Use the data you collected in task 1 to decide which problem(s) is most important for your group to address. Consider the following criteria:
- Magnitude: Which problem seems to affect the largest number of people?
- Time trend: Is the problem getting worse or better over time? Is one problem getting worse more quickly than others?
- Severity: How severe is each problem? Is it resulting in mortality? Is one more costly than others?
- Comparison: How does the local rate of each problem compare to state or national rates?
Once you have analyzed the data, you can determine which problem or problems are the most pronounced and need to be addressed. (See Tips for Examining Data for more information and guidance on examining and prioritizing your data.)
If more than one problem related to NMUPD among high school-age youth exists, determine whether your group has the capacity to address only one problem or more than one. Since each problem will require multiple strategies, considering your community’s available resources and readiness to address each problem is critical.
Each problem you identify should be formulated into its own problem statement.
Note: Remember that the PFS 2015 grant is a primary prevention program aimed at the prevention and reduction of NMUPD among high school-age youth. Therefore, addressing consumption patterns, rather than consequences, among this particular population is a priority. In other words, to affect the consequences that often result from NMUPD, the patterns of use must be addressed.
However, grantees are encouraged to examine the consumption rates of different prescription drug categories (e.g., opioids, stimulants) among the target population, as well as group(s) or sub-group(s) disproportionately affected by the issue.
A problem statement will help you focus on where to build capacity and how to measure outcomes and plan for sustainability. Interventions without a clearly articulated problem statement may lose steam over time—and it’s also difficult to know whether any progress has been made toward the identified issue. Communities should use their data about consumption, consequences, readiness, and resources to frame their problem statement in specific terms.
A good problem statement will meet each of the following criteria:
- Identify one issue or problem at a time, driven by the collected data
- Identify why it is a problem or issue
- Identify a target population
- Identify the drug to be targeted
- Reflect community concerns as heard during the assessment process
- Avoid blame
- Avoid naming specific solutions or strategies
When you develop your problem statement(s), be sure to describe the consumption patterns that are problematic and not the intervening variables or lack of community resources needed to address the problem.
For example:
- “The local school system lacks effective substance abuse prevention curricula”
This is more a statement of a resource deficiency than of the larger problem you are attempting to solve. It also assumes that addressing this lack of curricula alone will solve the problem. In reality, many factors may also contribute to the problem. The lack of curricula is not “the problem” and does not belong in a problem statement.
Defining a problem simply as a lack of something will narrow your planning focus and direct energy and resources to strategies that are not likely to be sufficient on their own, while missing other important factors.
A better statement might be:
- “20% of high school students report that they have used a prescription pain reliever not prescribed to them”
Keeping the focus on the priority consumption patterns at this stage in the planning process will help you select accurate contributing risk and protective factors and, hence, a comprehensive array of strategies that are more likely to be effective in addressing the problems you have identified.