Fathers and Drug Education Pilot Project (2001)

Outline and Rationale

It is widely recognised that alcohol, tobacco and other drug use is adopted during the formative years of childhood and adolescence and that during this time the involvement of a father or father figure is an important factor. Therefore the provision of effective drug education programs for fathers of young adolescents has the potential to reduce drug-related harm in the community.

The Fathers and Drug Education pilot project was a one-year Healthway Starter project. The aim of this research was to investigate the feasibility of developing communication strategies that actively engage fathers/father figures in the drug education of their high school-aged children. This project built on previous research conducted by the WACHPR with the Parents and Drug Education Project.

The project initially aims to consult with health and education professionals with experience in parent and drug education, father or father figure focus groups and conduct an extensive literature review. These data identified and supported the development of evidence-based practices and current gaps in efforts to encourage fathers/father figures to participate in drug education programs and health promotion in general. After this consultation, a father-based communication intervention to guide father discussions about drugs with their children was developed. This was tested in six secondary schools recruited to provide access to 12-15 year old students and their fathers. Data from the first stage of the project guided the frequency, intensity, time and type of communication style and drug education content of the intervention. Following the pilot the school staff and a random sub-sample of students and their fathers were interviewed to determine the appropriateness, acceptability, feasibility and usefulness of the recommendations and activities described.

Benefits of the Project

Potential benefits from this project include the:

• Provision of criteria to assess father-based drug education programs that target communication with high school-aged children;
• Development of health promotion strategies to actively encourage communication about drug education issues between fathers/father figures and their children which may be utilised state-wide, nationally and internationally;
• Assessment of methods to empower and encourage fathers/father figures to play a critical role in their children’s drug education through more frequent and tailored communication;
• Enhanced knowledge of strategies to engage fathers in health promotion activities associated with their children’s and their own health.

Uniqueness of Research and Overall Significance in Australia / Internationally

Few if any drug education programs for children that actively involve the parents have focussed on the father/father figure’s contribution, yet the influence of a father/father figure on the behaviour of children is significant. In the long term this study may produce data which will form the basis of widespread educational programs for father/father figures that could have a major impact on adolescent smoking and other drug taking.

Funding

• Western Australian Health Promotion Foundation (Healthway

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