Family-based cognitive factors effective on preventing the onset of substance use in Iranian Society’s Children: applying the intervention mapping protocol

Introduction: According to increase prevalence rate of substance abuse and appears a reduction in mean age of onset substance use in Iranian society and importance of developing theory and evidence-based prevention family skills training programs the present study was done aimed to investigate family-based cognitive factors effective in preventing the onset of substance use in Iranian society's children by applying the intervention mapping protocol.

Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out among 234 Iranian mothers in Tehran who were randomly selected to participate voluntarily in the study. The participants filled out a self-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed by the SPSS software (ver. 21.0) using Pearson correlations, independent t-test, ANOVA and linear regression at 95% significant level.

Results: Knowledge, attitude, perceived risk, subjective norms, and self-efficacy were cognitive factors that accounted for 48% of the variation in the outcome measure of the behaviors in preventing the onset of substance use among children. Linear regression showed that self-efficacy (beta = 0.509 & P = 0.001), attitude (beta = 0.436 & P = 0.009), subjective norms (beta = 0.344 & P = 0.028) and Behavioural intention (beta = 0.222 & P = 0.001) were the most influential predictors on preventing the onset of substance use among children.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that to developing a theory and evidence-based prevention family skills training program it will be useful to increase mothers' self-efficacy, attitude, subjective norms, and Behavioural intentionto preventing the onset of substance use among children.