Differences in likelihood to abstain from sexual intercourse: A secondary data time-series evaluation of the effects of three years of abstinence-only programming on rural and urban middle school aged children

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Laurel Pierangeli, PhD, MS, RN, Department of Nursing, East Stroudsburg University, 200 Prospect Street, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301, 570-422-3564, lpierangeli@po-box.esu.edu

This paper presents an evaluation of a school-based sexuality education program, an abstinence-only program, Worth the Wait, taught in public schools to sixth, seventh, and eighth graders from urban and rural areas in South Central New York, to determine the effect of three years of the curriculum overall; and specifically for likelihood to abstain from sexual intercourse. The study used a secondary data time-series design, to evaluate the impact of the program in eleven school districts, seven identified as rural and four identified as urban. The convenience sample consisted of 946 students, with 753 students in the treatment group and 193 students in the control group. Students received a 40-minute program each of two or three days, in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade. Pre and post-test treatment data was collected in all three years. Findings indicated that the WTW program made a significant impact on the students overall, that there were significant differences between rural and urban children, and between male and female students on intentions to abstain from sexual intercourse. Implications for nursing research, policy, practice, and school health curricula are discussed.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to

1. Determine the effects of three years of participation in the Worth the Wait sexual abstinence program in middle school aged children on their likelihood to abstain from sexual intercourse.
2. Determine the different program effects in rural and urban students.
3. Determine the different program effects in male and female students.
4. Determine the implications of the study for use in nursing research, policy, and nursing practice.
5. Determine the implications of the study for application in their own school health curricula.

Keywords: Sexuality, School Health Educators

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation

Abstinence-only Sexuality Education: Program Evaluation

The 134th Annual Meeting & Exposition (November 4-8, 2006) of APHA