141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

292448
Thinking globally and acting locally on teenage pregnancy prevention: Intervention programs and best practices in the United States, England, Australia, Canada, and the Philippines

Tuesday, November 5, 2013 : 3:30 PM - 3:50 PM

Kathleen A. Sternas, PhD, RN , College of Nursing, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ
MaryAnn Scharf, EdD , College of Nursing, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ
Rosemarie Peterkin, MAT , Newark Best Friends and Best Men, Newark, NJ
Janet Summerly, MSN, RN , Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ
Background: Teenage birth rates are higher in the United States than England, Australia, Canada, Philippines. Sexual activity contributes to teenage pregnancy/health problems. This presentation describes: intervention programs/practices to prevent/reduce teenage pregnancy in USA/other countries; outcomes for an evidence-based intervention program promoting sexual abstinence; compares outcomes of intervention and comparison participants. Bandura's Social Learning theory guided the intervention on discussions, mentoring, health/fitness classes, cultural events, community service, recognition ceremony. Methods: Pretest post-test design. Four intervention schools(n=230 girls;221 boys) and five comparison schools (n=134 girls; n=110 boys) with 6th to 8th graders, primarily of African American ethnicity. Intervention participants were randomly selected. Comparison participants were convenience sample. Comparison and intervention schools were matched on grade/ethnicity/socioeconomic status. Instruments: AFL Core Baseline/Follow-up and Demographic Questionnaires. Pearson Chi Square and Mann Whitney U statistical tests and .05 level of significance were used. Results: Abstinence education, comprehensive sex education, health promotion are used to prevent/reduce teen pregnancy in USA/other countries. Post-Test III: Significantly more intervention than comparison participants: talked about no sex(p=.005); said no to wrong activities(p=.012); reported self-confidence(p=.001);importance of marriage/family(p<.001)/remaining abstinent (p<.001)/future spouse remaining abstinent (p<.001);abstinence prevents STDs/pregnancy/health problems(p<.001). Significantly more comparisons than intervention participants reported: sex okay if dating long time(p<.001). More intervention than comparison girls reported remaining abstinent (p<.001)/abstinence prevents STDs/pregnancy/health problems(p<.001). Conclusions: Intervention participants have more significant outcomes related to abstinence behaviors/attitudes than comparison participants. Findings suggest the intervention promotes abstinence and prevents teenage pregnancy. Findings have implications for development of intervention programs which promote abstinence attitudes /behaviors in teenagers.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related education
Public health or related nursing

Learning Objectives:
Discuss intervention programs and best practices to prevent and reduce teenage pregnancy in the United States and other countries Describe an evidence-based intervention in the United States which promotes abstinence from premarital sex in teenagers and has demonstrated positive outcomes for teenagers. Identify differences in outcomes between teenagers who received the intervention and comparison participants who did not receive the intervention.

Keywords: Teen Pregnancy Prevention, Health Promotion

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been a partner on the federally funded grant project upon which the proposed presentation is based, and have collaborated with the other authors on this project. I co-lead a study abroad experience on urban and rural community health nursing in the Philippines for four years.
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.