Abstract
The present chapter describes the longitudinal effects of the Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. on adolescent risk behavior based on a 5-year study using a randomized group trial. Eight waves of data were collected from 19 experimental schools in which students participated in the Project P.A.T.H.S. (N = 2,850 at Wave 8) and 24 control schools which did not join the Project P.A.T.H.S. (N = 3,640 at Wave 8). Specifically, different risk behaviors, including delinquency, drug use, and intention of participating in risk behavior in the future, were compared between program participants who perceived the project as beneficial to their development and students in the control group. Results showed that experimental participants who expressed positive subjective evaluation about the program showed significantly slower increases in delinquent behaviors, substance abuse behaviors, and intentions of engaging in risk behaviors in the future than did the control group participants. Two years after the completion of the program, differences in youth risk behaviors in the two groups still existed. The present findings provide further evidence for the long-term effects of the Project P.A.T.H.S in preventing adolescent risk behavior through promoting positive youth development.
The preparation for this chapter and the Project P.A.T.H.S. were financially supported by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. The authorship carries equally between the two authors. Address all correspondence to Daniel T.L. Shek, Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong (e-mail address: daniel.shek@polyu.edu.hk).
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Bogenschneider, K. (1996). An ecological risk/protective theory for building prevention programs, policies, and community capacity to support youth. Family Relations, 45, 127–138.
Bryk, A. S., & Raudenbush, S. W. (1992). Hierarchical linear models: Applications and data analysis methods. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Catalano, R. F., Berglund, M. L., Ryan, J. A. M., Lonczak, H. S., & Hawkins, J. D. (2002). Positive youth development in the United States: Research findings on evaluations of positive youth development programs. Prevention and Treatment, 25(1), 1–111.
Hox, J. J. (2002). Multilevel analysis: Techniques and applications. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Jandasek, B., Holmes, G. N., DeLucia, C., Zebraki, K., & Friedman, D. (2009). Trajectories of family processes across the adolescent transition in youth with spina bifida. Journal of Family Psychology, 23(5), 726–738.
Jessor, R. (1998). New perspectives on adolescent risk behavior. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Lam, C. W., Shek, D. T. L., Ng, H. Y., Yeung, K. C., & Lam, O. B. (2005). An innovation in drug prevention programs for adolescents: The Hong Kong Astro Project. International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, 17, 343–353.
Lynskey, M., & Wayne, H. (2000). The effects of adolescent cannabis use on educational attainment: A review. Addiction, 95, 1621–1630.
Miyazaki, Y., & Raudenbush, S. W. (2000). A test for linkage of multiple cohorts from an accelerated longitudinal design. Psychological Methods, 5, 44–63.
Pittman, K. J., Irby, M., Tolman, J., Yohalem, N., & Ferber, T. (2003). Preventing problems, promoting development, encouraging engagement: Competing priorities or inseparable goals? Washington, DC: Forum for Youth Investment, Impact Strategies. Retrieved from www.forumfyi.org.
Resnick, M. D. (2000). Protective factors, resiliency and healthy youth development. Adolescent Medicine, 11, 157–165.
Rice, D. P., Kelman, S., Miller, L. S., & Dunmeyer, S. (1990). The economic costs of alcohol and drug abuse and mental illness: 1985. Rockville, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Shek, D. T. L. (2005). Paternal and maternal influences on the psychological well-being, substance abuse, and delinquency of Chinese adolescents experiencing economic disadvantage. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 61, 219–234.
Shek, D. T. L. (2006). Conceptual framework underlying the development of a positive youth development program in Hong Kong. International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, 18, 303–314.
Shek, D. T. L. (2007). Tackling adolescent substance abuse in Hong Kong: Where we should and should not go. The Scientific World Journal, 19, 2021–2030.
Shek, D. T. L. (2009). Effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of Project P.A.T.H.S.: Findings based on the first 2 years of program implementation. The Scientific World Journal, 9, 539–547.
