Influences of Alcohol and Cigarette Use on Preadolescent Pregnancy Prevention

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.