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

Abstract #110968

Joseph Donnelly, PhD¹, Kathy DiFiore, MBA², and Lisa Mathern, MA, CHES¹. (1) Montclair State University, 1 Normal Avenue, College Hall, Room 301, Upper Montclair, NJ 07043, 973-655-7119, donnellyj@mail.montclair.edu, (2) Several Sources Foundation, 300 Airmount Avenue, Ramsey, NJ 07446

Objectives: To examine the impact of an abstinence education program which featured an innovative CD ROM game on sexual knowledge, attitudes, and intentions of students attending public and parochial schools.

Methods: The project provided The Choice Game™, a 9-session, interactive abstinence curriculum to urban 9th grade students (983 treatment; 201 control). Gain scores for each group was compared pre to post on six subscales: (a) decision-making skills, (b) parental communication, (c) behavioral intentions, (d) attitudes toward abstinence, (e) locus of control, and (f) knowledge.

Results: Students from both public and parochial schools evidenced greater intent to be sexually abstinent until marriage than did students in the control group (p<.001). Positive changes in attitude and knowledge in favor of curriculum students were also noted.

Conclusions: This curriculum intervention produced significant positive changes in abstinence attitudes and intent among both public school and parochial school students. These findings support the use of interactive technology as a means of teaching abstinence education.

Learning Objectives:

(
• At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to apply innovative strategies for teaching abstinence education. (
• At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to effectively educate students on options and subsequent consequences within the area of drug education, sex education, and violence education. (
• At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to discuss effective strategies used to teach abstinence education within public and parochial schools.

Keywords: Interactive, Urban Health

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 commertial supporters WITH THE EXCEPTION OF grants. Currently, I am serving as the Project Evaluator for Several Sources Foundation which has produced "The Choice Game" curriculum.