Utah Community Youth Activity Project Research
The Utah State Division of Substance Abuse implemented a quasi-experimental pretest, posttest, and 3-month followup study comparing the effectiveness of the 14-session SFP with an 11-session parenting program (Communities Empowering Parents Program) that did not include the family skills component. The study was implemented in three counties in Utah with CSAP funds. Researchers recruited 421 parents and 703 high-risk youth (ages 6 to 13) to attend one of the two programs. Sixty-nine percent of the families were ethnic minorities, including Asian/Pacific Islanders, Hispanic, and American Indians. Completion of the pretest program was very high, averaging 85 percent across the three county sites. Unfortunately, because of a lack of completion incentives, only 203 parents and 448 youth completed the posttest.
Analysis of the pretest and posttest change scores in Utah suggested significant improvements in family environment, parenting behaviors, and children's behavior and emotional status. Although the comparison program also yielded positive results, they were less significant (Harrison, Proskauer, and Kumpfer, 1995).
In
a 5-year followup study of participants in the three-county Utah Community
Youth Activity Project/SFP study (Harrison, Proskauer, and Kumpfer, 1995),
87 families were interviewed confidentially. The results suggested that
SFP had a long-term positive impact on members of the subsample families
(Kumpfer, Molgaard, and Spoth, 1996). A majority of families were still
using skills they had learned years earlier in SFP. Ninety-seven percent
of the families were "catching their children being good," 99 percent
believed they were giving clear directions, 95 percent used reasonable
consequences, 84 percent improved their problem solving with children,
94 percent enjoyed each other more, and 85 percent scheduled regular family
playtime. Most important to the continued success of the family program,
62 percent of all families interviewed continued family meetings up to
5 years after participating in SFP. Family meetings bring parents and
children together weekly to discuss family issues, schedules, children's
chores and responsibilities, and plans for enjoyable family activities.
The parents reported fewer family problems, reduced stress-conflict levels,
more family fun, and greater expression of positive feelings.
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