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

Abstract #105885

Forrest L. Alton, MSPH, CHES, South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 1511 Gregg St., Columbia, SC 29170, (803) 771-7700, falton@teenpregnancysc.org

Decades of research and polling have not brought an end to the often heated controversy surrounding the provision and content of sexuality education to young people. This debate grows especially contentious when focused on school-based sexuality education. State and national surveys that consistently show the majority of the nation is in favor of comprehensive sexuality education go unnoticed unless there is an opportunity to supplement the discussion with “local” data. For this reason, an investigation of levels of South Carolina registered voter support for sexuality education was conducted. The purpose of this presentation is to explain the methodology, data collection procedures and results of the survey. As comprehensive health education can be seen as a public health innovation to improve the health and well-being of young people, the Theory of Diffusion of Innovations was used as a guide for survey development. A national expert review panel provided input on instrument development. Data were collected through a random-digit dial phone survey utilizing a computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) system. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, logistic regression, chi-square, and ANOVA. Results indicate 81% of SC registered voters support a comprehensive approach to school-based sex education inclusive of information on abstinence (91%) and contraception (82%). These and other results within the study are similar to other state and national polls conducted in a similar time frame and to the confines of the state's current Comprehensive Health Education Act.

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