The social influence approach through physical education: “Moved Unplugged”, an Italian experience in risk behaviour prevention

The European Drug Addiction Prevention project (Eudap) is a multi-centre trial conducted in seven European countries, that evaluated and implemented “Unplugged”, a school based comprehensive social influence programme structured in units targeted on 12-14 years old students. The aim of our study was to evaluate the Physical Education (PE) opportunities to enhance intra and inter-personal skills through the transfer across physical, cognitive, and psychosocial domains. By mean of a satellite study, in one centre (L’Aquila, Italy), the basic curriculum has been integrated and adapted in a new version designed for PE lessons, named “Moved Unplugged”. Four new units have been added to the programme: they focused attention on goal setting for motor and health skills, doping knowledge and appreciating personal differences. In addition, original Unplugged’s units have been integrated with gym activities on relational skills, effective communication, problem solving, decision making and creative thinking. Process and outcomes evaluation has been performed. Our research produced an original well-accepted instrument for young abuse prevention in the PE setting.