Exploring the relationship between fidelity and prevention program attendance

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore whether program fidelity helps to explain participant responsiveness among groups of families enrolled in the Pathways for African American Success (PAAS) prevention program. This study specifically examines several dimensions of implementation fidelity including adherence, adaptation, quality of delivery, participant responsiveness. Mixed methods were used to evaluate these dimensions. Additional indicators of quality of delivery were determined using constant comparison methods to thoroughly explore session events of high and low quality of delivery. Results indicate that neither adherence nor adaptations explain why some groups maintained attendance while others declined in attendance. However, more high quality events occurred in groups that maintained or increased attendance, while there were more low quality events in groups whose attendance declined. Implications for the future research are discussed.