Media-focused parenting program to prevent teen substance use
Official title: A Web-Based Media Parenting Intervention to Prevent Youth Substance Use
Run by University of Florida · NCT05332275 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program tests whether a web-based T.E.C.H. Parenting course helps parents of middle-schoolers reduce their children's exposure to substance-use portrayals in media and lower their risk of starting substance use.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 10 Years to 14 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 120 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of Florida Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Gainesville, Florida) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | May 12, 2025 |
| Main results expected | May 30, 2026 |
| Study ends | May 30, 2026 |
| Registry record updated | April 22, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT05332275 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are parents or legal guardians who live with at least one middle-school-aged child, can read English at a sixth-grade level, and have internet access plus a smartphone.
✕Probably not a fit
Families without middle-school-aged children, parents who cannot read English at the required level, households lacking internet or smartphone access, or youth already engaged in advanced substance use may not benefit from this prevention-focused program.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
The trial delivers a media-focused parenting intervention called T.E.C.H. Parenting and compares it to a general positive-parenting control to see which better reduces youth risk for substance use. Parents of middle-school-aged children who read English and have a smartphone will join web-based group sessions and receive intervention push messages. The intervention targets concrete parenting strategies to limit exposure to media depictions of substance use and to coach parents on responding when youth encounter such content. Study outcomes will measure changes in media-related parenting behaviors and indicators of youth substance-use risk.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could lower the chances that adolescents start using substances by giving parents practical skills to limit and respond to media portrayals of substance use.
How similar studies have gone: Research consistently links youth exposure to substance-use portrayals in media with earlier initiation and some parenting programs reduce risk, but interventions specifically targeting media parenting for substance-use prevention are novel and unproven.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Parents must * have at least one middle school-aged child who resides with them * be able to read at the 6th grade level in English * have access to the internet and a smartphone to participate in web-based intervention groups and receive intervention push messages. Exclusion Criteria: -NA
Where it's running
-
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Joy Gabrielli — University of Florida
- Study coordinator: Joy Gabrielli, PhD
- Email: jgabrielli@phhp.ufl.edu
- Phone: 352-273-8248
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
Brain imaging to predict teens' response to cannabis treatment
This project will test whether teens' brain activity during a learning task can predict how well 14–17-year-olds do in a 10-week virtual reward program to reduce cannabis use.
-
Two-Door Doulas: Enhanced vs Standard Medicaid Doula Care in Pregnancy
This trial tests whether an enhanced, earlier, and more frequent doula support program helps pregnant people on Medicaid feel less depression and anxiety after birth compared with the standard Medicaid doula care in Florida.
-
Just-in-Time Coping Prompts for College Students
We’re testing whether sending brief coping tips at moments of emotional shift can influence how college students react online, drink, or eat when feelings spike.
-
Momentary Coping Prompts and Hair Steroids in College Students
This trial tests whether sending brief coping prompts at moments of emotional volatility helps college students respond to emotions, while collecting hair samples to see if long-term stress hormones relate to those responses.
-
VM100: a nutritional supplement to see if it improves quality of life for boys with Duchenne
This Phase 2 study tests VM100, a nutritional drink, in boys aged 8 and up with Duchenne muscular dystrophy to see if it can improve quality of life and reduce fatigue.
-
Muscle health before and after lung transplant in adults
This study tests how respiratory and leg muscle health relates to physical function and recovery in adults awaiting and after lung transplantation.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.