A substance use decision aid for medically at-risk adolescents: results of a randomized controlled trial for cancer-surviving adolescents.

Background: Adolescent survivors of childhood cancer engage in risky behaviors.

Objective: This study tested a decision aid for cancer-surviving adolescents aimed at difficult decisions related to engaging in substance use behaviors.

Methods: This randomized controlled trial recruited 243 teen survivors at 3 cancer centers.

Substance use risk behaviors and decision-making skills among cancer-surviving adolescents.

The aims of this study were to compare decision making and substance use risk behaviors of a cohort of cancer-surviving adolescents to those of 2 earlier cohorts as well as adolescents in the US general population and to determine the relationship of decision making to substance use risk behaviors. This correlational study used a semistructured interview at the time of the annual clinic visit to obtain data. Teen cancer survivors (N = 76), ages 14-19 years, were recruited from 5 clinics within the United States.