Effectiveness of WAIT Training – an Abstinence-only Education Model

Background: Premarital sexual activity among teens continues to be a controversial issue in the U.S. WAIT (Why Am I Tempted) Training is a curriculum that delivers key health and youth development messages through abstinence only education in classroom settings. This study compared pre and post scores of teens to determine the overall effectiveness of abstinence until marriage training that was conducted in public and private schools in a large urban county of Florida. Methods: Participants were 12 to 18 years of age who participated in five hours of training. Pre and Post tests were linked by a unique ID number that resulted in 1230 matched pairs. Analyses examined knowledge, beliefs, and confidence related to sexual activity and abstinence. A Principle Component Analysis identified 3 constructs of beliefs (consequences of sex and abstinence, influence of peers, and pragmatic thinking). Results: Findings showed that knowledge, beliefs, and confidence related to remaining abstinent improved significantly as a result of the training. The improvement varied by demographics and by school type. Larger change scores in knowledge about sex were observed for younger students (p<0.000) and students from “other” racial/ethnic backgrounds (p<0.013), while change scores in abstinence knowledge were greatest for younger female students (p<0.009). Change scores in abstinence confidence did not vary by demographics or school type. Conclusions: WAIT Training appears to be an effective short-term education program for delivering messages about abstinence until marriage. It is more effective for younger students but further studies are needed to support these findings.