Modeling the Spillover of Family-Based Prevention: Strengthening Causal Inference of Social Network Effects on Adolescent Smoking
Open Access
Author:
Green, Lawrie Catherine
Graduate Program:
Human Development and Family Studies
Degree:
Master of Science
Document Type:
Master Thesis
Date of Defense:
June 07, 2018
Committee Members:
Daniel Max Crowley, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor Gregory M Fosco, Committee Member
Keywords:
Family-based prevention Smoking Propensity score
Abstract:
Despite a substantial evidence-base around preventing tobacco use in adolescence, initiation of smoking among minors remains a serious public health issue. While it is known that parents and the family play an important role in preventing smoking during adolescence, dissemination of family-based substance abuse prevention remains a major barrier. The current study addresses the question of whether the effects of a family-based prevention program can spread beyond the people directly receiving the program and if those effects are sustained across time. By using data from the PROSPER project, in which an evidence-based program was delivered with fidelity under real world conditions, we tested the diffusion of effects through adolescent social networks. We found that having friends at the beginning of middle school who attended a family-based program was associated with lower odds of ever having smoked by the end of high school (OR = .90). Each additional friend represented a 2.45% decrease in the absolute likelihood of smoking by the end of high school.
