Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Formative Research
Date Submitted: Jun 1, 2019
Open Peer Review Period: Jun 3, 2019 - Jun 7, 2019
Date Accepted: Sep 24, 2019
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Formative Evaluation to Build an Online Parenting Skills and Youth Drug Prevention Program
ABSTRACT
Background:
Background:
Family-based drug prevention programs that traditionally utilize group-based formats with trained facilitators are an effective means of preventing underage drinking and youth drug use. However, these programs are resource intensive and their high cost and logistic demands placed on participants make it difficult to scale these programs for widespread dissemination. Tailoring them for web-based delivery provides certain cost economies and provides greater dissemination capabilities. Without that, family-based prevention programs can’t be delivered in high enough volume to change the normative environment in a community. The process of refining effective program content for Internet delivery requires considerable research, planning and programmatic restructuring.
Objective:
Objective:
Four mixed-method strategies were combined to summarize the perceived utility, feasibility, content, and technology acceptance of Strengthening Families Program – Online, a web-based parenting skills training and youth drug prevention program. This information provided the basis for development of a wireframe technology and eventual prototype.
Methods:
Methods:
We recruited 85 adults and 100 youth to attend focus groups, gathered consumer preferences through paper-and-pencil surveys, conducted 20 stakeholder interviews with family services agency staff, and discussed prototype development with 10 prevention scientists and e-learning experts.
Results:
Results:
The mixed method approach produced three broad thematic categories enumerating the importance of (1) lesson content, (2) logistics for program delivery, and (3) multimedia interactivity. Analyses of the adult consumer preference surveys reinforced the value of the program, the importance of mobile access and having familiarity with computer-mediated technology as precursors to online program use.
Conclusions:
Conclusions:
Formative evaluation is an important strategy to gather critical consumer preference information and should include a balance of qualitative and quantitative approaches. Parents, stakeholders and subject matter experts converged in their desired features for the online program and its intended uses regardless of age, gender, or race.
Citation
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Copyright
© The authors. All rights reserved. This is a privileged document currently under peer-review/community review (or an accepted/rejected manuscript). Authors have provided JMIR Publications with an exclusive license to publish this preprint on it's website for review and ahead-of-print citation purposes only. While the final peer-reviewed paper may be licensed under a cc-by license on publication, at this stage authors and publisher expressively prohibit redistribution of this draft paper other than for review purposes.