Effect of health education on substance abuse among adolescents in Macao, China

Objective To explore the effect of health education on substance abuse in adolescents of Macau and to provide basis for substance abuse prevention in China.Methods Based on the representative data collected by the Follow-up Survey of Adolescents in School and Drugs in 2010,effects of substance use prevention among Macao students were evaluated from anti-substance use propensity (resistance,awareness of health risk and refusing to peers with substance use),as well as substance use.Results Students rated higher of professional anti-drug social workers than these by publics and media in substance use prevention (t =32.02,2.95,P<0.01).Significantly improvement on anti-substance use propensity (β=0.06,0.11,0.03,P<0.01),and significant decrease in substance use were found (β=-0.17,-0.06,-0.09,P<0.01) after substance use prevention by social workers.Substance use prevention committed by publics and media was significantly related to substance use among students (β =0.01,0.03,P<0.01).Substance use propensity mediated the association of substance use prevention and substance use among students (P<0.01).Conclusion Substance use prevention,decreased anti-substance use propensity,and decreased substance using behaviors should all be considered when evaluating and implementing substance prevention,as well as the indirect effects.