OBJECTIVETo examine the effectiveness of a drug abuse prevention program focusing on social influences for drug education classes in high school.

METHODSThe social influence program in the experimental group used role-playing led by a pharmacist, a police officer and a teacher. The intervention evaluation used a quasi-experimental design. The subjects were first-year students from 10 high schools assigned to the experimental group (6 schools, 828 students) and the control group (4 schools, 408 students). In the control group, a pharmacist used a conventional information program in a lecture format.

RESULTSRegarding knowledge about drug abuse, in both the experimental and control groups, and for both males and females, a long-term effect was observed immediately after the program and lasted up to 15 months. For three other measures, attitudes toward drug abuse problem, self-efficacy regarding drug abuse prevention, and perception of social support for preventing drug abuse, a short-term effect was generally observed in the experimental group beginning immediately after the program and lasting for 3 months. A long-term effect was evident in high-risk students with positive opinions regarding drugs. In the control group and for both males and females, although an effect was generally evident immediately after the program, neither a short-nor a long-term effect was observed in males, suggesting the difficulty in achieving lasting effects.

CONCLUSIONSThe social influence program in the experimental group showed remarkable effectiveness. Thus, the program may be useful for preventing drug abuse among high school students in Japan.

Objectives: Physical activity to maintain bone mass and strength is important for hip fracture prevention. We aim to investigate the relationship between physical performance/activity status and bone mineral density (BMD)/hip structural analysis (HSA) parameters among postmenopausal women in Japan. Methods: Sixty-two postmenopausal women diagnosed with osteoporosis (mean age: 72.61 ± 7.43 years) were enrolled in this cross-sectional observational study. They were evaluated for BMD and HSA in the proximal femur by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and underwent several physical performance tests, the Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale of 25 questions (GLFS-25). Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to summarize data on the BMD/HSA parameters. Partial correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM) were performed to investigate the relationship between physical performance/activity status and BMD/HSA parameters of the proximal femur. Results: In a partial correlation analysis adjusted for age and body mass index (BMI), GLFS-25 scores were correlated with HSA parameter (|r| = 0.260–0.396, P < 0.05). Principal component 1 (PC1) calculated by PCA was interpreted as more reflective of bone strength based on the value of BMD/HSA parameters. The SEM results showed that the model created by the 3 questions (Q13, brisk walking; Q15, keep walking without rest; Q20, load-bearing tasks and housework) of the GLFS-25 had the best fit and was associated with the PC1 score (β = −0.444, P = 0.001). Conclusions The GLFS-25 score was associated with the BMD/HSA parameter, which may reflect the bone strength of the proximal femur as calculated by PCA.