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

Abstract #108124

Elaine A. Borawski, PhD¹, Natalie Colabianchi, PhD¹, Carolyn E. Ievers-Landis, PhD², Erika S. Trapl, MS¹, Maurice L. Cole, BA¹, LaTylia Boyd¹, Melissa Zullo, MS¹, and Loren D. Lovegreen, MA¹. (1) Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Case Western Reserve University, Center for Health Promotion Research, 11430 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, 216-368-1617, exb11@cwru.edu, (2) Division of Behavioral Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University, Center for Health Promotion Research, 11000 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106

The Healthy Teens Building Healthy Schools Project is a NICHD-funded, school-based behavioral trial that examines the impact of abstinence-until-marriage (AUM) and comprehensive sex education (CSE) among middle school youth. The study population consists of 1542, 7th grade students from three urban middle schools, each receiving one of the three intervention arms (AUM, CSE, or Controls, receiving programming on nutrition and physical activity). The intervention involves 2 years of programming (7th-8th grade), including an in-class curriculum, assemblies, peer-led health council, and a social marketing campaign each year. The preliminary, first year results reveal that both AUM and CSE have an impact on cognitive processes (knowledge, beliefs, efficacy, intentions) and sex-related behaviors. At the 12-month FU, students in AUM reported increases in their abstinence beliefs (p=.001) and their awareness of consequences of early sexual intercourse (p=.001), and a decrease in their intentions to have sex (p=.05) when compared to controls. They also reported a significant decrease in condom protection beliefs (p=.001); however, did not differ in condom use. At the 6-month FU, the AUM participants were less likely to engage in sexual intercourse (p=.05), but this difference disappeared at 12 months. With regard to the CSE group, participants reported significant increases in their knowledge (p=.001), abstinence beliefs (p=.05) and importance of limit setting (p=.05) when compared to controls. They were also five times more likely to use a condom during their last sexual encounter (p=.05) than controls, but did not differ with regard to sexual intercourse. Long-term implications will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the distinguishing characteristics of abstinence-until-marriage and comprehensive sex education programs.
• List the cognitive processes and behavioral outcomes affected by the two alternative programs.
• Discuss the long-term consequences of either approach.

Keywords: Adolescent Health, Sexual Risk Behavior

Related Web page: www.case.edu/affil/healthpromotion

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.

Recorded presentation