Effects of a stage-based alcohol preventive intervention for inner-city youth

The purpose of this study was to examine first year outcomes of an alcohol preventive intervention within inner-city middle schools. Subjects consiste d of 650 sixth grade students from one neighborhood inner-city school (n = 262) and one bused school (n = 388). At posttest, chi-square analyses showe d that significantly fewer neighborhood intervention students initiated alc ohol use, used alcohol during the past seven-day and thirty-day periods, dr ank heavily during the past thirty days, and drank over any period of time, compared to control students (p's < .05). Significant group x prior alcoho l consequences interaction effects were found for bused students, showing t hose with past alcohol consequences who received the intervention had less intentions to use alcohol and less frequent use of alcohol (p's < .05). The se results suggest that a brief, stage-based preventive intervention may re sult in significant reductions in alcohol initiation and consumption among some inner-city youth.