Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #108264

Masood Ali Shaikh, MD MPH, Shauna Watson, M Ed, and Irshad Ali Shaikh, MD MPH PhD. Chester Health Department, Chester City Hall, One 4th Street, Chester, PA 19013, (610)447-7770, masoodali1@yahoo.com

Chester city health department has been running a sexual abstinence education program for adolescents aged 12-18 years since 1988-99. Chester City in Southeastern PA with a population of 38,000, with over 75% African- Americans, has had one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in PA since early 90s. Jury is still out on total abstinence per se as a very successful intervention/message, nonetheless social development and self-respect based messages have helped the cohorts of 12-18 years olds to attain positive externalities such as a raised awareness of healthy life style, socio-economic development opportunities; teenage pregnancy rates have also remained more or less constant.

The presentation, using evaluative criteria with clearly defined process outcome variables, will demonstrate significant changes in knowledge, intentions, and practices of the cohorts of 12-18 year olds that have continued to participate in abstinence program for the past 2 years, and the program attributes that sustained their interest.

The presentation will also demonstrate how in marginalized communities with limited recreational and developmental programs, even a single, vertical health and social development intervention, can harness parental/community involvement, and support overall development and health of adolescents.

Learning Objectives:

• Highlight importance of health education programs in marginalized community settings. Identify specific activities that sustain the interest of adolescents in total sexual abstinence. Identify avenues that increase and sustain parental involvement in health development of their children.

Keywords: Adolescent Health, Community Collaboration

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.