262616 Influences of Alcohol and Cigarette Use on Preadolescent Pregnancy Prevention

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Chia-Ching Chen, EdD, MA, MS, CHES, SRAS , Department of Epidemiology & Community Health, New York Medical College School of Health Sciences & Practice, Valhalla, NY
Tetsuji Yamada, PhD , Department of Economics, Rutgers University, the State University of New Jersey, Camden, NJ
Nanci Coppola, MD, MA , Program Reach, Inc, Bronx, NY
General Background: Unintended pregnancy with alcohol and cigarette use among preadolescents imposes burdens of poor health outcomes, induce socio-economic costs, and increase health/medical costs.

Purpose: The present study is to examine the extent to which intervention programs are effective, and to assess the impacts of alcohol and cigarette use on unintended pregnancy intervention for preadolescents.

Significance: This study underscores the need to target preadolescents and to distinguish cultural differences in sexual activities with alcohol and cigarette use. It is crucial to evaluate negative influence of alcohol and cigarette use by preadolescents on their risky sexual behaviors with preadolescent pregnancy prevention program.

Methods: The project employed a quasi-experimental treatment-control group evaluation design with random assignment of schools to treatment with alcohol and cigarette use behaviors. About 700 students are in the intervention and 500 students were in the control group in 6th and 7th grades. Statistical analysis is to evaluate joint costs and effectiveness of alcohol and cigarette use with pregnancy prevention.

Findings/Results: The findings show that the pregnancy prevention is diluted by alcohol and cigarette use. The health intervention effectiveness declined by 5%. The preadolescent pregnancy program requires more investment of money due to ineffectiveness of health intervention. In addition, the effectiveness of the health intervention among preadolescents, who are already alcohol and cigarette use, is in nil.

Conclusions/Recommendations: The health intervention for preadolescents pregnancy along with alcohol and cigarette use is crucial and a long-term economic impact evaluation might be necessary from resource allocation perspectives.

Learning Areas:
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related education
Public health or related public policy
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Participants will learn to use cost-effectiveness approach to evaluate the unintended pregnancy health intervention for preadolescents and their alcohol and cigarette use.

Keywords: Adolescent Health, Alcohol Use

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to be an abstract Author on the content I am responsible for because I involve in this research and conduct the study.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.