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

Abstract #114920

Lisa Lieberman, PhD, CHES¹, Cydelle Berlin, PhD², and Narda Skov, MPH². (1) Healthy Concepts, 29 Ardsley Drive, New City, NY 100956, 845 638-1619, LLhealth@optonline.net, (2) NiteStar, St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Center, 1000 Tenth Avenue, New York, NY 10019

The STAR LO project is an abstinence education demonstration funded by the Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs (OAPP). Serving over 800 5th and 6th graders, STAR LO embeds theatre performances within a classroom-based curriculum, utilizing peer educator/actors. Using a quasi-experimental pretest/post-test design with comparison data, the study demonstrated a meaningful, significant impact of participation on variables associated with the likelihood of early sexual behavior and pregnancy: knowledge about puberty; attitudes about abstinence and sex; self-efficacy to say no to sexual involvement; attitudes about setting limits; talking with and respect for parents' attitudes and beliefs; and intentions to have sex as a teenager before marriage. Teachers of pre-adolescents felt that issues of puberty, sexuality, and decision-making are important to address. Parents supported the role of the school in helping them address these issues with their children and believed that school-based efforts did not interfere with their ability to impart their own values to their children. An abstinence program, as defined by OAPP and the “A-H” guidelines, StarLO uniquely focuses on normal feelings of puberty, and the importance of setting limits in situations in which young people feel attracted to others. Significant growth in these areas is critical to young people's ability to act on their intentions to stay abstinent. While it is critical to address these issues before they become involved in physical or sexually charged situations, children, parents, and teachers recognized the challenges that lie ahead. The presentation will focus on the implications of these findings as these pre-adolescents mature.

Learning Objectives:

• At the end of the presentation, participants will be able to discuss the outcomes of an abstinence education program for pre-adolescents;
• At the end of the presentation, participants will be able to identify the components that make theatre education a unique and effective technique for prevention;
• At the end of the presentation, participants will be able to discuss the challenges of long-term effectiveness of abstinence programs for young and pre-adolescents.

Keywords: Adolescents, Sexuality

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