Shek, D. T. L. (2010). Subjective outcome and objective outcome evaluation findings: Insights from a Chinese context. Research on Social Work Practice, 20, 293–301.
Shek, D. T. L., & Ma, C. M. S. (2010). Dimensionality of the Chinese positive youth development scale: Confirmatory factor analyses. Social Indicator Research, 98, 41–59.
Shek, D. T. L., & Ma, C. M. S. (2011a). Impact of the Project P.A.T.H.S. in the junior secondary school years: Individual growth curve analyses. The Scientific World Journal, 11, 253–266.
Shek, D. T. L., & Ma, C. M. S. (2011b). Longitudinal data analyses using linear mixed models in SPSS: Concepts, procedures and illustrations. The Scientific World Journal, 11, 42–76.
Shek, D. T. L., & Ma, C. M. S. (2012). Impact of the Project P.A.T.H.S. in the junior secondary school years: Objective outcome evaluation based on eight waves of longitudinal data. The Scientific World Journal. Advance online publication. doi:10.1100/2012/170345.
Shek, D. T. L., Ma, H. K., & Merrick, J. (Eds.). (2002). Positive youth development: Development of a pioneering program in a Chinese context. London: Freund Publishing Company.
Shek, D. T. L., Ma, H. K., & Sun, R. C. F. (2011). A brief overview of adolescent developmental problems in Hong Kong. The Scientific World Journal, 11, 2243–2256.
Shek, D. T. L., Siu, A. M. H., Lee, T. Y., Cheung, C. K., & Chung, R. (2008). Effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of Project P.A.T.H.S.: Objective outcome evaluation based on a randomized group trial. The Scientific World Journal, 8, 4–12.
Shek, D. T. L., & Sun, R. C. F. (2009). Development, implementation and evaluation of a holistic positive youth development program: Project P.A.T.H.S. in Hong Kong. International Journal on Disability and Human Development, 8, 107–117.
Shek, D. T. L., & Sun, R. C. F. (2010). Effectiveness of the Tier 1 program of Project P.A.T.H.S.: Findings based on three years of program implementation. The Scientific World Journal, 10, 1509–1519.
Shek, D. T. L., & Sun, R. C. (2012). Participants’ evaluation of the Project P.A.T.H.S.: Are findings based on different datasets consistent? The Scientific World Journal. Advance online publication. doi:10.1100/2012/187450.
Shek, D. T. L., & Yu, L. (2011a). A review of validated youth prevention and positive youth development programmes in Asia. International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, 23, 317–324.
Shek, D. T. L., & Yu, L. (2011b). Prevention of adolescent problem behavior: Longitudinal impact of the Project P.A.T.H.S. in Hong Kong. The Scientific World Journal, 11, 546–567.
Shek, D. T. L., & Yu, L. (2012). Longitudinal impact of the Project P.A.T.H.S. on adolescent risk behavior: What happened after five years? The Scientific World Journal. Advance online publication. doi:10.1100/2012/316029.
Sheryl, K., Chen, R., Kumar, A., & Holmes, C. (2010). Individual growth curve modeling of specific risk factors and memory in youth with type 1 diabetes: An accelerated longitudinal design. Child Neuropsychology, 16(2), 169–181.
Sibbald, B., & Roland, M. (1998). Understanding controlled trials: Why are randomized controlled trials important? British Medical Journal, 316, 201.
Singer, J. D., & Willett, J. B. (2003). Applied longitudinal data analysis. New York: Oxford Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Singapore
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Shek, D.T.L., Yu, L. (2013). Impact of the Project P.A.T.H.S. on Adolescent Risk Behavior: A Five-Year Longitudinal Study. In: SHEK, D., Sun, R. (eds) Development and Evaluation of Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programs (P.A.T.H.S.). Quality of Life in Asia, vol 3. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4451-54-3_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4451-54-3_6
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-4451-53-6
Online ISBN: 978-981-4451-54-3
eBook Packages: Behavioral ScienceBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)