Extrait

Background and study aims Kids, Adults Together (KAT) is a school-based programme which seeks to prevent alcohol misuse by strengthening communication and improving relationships in families. The aim is determine the value and feasibility of conducting a full effectiveness trial of the Kids, Adults Together Programme. The study’s findings will provide evidence to guide a decision about whether the programme should be tested further in a larger study, to find out if taking part in the KAT programme could reduce the number of young people harmed by alcohol misuse. This study will also provide evidence on best practice for any planned trial. Who can participate? Children aged 8-11, their parents, and school staff, from eight primary schools in a UK city. What does the study involve? Schools will be involved in the study over two school terms. Four schools will run the KAT programme in addition to their usual lessons and the other four schools will continue with their usual lessons. Which schools will run KAT will be decided by a randomisation process, which is like tossing a coin. The KAT classroom preparation for children will take place over at least one week and may take longer according to e.g. the timing of the education evening and the needs of the class. The work covers the effects of alcohol consumption and preparation for a family fun event. The KAT fun event lasts about one hour and involves children and parents in activities addressing key health messages around alcohol. Children are given a “goody bag” to take home, containing a DVD for families to watch together and other materials which may be used over an indefinite period. Before the KAT programme begins, pupils in all schools will be asked to complete a questionnaire. About six months later, after the KAT programme has been run in four of the schools, the pupils in all eight schools will be asked to complete a second questionnaire and their parents will be invited to take part in interviews. Questions in the interviews and questionnaires will cover alcohol use; and family communication and activities. Researchers will also observe the classroom preparation and fun evenings and ask pupils, parents and school staff what it was like to be involved in KAT and what they think of it. At the end of the study we will calculate what percentage of pupils, parents and schools consented to take part, and continued to take part, out of all those who were invited to get involved in both the research and the KAT programme. We will use questionnaire data from pupils to estimate how many schools and pupils would need to take part in a larger study. The usefulness of methods (such as interviews and questionnaires) chosen to conduct the research will be assessed, alongside a calculation of costs of running KAT and an evaluation of methods for keeping accounts. The study will also report on the ways in which schools organised the programme and whether school staff, pupils and parents considered the KAT programme, and the research methods, to be satisfactory. What are the possible benefits and risks of participating? Parents, children and teachers will learn more about alcohol and become more aware of the personal and social effects of alcohol misuse. There will be no immediate benefit to research participants from schools which do not run the programme. But there should be future benefits to the general public because the results of the study are expected to influence decisions about the best use of research funding. The main risk of taking part is that the KAT programme, and researchers’ questions about alcohol consumption, may raise participants’ concern about their own or others’ alcohol use. Researchers will be prepared to help participants to obtain appropriate support and if necessary to follow child protection procedures. Where is the study run from? School of Social Sciences at Cardiff University When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for? Recruitment started in November 2011. Participants will be enrolled on the study for a period of six months. The study will be completed by 31 August 2013. Who is funding the study? National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Who is the main contact? Dr. Jeremy Segrott [email protected]

Critère d'inclusion

• UK children start drinking at a young age and the amount they drink has increased. More youngsters in the UK misuse alcohol than in most other European countries. People who start drinking at a younger age are more likely to have problems with alcohol when they get older

Liens

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