| Recent Projects |
| Development Of The Web-Based
"Instrument Wizard" For Substance Abuse Prevention Interventions |
 Under funding from the NIDA, ISA developed the Instrument Wizard
(IW), an innovative web-based compendium of instruments measuring
substance use and related factors. The IW was developed to provide
assistance in identifying screening, diagnostic, and evaluation
instruments that can be used in all stages of ATOD research from
planning to program evaluation. The system is designed for use
by community-based substance abuse prevention and treatment professionals,
mental and behavioral health care providers, researchers and
evaluators, educators, workplace and criminal justice personnel,
and others who are interested in obtaining information about
instruments that measure substance use and related factors. The
IW allows the user to search on a wide array of elements including
target audience characteristics, specific substance of abuse,
instrument purpose (e.g., screening), and other related topics
(e.g., risk factors) through a “Search by Instrument Characteristics” function
and by keyword using the “Search by Title/Author” function. “Common
Searches” are provided and a complete list of instruments
is available in the “Instruments A-Z” function. A “Virtual
Tour” helps the user learn to navigate the system and conduct
searches, and the “Help” function provides access
to a “Glossary,” “FAQs & Tips,” and “Helpful
Resources.” In a randomized field test the Instrument Wizard
was found superior to existing search mechanisms on several criteria,
including being user-friendly, efficient, engaging, and the amount
and quality of information provided. A virtual tour of the Instrument
Wizard can be found at www.instrumentwizard.com |
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| Pathways to Health: Three Giant Steps |
 The program focuses on three aspects of behavioral cancer prevention
-- tobacco use, dietary fat intake, and alcohol use. Like most
of ISA's programs, the cancer prevention CD-ROM is rooted in
social learning theory and incorporates central elements of prominent
health behavior theories. Particular emphasis is placed on boosting
self-efficacy, social support, and the skills to change behavior.
In this project, funded by the National Cancer Institute, ISA
worked with Electronic Learning Facilitators on the development
and testing of the CD-ROM-based program. Phase I included prototype
development and pilot-testing. Phase II included the full development
of the interactive CD-ROM program, development of a companion
website and field testing in a worksite. |
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| An Evaluation of Innovative Sweat-Based Drug Testing Techniques
for use in Criminal Justice Drug testing. |
| The main purpose of this Office of Law Enforcement Standards,
NIST-funded project was to assess the validity and utility of
liquid perspiration collection devices as a method of drug testing
criminal populations. This three-year project tested an innovative
device (currently used with children) for use as a sweat collection
device with adults. ISA adapted the STC or RIA test kit for use
in testing liquid perspiration, and assessed the validity and
utility of the liquid perspiration collection technique as a
method of drug testing criminal populations. |
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| Substance Abuse Prevention and Workplace Managed Care. |
 This project, funded by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention
evaluated workplace substance abuse prevention programs within
a managed care setting. ISA worked with a property casualty insurance
company as the worksite and with its managed care provider. |
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| Power Tools": Drug Abuse
Prevention in the Construction Industry. |
 In this NIDA-supported grant, ISA tested a health promotion
and substance abuse prevention program designed specifically
for the construction and trades industry. As part of the research,
construction industry workers in six sites were assessed on drug
and alcohol use by urinalysis, hair analysis and self-report.
Participants were then randomly assigned to the substance abuse
prevention program or a control condition and follow-up assessments
were conducted one year after the implementation of program. |
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| "The Connections Program":
Integrating Drug Abuse Prevention into Corporate Health Promotion. |
 Drug abuse prevention materials based on a social-learning
model of worksite drug abuse prevention were developed, integrated
into health promotion programs, and tested in a large insurance
company. A randomized design assessed the effects of the health
promotion programs with and without the substances abuse prevention
materials. |
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| Field Test of On-Site Drug Detection Devices for Use in Law
Enforcement. |
| ISA conducted a two-year field test of the use of urine-based
on-site drug detection devices in two law enforcement agencies.
The purpose of the study, funded by the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration, was to assess the validity and reliability
of the leading on-site drug testing devices in a "real world" setting.
The devices were used to test for the presence of drugs in DUI
arrestees. A total of 800 DUI arrests were tested. |
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| "Working People":
An Alcohol Abuse Prevention Program for Industry. |
 Supported by an NIAAA grant, the purpose of this project was
to develop and test an alcohol abuse prevention program for male
blue collar workers. In its first phase, a prototype program
was developed and tested in focus groups. In Phase II, the project
developed and field-tested the film-based program entitled, "Working
People: Decisions About Drinking." The program is now being
marketed throughout the U.S., Canada, and Australia. |
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