The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #49284

Karin Coyle, PhD¹, Barbara Marin, PhD², Douglas Kirby, PhD¹, Cynthia A. Gomez, PhD³, and Steve Gregorich, PhD². (1) Research Department, ETR Associates, 4 Carbonero Way, Scotts Valley, CA 95006, 831 438 4060, karinc@etr.org, (2) Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California, San Francisco, 74 New Montgomery St., Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94105, (3) Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California - San Francisco, 74 New Montgomery Street, Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94105

Draw the Line/Respect the Line is a theoretically based curriculum designed to reduce risk behaviors to prevent HIV/STDs and pregnancy among middle school adolescents. The program includes 19 lessons (5 in 6th grade, 7 in 7th grade, and 7 in 8th grade) designed to assist students in developing personal sexual limits and gaining the skills necessary to maintain those limits even when they are challenged. The program was evaluated using a randomized trial involving 19 schools in northern California. A cohort of 2,829 students was tracked for 36 months (from 6th grade to 9th grade). Response rates for the 7th, 8th, and 9th grade follow up were 91%, 87%, and 63%, respectively. This paper reports on the impact of the program on selected behavioral and psychosocial outcomes over time. The results indicate the intervention delayed sexual initiation among boys (p=0.02), but not girls (p=0.40). Boys in the intervention condition also exhibited significantly greater knowledge than comparison students (p=0.00), perceived fewer peer norms supporting sex (p=0.00), had more positive attitudes toward reasons for not having sex (p=0.00), had greater sexual limits (p=0.01), and had fewer opportunities for engaging in sexual behaviors (p=0.00). There were no significant differences for girls except regarding peer norms; girls in the intervention condition perceived fewer peer norms supporting sex than did girls in the comparison condition (p=0.01). The results indicate that Draw the Line/Respect the Line was effective for boys, but not for girls.

Learning Objectives:

• • Participants will be able to describe the key findings of the Draw the Line/Respect the Line study.
  • Participants will be able to discuss how the study findings contribute to the knowledge of how to reduce sexual risk taking behavior among adolescents.

Keywords: Adolescents, Prevention

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Employee of ETR, who was involved in conducting the research and who will ultimately distribute the curriculum.