The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #73179

Lisa D. Lieberman, PhD, CHES¹, Theodora Nemeth², Diane Korach², Pat Maloney³, Christine Rinki⁴, and Megan Wier⁴. (1) Inwood House Research Group, Healthy Concepts, 29 Ardsley Drive, New City, NY 10956, 914 638-1619, llhealth@optonline.net, (2) Inwood House, 320 East 82nd Street, New York, NY 10028, (3) Director of Teen Choice Programs, Inwood House, 320 East 82nd Street, New York, NY 10028, (4) Inwood House Research Group, 320 East 82nd Street, New York, NY 10028

This session presents outcomes of a four-year longitudinal study of over 1000 New York City middle school students who participated in Inwood House’ Teen Choice, a small group/mental health program designed to prevent teen pregnancy and disease. The study involves students in a comparison group and in three different levels of the Teen Choice intervention: abstinence-based, which included discussion of, but prohibited referrals for, contraceptive services; comprehensive, which included referrals for contraceptive services; multi-component/youth development, which included the comprehensive sexuality education model with youth development activities, as well as access to contraceptive services via school- and community-based health clinics. The study collected pretest and post-test data from more than 1,100 eighth graders during the 1998/1999 and 1999/2000 school years, one-year follow-up data from over 700 ninth graders, and two-year follow-up data from more than 700 tenth graders. A quarter of the students had already had sex in the 8th grade, before they entered the study. Two years after participating in the program Teen Choice students demonstrated significantly better outcomes in knowledge, relationships with parents, self-esteem, self-efficacy, and intentions to have sex. The program impacted on sexual activity among the girls, but not the boys. The session will discuss implications of findings for school-based pregnancy and disease prevention programs, notably the advantages of collaborative efforts, the importance of incorporating mental health approaches, the impact of various kinds of programs for students at different levels of risk, and implications as they apply to the debate about the best approaches to pregnancy and disease prevention for teens.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to:
• 1. discuss final outcomes from a study of a pregnancy and disease prevention program from nine New York City middle schools;
• 2. discuss the impact of small therapeutic groups in meeting the needs of students at high risk for early sexual activity, pregnancy and STDs;
• 3. describe a unique approach to collaboration between public schools and community agencies in meeting the needs of students at high risk for early sexual activity, pregnancy and STDs.
• 4. recognize the varied prevention needs of students at the highest risk of pregnancy and disease, including those who have been sexually victimized.

Keywords: School-Based Programs, Teen Pregnancy Prevention

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.