Protecting You/Protecting Me - a study of the dissemination of health knowledge during school years 1-5

Background

Protecting You/Protecting Me (PYPM) is a US prevention program around alcohol, drugs, medicines, and traffic created by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) together with the modern brain research. The aim of the program is prevention through early advocacy efforts and thereby create protective factors for the body's most important organ – the brain. The goal is that through the educational platform on which the program is based on, help postpone onset of alcohol among young people. 

PYPM is a manual based method to enhance children's ability to protect themselves from hazardous situations and behaviour. PYPM educates kids on school days in grades 1-5. Each grade consists of eight lessons and full program includes 40 lessons. The methodology is based on a high level of knowledge about the brain and how it is affected by various factors. This is done through pedagogical play, stories and role-playing games, as well as active work from the target group. The children are taught by coaches – teachers who can consist of high school students or students from universities.

Aim

The overall aim of the study is to improve the knowledge base for the alcohol and drug prevention among children and youth. The scientific question is whether teaching helps children develop the knowledge and awareness of brain, health and healthy lifestyle, which could ultimately prevent the use of alcohol and drugs.

Method

MADD and Automobile Association Whole Sobriety Union (MHF) have taken the American method PYPM to Sweden. The project has been a multi-year project for translation, cultural and pedagogical adaptation and preparation of training materials on the basis of completed trials with PYPM material in a number of classes in grades 1-5. The work is carried out in close cooperation with Linnaeus University in Kalmar, and primary schools in Kalmar municipality. 

An evolutionary psychological custom survey about health and life will be used to allow for in-depth analysis of the program's effects. The design of the study is an after measurement of the project's five year process of comparison between the intervention school and matched control school. Parents and teachers will also be asked for their views on the project. Furthermore, an analysis will be made of the project's five year work process through synthesis of the already completed follow-ups. This will result in important knowledge about the value of the developed teaching material.

Results and publications

Continuous reporting is made annually to the Public health authority and the participating partners. The results are expected to be published in scientific articles based on the study's questions.