “Health at School Program” activities; offering extracurricular activities; and having an administrator that participated in training courses on drugs.ConclusionsThe adoption of drug use prevention practices in Brazilian schools may be expanded with greater orchestration of schools through specialized training of administrators and teachers, expansion of the School Health Program and concomitant development of the schools’ structural and curricular attributes.

Highlights

A school is a learning environment that contributes to the construction of personal values, beliefs, habits and lifestyles, provide convenient settings for the implementation of drug use prevention programs targeting adolescents, who are the population group at highest risk of initiating drug use
A school is a learning environment that contributes to the construction of personal values, beliefs, habits and lifestyles at a time when adolescents are more susceptible to reflect on such issues, and this can directly affect the social production of health [2]
Regarding the factors associated with the adoption of a curricular program with scientific evidence of efficacy or effectiveness in American schools, it was found that the larger time dedicated by the leaders in the activities for drug abuse prevention in their schools [15] and the availability of financial resources seem to be associated with the decision to implement programs in schools [16]

Summary

Introduction

A school is a learning environment that contributes to the construction of personal values, beliefs, habits and lifestyles, provide convenient settings for the implementation of drug use prevention programs targeting adolescents, who are the population group at highest risk of initiating drug use. A school is a learning environment that contributes to the construction of personal values, beliefs, habits and lifestyles at a time when adolescents are more susceptible to reflect on such issues, and this can directly affect the social production of health [2] From this perspective, schools provide convenient settings for the implementation of drug use prevention programs targeting adolescents, who are the population group at highest risk of initiating drug use [3]. Regarding the factors associated with the adoption of a curricular program with scientific evidence of efficacy or effectiveness in American schools, it was found that the larger time dedicated by the leaders in the activities for drug abuse prevention in their schools [15] and the availability of financial resources seem to be associated with the decision to implement programs in schools [16]. Another factor associated with the implementation of programs in schools is the assistance that schools receive from government agencies and the supply of informational materials on prevention [14]

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Conclusion