Evaluating an Educational Program for the Prevention of Impaired Driving among Grade 11 Students

Abstract

A school-based intervention to reduce the frequency of impaired driving among Grade 11 students was evaluated in the City of Hamilton, Ontario. The intervention was structured in accordance with the principles of the Health Belief Model and was delivered to a sample of 121 students. A questionnaire, consisting of seven scales, was used to measure impact on the students, and was administered before and after the intervention. The questionnaire was also administered to a sample of ninety-three students from other schools who served as a non-randomized comparison group. Significant positive changes along a number of dimensions were found among students who received the intervention as compared to those who did not. These include the dimensions of Alcohol Knowledge, Marijuana Knowledge, Personal Susceptibility to Consequences, Opposition to Driving While Impaired, and Behavioral Intentions to Drive While Impaired. No change was found in the dimension that measured Perceived Seriousness of Consequences, but pretest scores were very high for both groups of students and a “ceiling effect” may have occurred. Drinking Frequency increased to a modest extent among a significant proportion of the students who received the intervention when compared to those who did not. The reasons for this phenomenon are speculated upon and options to address it are discussed.