Research Interests
Dr. Ennett studies the etiology and prevention of health risk behaviors among adolescents in both the general population and high-risk subgroups. Her primary focus is youth tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use. She is currently conducting a longitudinal study of peer network, family, and neighborhood contexts that influence trajectories of youth substance use and violent behaviors from middle school to high school. She is also collaborator on a national study of current practice in school-based tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use prevention programs. A primary emphasis of that study is identification of factors related to the dissemination of evidence-based programs. Dr. Ennett was co-investigator for a recently completed study that evaluated the effectiveness of a family-based program, Family Matters, designed to prevent tobacco and alcohol use among youth. Results indicated that one-year after the program, the prevalence of cigarette smoking and alcohol use were significantly lower among adolescents in families that received the program than among adolescents in families that served as controls. The cancer-relatedness of her research is evident in her focus on understanding and preventing youth smoking and other tobacco use.

Recent Accomplishments and Honors
Due to high methodological quality of the Family Matter's evaluation, described above, the Center for Substance Abuse and Prevention (CSAP) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded Family Matters its highest status of Model Program.

Publications
Ennett ST, Ringwalt CL, Thorne J, Rohrbach LA, Vincus A, Simons-Rudolph A, Jones S. A comparison of current practice in school-based substance use prevention programs with meta-analysis findings. Prevention Science 4: 1-14, 2003.

Bauman KE, Ennett ST, Foshee VA, Pemberton M, King.T.S., Koch GG. Influence of a family program on adolescent drinking and smoking prevalence. Prevention Science 3: 35-42, 2002.

Ennett ST, Bauman KE, Pemberton M, Foshee VA, Chuang YC, King TS, Koch GG. Mediation in a family-directed program for prevention of adolescent tobacco and alcohol use. Preventive Medicine 33: 333-346, 2001.

Ennett ST, Bauman KE, Foshee VA, Pemberton M, Hicks KA. Parent-child communication about adolescent tobacco and alcohol use: what do parents say and does it affect youth behavior. Journal of Marriage and the Family 63: 48-62, 2001.

Ennett, Susan T., Flewelling, Robert L., Lindrooth, Richard C., and Norton, Edward C. School and neighborhood characteristics associated with school rates of alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use. Journal of Health & Social Behavior 38(1), 55-71. 97.

Ennett, Susan T and Bauman, Karl E. The contribution of influence and selection to adolescent peer group homogeneity: The case of adolescent cigarette smoking. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology 67(4), 653-663. 94.

Ennett, Susan T, Tobler, Nancy S, Ringwalt, Christopher L, and Flewelling, Robert L. How effective is drug abuse resistance education? A meta-analysis of Project DARE outcome evaluations. American Journal of Public Health 84(9), 1394-1401. 94.

Ennett, Susan T and Bauman, Karl E. Peer group structure and adolescent cigarette smoking: A social network analysis. Journal of Health & Social Behavior 34(3), 226-236. 93.

E-mail: sennett@email.unc.edu
Telephone: (919) 966-9207
FAX: (919) 966-2921
Address: 311 Rosenau Hall Chapel Hill, NC

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