Maria Luisa Correa
Maria Luisa Correa, BA, Research Coordinator, Fundacion San Carlos de Maipo, Providencia, Chile, Viviana Muñoz, BA, Program Coordinator, San Carlos de Maipo Foundation, Santiago, Chile, Débora Pardo, BA, Researcher, Fundacion San Carlos de Maipo, Santiago, Chile, Alejandro Neira, BA, Research Analyst, San Carlos de Maipo Foundation, Santiago, Chile and Marcelo Sanchez, MA, CEO, San Carlos de Maipo Foundation, Santiago, Chile
Introduction: Familias Unidas (FU) is an evidence-based substance use and sexual risk behavior preventive intervention, for families of Hispanic youth, developed by the University of Miami (UM). The program was tested in Chile by the San Carlos de Maipo Foundation (FSCM). Since 2015, the FCSM has carried out two pilot studies (N=89) and one efficacy trial (N=240). This program continues to be implemented to this day, becoming a public policy in the country. The current study reports the results of the FU randomized controlled trial.
Methods: To evaluate the effectiveness of the Familias Unidas program in Chile, an experimental study was designed and carried out between 2016 and 2019 with 240 families (120 randomly assigned to the FU intervention and the other 120 families assigned to the control group). All families (both caregivers and adolescents) had to answer a questionnaire to measure outcomes, in four measurement instances (6-12-24-36 months). Average Trat Effect (ATE) was use for the analysis. The difference between treated and controls was evaluated between 24 month and 36 month after the intervention, and p values lower than 0.10 were considered as significant effects. An inverse weighting (IPW) was incorporated as baseline imbalances in estimating program effects (Rosenbaum & Rubin, 1983; 1985). Neyman's robust standard errors were used to evaluate the effects of the program, based on the small sample and that a large part of the variables are not normally distributed.
Results: Regarding the effect of the program on tobacco use, this study shows that the probability of prevalence of tobacco use decreases six times in the last 30 days, the probability of regular tobacco use decreases five times in the last 30 days and decreases eight times in the last 90 days. Regarding the effects on alcohol consumption the probability of prevalence of alcohol consumption in the last 30 and 90 days, decreases twice. The number of occasions of alcohol consumption decreased six times in the last 30 days and decreased four times in the last 90 days.
In adittion, there is a significant increase in the frequency in which parents talk with their children and in their level of satisfaction of the communication with their children. An improvement in parental supervision is also observed since the frequency of times in which parents know their children location and its return time, being both significantly increased.
Conclusions: These findings have significant implications for public health prevention efforts, because they confirm that investment in interventions aimed to improve parenting skills such as effective behavior management, effective communication, and parental involvement have a short- to medium-term impact on areas such as substance use and sexual behaviors. In addition, it is relevant to highlight the contribution to the evidence generated in the region, which is scarce due to the lack of studies of this type that are generally carried out in the global north.
*Accepted for the 2022 NIDA International Poster Session at the Society for Prevention Research (SPR) conference.