This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the Örebro prevention programme (ÖPP), an alcohol misuse prevention programme that aims to reduce youth drinking by changing parental behaviour.
Cluster-randomized trial, with schools assigned randomly to the ÖPP or no intervention.
Forty municipal schools in 13 counties in Sweden.
A total of 1752 students in the 7th grade and 1314 parents were assessed at baseline. Students' follow-up rates in the 8th and 9th grades were 92.1% and 88.4%, respectively.
Classroom questionnaires to students and postal questionnaires to parents were administered before randomization and 12 and 30 months post-baseline.
Two-level logistic regression models, under four different methods of addressing the problem of loss to follow-up, revealed a statistically significant programme effect for only one of three drinking outcomes under one loss-to-follow-up method, and that effect was observed only at the 12-month follow-up.
The Örebro prevention programme as currently delivered in Sweden does not appear to reduce or delay youth drunkenness.
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