The school and family risk factors in attendance at family-based programmes for the prevention of drug use

Several studies have indicated that certain aspects of schools may influence parents decision to participate in preventive interventions related to the health of their children. 1) To study the relationship between parental rating of calls for participation sent from the school and family risk factors. 2) To study differences in parents attendance and drop-out for a family-based drug-use prevention programme according to their rating of the calls for participation sent out by the school. 339 families of children aged 12-14 from 3 state (public) secondary schools in the region of Asturias (Spain). It is noteworthy that parents with higher educational level present better parenting practices, and therefore, fewer risk factors in relation to drug use in their children. Furthermore, the presence of fewer risk factors correlated with the items related to attendance and calls for participation and the interest shown in such calls, indicating that the children least likely to use drugs are those whose parents are most actively involved in their education. As regards the effect of the calls for participation on programme attendance and drop-out, we found that parents who attended several sessions have had previous and satisfactory experience of some kind of preventive intervention, and receive with great interest the calls for participation from the school.