A systematic review of the effect of the school-based drug prevention program Keepin’ it REAL: translated and implemented in Brazil by PROERD

Author(s)

Juliana Y. Valente ^[1] ; Patricia Paiva de Oliveira Galvão ^[2] ; Julia Dell Sol Passos Gusmoes ^[3] ; Zila M. Sanchez ^[4]

Affiliation

^[1] Universidade Federal de São Paulo. Departamento de Psiquiatria - Brasil

^[2] UNIFESP. Departamento de Medicina Preventiva - Brasil

^[3] UNIFESP. Departamento de Medicina Preventiva - Brasil

^[4] UNIFESP. Departamento de Medicina Preventiva - Brasil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Ciênc. saúde coletiva; v. 27, n. 11, p. 4175-4189, 2022-10-17.

Abstract

Abstract The Drug Resistance Educational Program (PROERD) is Brazil’s most widespread school-based prevention program; its current curriculum is based on the North American Keepin’ it REAL (kiR) program. There is no evidence of the effectiveness of PROERD in preventing drug use, pointing to the need for further studies to understand these findings. The aim of the study was to synthesis the evidence of the effect of the kiR curriculum (PROERD) through a systematic review. We found 17 studies that reported the effects of different versions of kiR on drug use and/or violence. Except for the Brazilian study, no studies were found that assessed the effect on drug use of the version applied by police officers (DARE-kiR), the same one implemented by PROERD. Favorable evidence of kiR in drug use prevention was found for the 7th-grade curriculum, which contradicts the PROERD’s null-effect results. No international evidence of the effect of kiR was found in the 5th-grade curriculum, in the same line as the PROERD’s study. It is suggested that PROERD’s 7th-grade curriculum should be revised to reflect international results and that the 5th-grade curriculum should be reconsidered in light of the negative international evidence. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 17/22300-7 - Effectiveness evaluation of the São Paulo State Military Police Educational Program for the Resistance on Drugs and Violence (PROERD)
• Grantee: Zila van der Meer Sanchez Dutenhefner
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 19/27519-2 - Applying RE-AIM framework to evaluate the implementation of PROERD in São Paulo
• Grantee: Juliana Yurgel Valente
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral