Ehealth Familias Unidas: Randomized Controlled Trial of an Evidence-Based Intervention Adapted for Use on the Internet

Introduction: This presentation will report the results of a trial evaluating the efficacy of an internet adaptation of the Familias Unidas intervention, eHealth Familias Unidas, on substance use and sexual risk behaviors. Additionally, we examined the intervention’s effects on parental monitoring of peers, parent-adolescent communication, and positive parenting.

Methods: 256 adolescents (mean age = 13.61; SD = .79) and their primary caregivers completed a baseline assessment, were randomized to eHealth Familias Unidas (n = 113) or a Prevention as Usual (n = 117) control condition, and were re-assessed at three and 12-months post-baseline. Analyses on substance use were conducted by specific substance. Data completion for the 12-month follow-up is expected to take place December 2016/January 2017.

Results: Preliminary results using data from 188 participants from the ongoing trial show that eHealth Familias Unidas had an effect on past 90-day substance use at 12-months (logistic coefficient = -1.425, p = .045 effect size [Odds-ratio, OR]: .240), after controlling for all family functioning processes at baseline and three months post baseline. When broken down by specific substance, eHealth Familias Unidas, relative to control, had an effect on past 90-day alcohol use (𝛽=-1.762, p = .049) and marijuana use (b=-1.608 (.200), p = .003). eHealth Familias Unidas did not have a significant effect on cigarette use or hard drug use. Additionally, eHealth Familias Unidas improved parental monitoring of peers (standardized  = .118, p = .037, effect size =.33) and parent-adolescent communication (standardized = .102, p = .05, effect size =.30) after controlling for the influence of each, respectively, at baseline. Significant effects were not found between conditions on positive parenting (standardized  = .042, p = .508, effect size =.103). Thus far, intervention effects were not found for sexual risk behaviors (b = -.59 (.55), p = .62)

Conclusion: While data collection is still ongoing, the effects of eHealth Familias Unidas are in the expected direction and, for several of the outcomes, already statistically significant. The longitudinal effects found with 73% of the sample indicate positive effects on substance use and multiple family functioning processes. Internet-based interventions such as eHealth Familias Unidas lend promise for reducing the barriers confronting family-based prevention interventions such as engagement, retention and implementation.