Online Program

275757
A systematic review of pregnancy prevention programs for minority youth in the u.s.: A critical analysis and recommendations for improvement


Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Sarah Maness, PhD, Department of Community and Family Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Eric R. Buhi, MPH, PhD, Department of Community and Family Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
In the United States, African American and Latino youth suffer from disproportionate rates of adolescent pregnancy. A public health priority to ameliorate the high rates among this population has been the creation and proposed expansion of pregnancy prevention programs designed specifically for minority youth. To better understand the components and outcomes of existing programs for this population, this systematic review of the literature analyzed published outcome evaluations of adolescent pregnancy prevention programs for minority youth. This review of scholarly databases abstracted results from 10 published outcome evaluations meeting all inclusion criteria. Publications were assessed for intervention characteristics, including use of theory, implementation setting, and cultural tailoring. In addition, characteristics of the evaluation, including study design, outcome variables, and measures were assessed. Results of this review indicated that 9 of the 10 evaluations found statistically significant results for a main pregnancy prevention variable (delay of sexual initiation, avoidance of sexual activity, intent to engage in sexual activity, or birth). The review also indicated areas for improvement in methodological quality, and consistency in cultural components, variables and measures. Implications of this research indicate a positive impact from adolescent pregnancy programs for minority youth, and a need to expand standardized measures and program components as well as increase rigor in research methodology.

Learning Areas:

Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Public health or related education
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Compare program components of pregnancy prevention programs for minority youth in the U.S. Identify strengths and weaknesses of methodology and cultural tailoring. Discuss areas for improvement and expansion in the area of minority adolescent health.

Keyword(s): Minority Health, Teen Pregnancy Prevention

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 conducted the systematic literature review and wrote the subsequent paper on adolescent pregnancy prevention programs. I am currently a graduate research assistant on a federally funded evaluation of a pregnancy prevention program and have five years research experience in the areas of adolescent health, health disparities, and sexual health.
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.