Using PANDA (Preventing the Abuse of Tobacco, Narcotics, Drugs, and Alcohol) in a Baltimore City Head Start Setting: A Preliminary Study

This preliminary study describes an evaluation of a substance abuse prevention curriculum, the Preventing the Abuse of Tobacco, Narcotics, Drugs, and Alcohol (PANDA) taught to African American Head Start pupils. Protective factors against drug use include positive self-concept. Thus, this study used a measure of self-concept to begin to evaluate the effectiveness of the PANDA curriculum. A prospective cohort design with examiners masked to pre-and post-intervention results was used to evaluate 41 children ages 3 to 5. The Joseph Preschool and Primary Self-Concept Screening Test (JPPSST) was administered prior to the onset of the PANDA and within 1 month following completion of the curriculum. The mean change in JPPSST scores was 4.34, t statistic = 6.1, p ≤0.001. Mean teacher and teacher aide satisfaction with the curriculum was 94%. Following administration of the PANDA, significant improvement was noted in self-concept scores.