Longitudinal outcomes of a smartphone application to prevent drug use among Hispanic youth (2021)

OBJECTIVE: This trial tested the efficacy of a smartphone application (app) designed to prevent drug use among Hispanic youth.
METHOD: Participants were recruited through online advertising and youth service agencies. The baseline sample (N = 644) had a mean age of 14.1 years, was primarily female (60%), and resided in 31 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. Youth assented to study participation and received parental permission to participate. Youth were randomly assigned to an intervention arm or a measurement-only control arm. Intervention-arm youth completed 10 prevention program sessions via a smartphone app. Following intervention delivery, all youth completed posttest and 1-, 2-, and 3-year follow-up measures.
RESULTS: Analyzed within an Arm by Time interaction model, follow-up data showed that compared with control-arm youth, intervention-arm youth reported (a) less increase in alcohol use from baseline to 2-year follow-up; (b) less increase in marijuana use from baseline to 2- and 3-year follow-ups; and (c) less increase in polydrug use from baseline to 1-, 2-, and 3-year follow-ups. Compared with youth in the control arm, intervention-arm youth reported (a) less depressed mood and improved skills for refusing offers of alcohol and tobacco at posttest; (b) higher self-efficacy and social self-efficacy at 1-, 2-, and 3-year follow-ups; (c) improved skills for refusing offers of marijuana at 2- and 3-year follow-ups; (d) higher media literacy at 2- and 3-year follow-ups; and (e) better coping skills at 3-year follow-up.
CONCLUSIONS: These longitudinal findings suggest that Hispanic youth can profit from tailored, skills-based content delivered via a smartphone app to prevent drug use.