EFFECTS OF PRETEST SENSITIZATION ON AN INTERVENTION FOR THE SELECTIVE PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL

Abstract

The CEMA-PEMA program is a motivational-type preventive intervention, which follows the methodology of the Psychological Dimension of Health Prevention and Promotion, with the aim of preventing abusive consumption of alcohol in on-risk populations by favoring the permanence of moderate consumption. In the present study, the independent impact of the evaluative component and its pretest sensitization effect were assessed, by means of the application of a four-groups Solomon design with a sample of 186 school students. Once the program was implemented, the comparison of the post assessment indicates that there are no differences among intervention groups, as well as in the non-intervention groups. The simultaneous comparison between intervention and non-intervention groups suggests significant differences in the studied variables, which is an evidence of the program efficacy. The main conclusion is that changes in consumption and tendency to moderation are an effect of the PEMA intervention, rather than of the sensitization induced by the application of CEMA.