The social construction of "evidence-based'' drug prevention programs: a reanalysis of data from the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program

Eval Rev. 2009 Aug;33(4):396-414. doi: 10.1177/0193841X09334711. Epub 2009 Apr 21.

Abstract

This study explores the possibility that any drug prevention program might be considered ;;evidence-based'' given the use of data analysis procedures that optimize the chance of producing statistically significant results by reanalyzing data from a Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program evaluation. The analysis produced a number of statistically significant differences between the DARE and control conditions on alcohol and marijuana use measures. Many of these differences occurred at cutoff points on the assessment scales for which post hoc meaningful labels were created. Our results are compared to those from evaluations of programs that appear on evidence-based drug prevention lists.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Alcohol Drinking / epidemiology
  • Alcohol Drinking / prevention & control
  • Humans
  • Kentucky / epidemiology
  • Marijuana Smoking / epidemiology
  • Marijuana Smoking / prevention & control
  • Program Evaluation
  • Statistics as Topic / methods*
  • Substance-Related Disorders / epidemiology
  • Substance-Related Disorders / prevention & control*