EVIDENCE




CROSSROADS has undergone rigorous testing with 9th grade audiences. In a randomized controlled trial of four high schools, CROSSROADS showed changes in key mediators, intention to use alcohol and other drugs, and actual improvements in alcohol and drug use.

In this study, two schools received CROSSROADS, while two other schools received treatment as usual, i.e. regular health instruction. A total of 379 students participated in this study.


LOGIC MODEL

CROSSROADS is designed to change known mediators, i.e. beliefs, attitudes, and skills, that are linked to whether early adolescents intend to use or use alcohol and drugs. This is a visual representation of how CROSSROADS works.

diagram



RESULTS

In this study, students who received CROSSROADS improved over students who received usual health curriculum on:


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MEDIATORS
  • Resistance skills
  • Normative Beliefs
  • Decision Making Skills



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INTENTION TO USE
  • Intention to use alcohol in the next 30 days
  • Intention to use cigarettes in the next 30 days



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SUBSTANCE USE
  • Alcohol use was reduced
  • CROSSROADS prevented the initiation of alcohol use




The results of CROSSROADS last!
In a 30-day follow-up, students who received CROSSROADS were still displaying healthier behaviors than students who did not receive CROSSROADS. They were significantly less likely to have:


  • Ridden with a drunk driver in the last 30 days
  • Ever gotten drunk or been drunk in the last 30 days
  • Ever used drugs (all drugs minus alcohol and tabacco) in the last 30 days
  • Ever used alcohol in the last 30 days
  • Ever smoked cigarettes in the last 30 days
    •



    RESULTS: Mediators


    CROSSROADS is proven successful in:
  • Increasing resistance skills
  • Decreasing the normative beliefs that other students find substance abuse acceptable

    • CROSSROADS also:
  • Increased decision making skills
  • Decreased perceptions that other students are using drugs
  • Kept students beliefs about consequences of alcohol and drugs high
    •



    RESULTS: Intention to Use


    CROSSROADS was successful in changing students’ intention to use drugs in the next 30 days.


    Proven results were found for:
  • Intent to use alcohol
  • Intent to use cigarettes

    • Positive trends were also seen for:
  • Intent to use Marijuana
  • Intent to use Benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, etc.)
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    graph1



    RESULTS: Substance Use


    CROSSROADS was successful in:
  • Reducing alcohol use
  • Preventing initiation of alcohol use during a period in which use began in the control group.
    •


    Positive trends were seen for:
  • Lower drug use in the last month for CROSSROADS group than control group
  • Fewer students who received CROSSROADS had tried drugs during the study than students who did not receive CROSSROADS.
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    graph2



    CROSSROADS evaluation is on-going. We have completed a multi-school high school study in four states with over 7500 students. Results of that study is still undergoing data analysis. We are currently studying the effectiveness of CROSSROADS in a trial with 8th grade students.


    CROSSROADS: Substance Abuse Prevention & Education Program
    University of North Carolina Wilmington
    601 S. College Road | Wilmington, NC 28403-5939