270022 Outcome Evaluation of Risky Sexual Behavior for STD/HIV/AIDS Prevention among Urban Adolescents

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Tetsuji Yamada, PhD , Department of Economics, Rutgers University, the State University of New Jersey, Camden, NJ
Chia-Ching Chen, EdD, MA, MS, CHES, SRAS , Department of Epidemiology & Community Health, New York Medical College School of Health Sciences & Practice, Valhalla, NY
Nanci Coppola, MD, MA , Program Reach, Inc, Bronx, NY
General Background: Risky sexual behavior among adolescents often imposes burdens of STD with 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 health intervention on STD/HIV/AIDS prevention among adolescents.

Significance: This study underscores the need to target adolescents and to distinguish socio-demographic and cultural differences in sexual activities. It is crucial to evaluate a school-based program and economic outcomes taking into account different socio-cultural characteristics and behaviors in order to allocate resources effectively.

Methods: The project employed a quasi-experimental treatment-control group design with random assignment of schools to treatment and control groups in 6th and 7th grades in NY. A common instrument was administered to students at baseline and at 6-, 12-, and 24- month follow ups. Two-stage multivariate regression was conducted to determine what factors affect the risky sexual behavior and outcomes of STD/HIV/AIDS prevention.

Findings/Results: The findings show that this school-based health intervention prevents five STDs among adolescents by investing $1,000 per year. In addition, the program contributes $20 per adolescent of net gain relative to real average cost input value. Moreover, these results confirmed the effectiveness of the school-based sexual related health intervention even among adolescents who are already sexually active.

Conclusions/Recommendations: The school-based educational intervention for STD/HIV/AIDS prevention among adolescents is practical. A long-term economic impact evaluation might be necessary to observe if the changes are stable over time and from resource allocation perspectives.

Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Public health or related education
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Participants will learn to use cost-effectiveness approach to evaluate a school-based educational health intervention for reducing STD/HIV/AIDS incidence among urban adolescents.

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 have involved in 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.

Back to: 5013.0: HIV/AIDS Interventions: Sharing Lessons Learned from the Field