Elementary School Tobacco Use Prevention Project

During work related to CHPPR's evaluation of CDC-recommended tobacco prevention curricula for middle school children, teachers at some schools reported that the curricula was being delivered "too late" for many younger children who had already begun to smoke. This concern was greatest among teachers working with Native American youth and consistent with data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (CDC, 2001) showing earlier initiation of smoking among minority youth. During 2003, empirical support for the efficacy of Life Skills Training (LST) curricula for younger children, grades 3-5, was published. CHPPR then partnered with four elementary schools in North Dakota to implement Elementary Life Skills Training that year. CHPPR followed a cohort of students as they moved through 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade, starting with the third grade class in each participating school. Delivery of the curriculum was monitored via our web-based reporting system. Baseline data was gathered using questionnaires about current community status regarding tobacco use and prevention, as well as student knowledge and attitudes about tobacco use. The baseline data was then compared with outcome prevalence data related to later middle school smoking rates to determine effectiveness for North Dakota youth. Each school received information about the program's effectiveness specific to their school at the end of the project.

If you would like to learn more about tobacco use prevention programs please contact us at (701) 777-4046 or email vogeltan@medicine.nodak.edu