Prevention Actions and Activities Make a Difference: A Structural Equation of Coalition Building

An important goal of the Cross-Site Evaluation of the Community Coalitions Program (CCP) was to advocate coalition building that would increase prevention activities & reduce substance abuse within the community. This study examined the factors that affected the coalition-building process & the community-based outcomes. The model for building coalitions consisted of various components such as coalition structure, characteristics, capacity, & prevention activities. The hypothesized model for building coalitions assumed that prevention activities & community actions influenced substance abuse behavioral outcomes & related health outcomes directly & indirectly through their influence on immediate & intermediate outcomes. The model was tested using data collected 1996-1998 from coalitions that participated in the CCP. Results provide evidence to support the hypothesized model for building coalitions. Specifically, coalitions that focused on prevention activities & community actions experienced community-based reductions in substance abuse behaviors & related health problems. 2 Tables, 3 Figures, 18 References. Adapted from the source document.