The dissemination of the “Unplugged” prevention program in Italy: evaluation and impact

Introduction “Unplugged” is a Social Influence school curriculum developed and tested in the EU-Dap collaborative study. The program was shown to be effective in reducing tobacco, drunkenness episodes and cannabis use among adolescents 12-14 years old. After the publication of efficacy results, a dissemination phase was started. Methods The dissemination was designed according to a cascade model, coordinated at the international level by the EU-Dap Faculty. The international training leaders organized several international courses to train master trainers of the European countries. National master trainers in turn trained national trainers, and these teachers of their communities. Teachers finally applied the program in the schools. In Italy, this model was carefully applied, and was supported and pushed by the constant monitoring carried out by the OED coordinating centre. Booster sessions for local trainers were held once a year, and process monitoring reports were provided to the local teams to evaluate, maintain and improve quality of the application of the program. Results The effort to disseminate the program around the country resulted in 15 out of 20 Italian regions currently adopting the program. In the school year 2011-2012 more than 20,000 students received the program. Process monitoring data showed high implementation rates at the class level, and high satisfaction of teachers and students towards the program. Conclusions The “cascade model” is an effective model for the dissemination of prevention programs. However, constant contacts between coordinators and local teams, update sessions and monitoring activities are critical for the model to be successful.