Media-focused parenting program to prevent teen substance use
A Web-Based Media Parenting Intervention to Prevent Youth Substance Use
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
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 120 (estimated) |
| Ages | 10 Years to 14 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University of Florida Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Gainesville, Florida) |
| Trial ID | NCT05332275 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
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.
Who should consider this trial
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.
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.
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 performed: 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.
Eligibility criteria
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 this trial is running
Gainesville, Florida
- 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
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.