A prevention program for multiple health-compromising behaviors in adolescence: baseline results from a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Abstract

To describe the design and present the baseline findings of the evaluation study of 'Paesaggi di Prevenzione', a school-based prevention program tackling smoking, alcohol misuse, dietary risks, and physical inactivity in 12- to 14-year-olds. The program was implemented from January 2011 to April 2012 in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, and comprised classroom activities and school-wide policies. A two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial was designed. Schools were the units of randomization and were matched by socioeconomic status, size, and type. Data from 4700 middle school students and 2952 high school students were collected anonymously from October to December 2010. Past-30-day smoking prevalence was 1.9% among middle school students and 20.8% among high school students. Past-30-day prevalence of alcohol intoxication was 2.2% among middle school students and 11.4% among high school students. A total of 39.7% of middle school students and 48.0% of high school students drank sugar-sweetened beverages four or more times per week; 7.5% of middle school students and 7.1% of high school students had intense physical activity every day. This study seems adequately powered and baseline variables appear evenly distributed between study groups. Findings are in line with those of the WHO Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children study.