Abstract
A substance abuse prevention program based on social-cognitive principles and cast in a health promotion framework was tested on 374 construction workers from 5 sites. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive the “Power Tools” program with substance abuse material or without the material. Both self-report and bioassay data were collected before and approximately one year after the program. Data were analyzed mainly by analysis of covariance, analysis of variance, and chi-square analysis. Program effects were not demonstrated on consumption of substances, but were found on stages-of-change measures of smoking and drinking and on the frequency with which parents talk with their children about alcohol and drugs. The results suggest that a program of this type might help construction workers move toward reductions in licit substance use, but not in illicit drug use.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Ames, G. M., Grube, J. W. & Moore, A. S. (2000). Social control and workplace drinking norms: A comparison of two organizational cultures. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 61, 203–219.
Back, A. S., & Cook, R. F. (1998). Power tools: Healthy choices for life. the curriculum. Unpublished report, ISA Associates, Inc., Alexandria, VA.
Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Bennett, J. B., & Lehman, W. E. K. (Ed.). (2002). Beyond drug testing: Innovative approaches to dealing with employee substance abuse. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Cook, R. F. (1985). The alternative approach revisited: A bio-psychological model and guidelines for application. The International Journal of the Addictions, 20(9), 1399–1419.
Cook, R. F., & Youngblood, A. (1990). Preventing substance abuse as an integral part of worksite health promotion. Occupational Medicine: State of the Art Reviews, 5(4), 725–738.
Cook, R. F., Back, A. S., & Trudeau, J. (1996a). Substance abuse prevention in the workplace: Recent findings and an expanded conceptual model. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 16(3), 319–338.
Cook, R. F., Back, A. S., & Trudeau, J. (1996b). Preventing alcohol use problems among blue-collar workers: A field test of the Working People program. Substance Use and Misuse, 31(3), 255–275.
Cook, R. F., Bernstein, A., & Andrews C. (1997). Assessing drug use in the workplace: A comparison of self-report, urinalysis, and hair analysis. In L. Harrison & A. Hughes (Eds.), NIDA Research Monograph Series No. 167. The validity of self-reported drug use: Improving the accuracy of survey estimates (NIH Publication No. 97-4147, pp. 247–272). Rockville, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Cook, R. F., Hersch, R. K., & McPherson, T. L. (1999). Drug assessment methods for the workplace. In T. Miezkowski (Ed.), Drug testing methods: Assessment and evaluation. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Cook, R. F., Back, A. S., Trudeau, J. V., & McPherson, T. L. (2002). Integrating substance abuse pre-vention into health promotion programs in the workplace. In J. Bennett & W. Lehman (Eds.), Preventing workplace substance abuse: Beyond drug testing to wellness. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Heirich, M. & Sieck, C. J. (2002). Helping at-risk drinkers reduce their drinking: Cardiovascular wellness outreach at work. In J. Bennett & W. Lehman (Eds.), Preventing workplace substance abuse: Beyond drug testing to wellness. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Hersch, R. K., McPherson, T. L., & Cook, R. F. (2002). Substance abuse in the construction industry: A comparison of assessment methods. Substance Use and Misuse, 37(11), 1331–1358.
Hersch, R. K. (1997). Substance use behavior risk and protective factors among sixth and tenth graders. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The George Washington University, Washington, DC.
Kandel, D. (1996). The parental and peer contexts of adolescent deviance: An algebra of interpersonal influences. Journal of Drug Issues, 26(2), 289–299.
Kishuk, N., Peters, C., Towers, A., Sylvester, M., Bourgault, C., & Richard, L. (1994). Formative and effectiveness evaluation of a worksite program promoting healthy alcohol consumption. American Journal of Health Promotion, 8(5), 353–362.
Mangione, T. W., Howland, J., Amick, B., Cote, J., Lee, M., Bell, N., et al. (1999). Employee drinking practices and work performance. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 60, 261–270.
Normand, J., Lempert, R. O., & O'Brien, C. P. (Eds.). Under the influence? Drugs and the American work force. National Research Council/Institute of Medicine. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Prochaska, J. O., DiClemente, C. C., & Norcross, J. C. (1992). In search of how people change: Applications to addictive behaviors. American Psychologist, 47(9), 1102–1114.
Rosenstock, I. M., Strecher, V. J., & Becker, M. H. (1988). Social learning theory and the health belief model. Health Education Quarterly, 15(2), 175–173.
SAMHSA. (1999). Summary of findings from the 1998 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Office of Applied Studies.
Turner, C. F., Lessler, J. T., & Gfroerer, J. C. (1992). Future directions for research and practice. In C. F. Turner, J. T. Lessler, & J. C. Gfroerer (Eds.), Survey measurement of drug use: Methodological studies. Rockville, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cook, R.F., Hersch, R.K., Back, A.S. et al. The Prevention of Substance Abuse Among Construction Workers: A Field Test of a Social-Cognitive Program. The Journal of Primary Prevention 25, 337–357 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOPP.0000048025.11036.32
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JOPP.0000048025.11036.32