Predicting and intervening in adolescents’ and students’ alcohol use
dc.contributor.author | Wood, Lynne | en |
dc.date.accessioned | 2015-08-11T14:14:30Z | en |
dc.date.available | 2015-08-11T14:14:30Z | en |
dc.date.issued | 2014-03-04 | en |
dc.identifier.citation | Wood, L.M. (2014), 'Predicting and Intervening in Adolescents’ and Students’ Alcohol use'. PhD thesis. University of Bedfordshire | en |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10547/565828 | en |
dc.description | A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire in partial fulfilment of the Doctor of Philosophy. Institute of Health Research | en |
dc.description.abstract | The principal aims of the study were to investigate the determinants for alcohol use in adolescence and formulate a framework for intervention design, and to use this framework to design an interactive intervention to prevent alcohol misuse in adolescents. The first study was a focus group study with 27 11-14 year olds to gauge opinions related to alcohol use and the drinking environments. The results of the analysis supported a framework of the combination of the theory of planned behaviour (Ajzen, 1991), the prototype willingness model (Gibbons & Gerrard, 1995, 1997), the social norms approach (Perkins & Berkowitz, 1986). The second study was a pilot of a questionnaire based on the combined model constructs, personality characteristics associated with adolescent alcohol misuse and behavioural measures of frequency and quantity. The first pilot was with 19 adolescents aged 11-15, which indicated that three subscales needed amendment. The participants rated the scale as easy to complete. The second pilot with 31, 16-19 year olds indicated that the subscales were reliable. The third study was a quantitative longitudinal study to evaluate the threats to external validity. The cross sectional analysis (n=239) indicated that past behaviour, subjective norm, affective attitude, drinker image and typical peer frequency predicted intention to drink alcohol. The results of longitudinal study (n=60) indicated that there were no significant differences between variables at baseline. This supported the validity of the questionnaire for intervention evaluation. The most significant predictor of behaviour at follow-up was past behaviour and subjective norm at baseline. The fourth study was a focus group study with 15, 11-14 year old participants to gauge their opinions about computer games and using games for health interventions. The themes that were identified were used to formulate a conceptual framework for an interactive computer game. The fifth study was a quantitative evaluation of a preliminary interactive role-play study to examine interactive scenarios based on the environments identified in the alcohol focus group study and behaviour change techniques from the taxonomy for alcohol use (Michie, et al., 2012). The post-intervention results indicated a significant difference in perceptions of peer drinking norms. Overall, the research supported the use of a combined theory to predict and prevent alcohol use in adolescents and an interactive method for intervention. | |
dc.language.iso | en | en |
dc.publisher | University of Bedfordshire | en |
dc.subject | prediction | en |
dc.subject | intervention | en |
dc.subject | adolescent | en |
dc.subject | students | en |
dc.subject | alcohol | en |
dc.subject | L500 Social Work | en |
dc.subject | alcohol misuse | en |
dc.title | Predicting and intervening in adolescents’ and students’ alcohol use | en |
dc.type | Thesis or dissertation | en |
dc.type.qualificationname | PhD | en_GB |
dc.type.qualificationlevel | PhD | en |
dc.publisher.institution | University of Bedfordshire | en |
html.description.abstract | The principal aims of the study were to investigate the determinants for alcohol use in adolescence and formulate a framework for intervention design, and to use this framework to design an interactive intervention to prevent alcohol misuse in adolescents. The first study was a focus group study with 27 11-14 year olds to gauge opinions related to alcohol use and the drinking environments. The results of the analysis supported a framework of the combination of the theory of planned behaviour (Ajzen, 1991), the prototype willingness model (Gibbons & Gerrard, 1995, 1997), the social norms approach (Perkins & Berkowitz, 1986). The second study was a pilot of a questionnaire based on the combined model constructs, personality characteristics associated with adolescent alcohol misuse and behavioural measures of frequency and quantity. The first pilot was with 19 adolescents aged 11-15, which indicated that three subscales needed amendment. The participants rated the scale as easy to complete. The second pilot with 31, 16-19 year olds indicated that the subscales were reliable. The third study was a quantitative longitudinal study to evaluate the threats to external validity. The cross sectional analysis (n=239) indicated that past behaviour, subjective norm, affective attitude, drinker image and typical peer frequency predicted intention to drink alcohol. The results of longitudinal study (n=60) indicated that there were no significant differences between variables at baseline. This supported the validity of the questionnaire for intervention evaluation. The most significant predictor of behaviour at follow-up was past behaviour and subjective norm at baseline. The fourth study was a focus group study with 15, 11-14 year old participants to gauge their opinions about computer games and using games for health interventions. The themes that were identified were used to formulate a conceptual framework for an interactive computer game. The fifth study was a quantitative evaluation of a preliminary interactive role-play study to examine interactive scenarios based on the environments identified in the alcohol focus group study and behaviour change techniques from the taxonomy for alcohol use (Michie, et al., 2012). The post-intervention results indicated a significant difference in perceptions of peer drinking norms. Overall, the research supported the use of a combined theory to predict and prevent alcohol use in adolescents and an interactive method for intervention. |