Estimating the Cost Effectiveness of a Classroom-Based Abstinence & Pregnancy Prevention Program on Preadolescent Sexual Risk Behaviors

Background: Despite an improvement in contraceptive usage, unintended pregnancy among adolescents remains a common problem in the United States.

Purpose: This paper attempts to examine the cost effectiveness of a school-based health education program for abstinence from sexual activities and pregnancy prevention.

Significance: This study is the first to identify an alternative approach in allocating human resources, facilities, and financial resources using a theoretical foundation and a well-constructed cost analysis on preadolescent pregnancy prevention, sexual risk behavior avoidance, and sexual abstinence.

Methodology: The health education curriculum were conducted in grades 4- 7 (n= 900 students) from six schools participating in the Healthy Respect Character Education Program in NY, 2007-2009. A quasi-experimental design with control and intervention groups of adolescents was randomly selected. The survey was administered only by trained research assistants. All data collection was completed in a written format of English or Spanish.

Findings/Results: The results show clear cut evidence that the school-based health education intervention yields significant differences between the control and intervention groups. The school-based health education program prevents pregnancy in 3 preadolescent students per $1,000 input per year. In addition, the program contributes $5.18 per preadolescent of net gain relative to real average cost input value.

Conclusions/Recommendations: The project is feasible from a cost/effective point of view for society as a whole. Data from the school-based health education program still needs to be evaluated regularly to improve preadolescent risky health behaviors and the program itself from a resource allocation point of view.