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Short‐Term Impact of Safer Choices: A Multicomponent, School‐Based HIV, Other STD, and Pregnancy Prevention Program
Author(s) -
Coyle Karin,
BasenEngquist Karen,
Kirby Douglas,
Parcel Guy,
Banspach Stephen,
Harrist Ronald,
Baumler Elizabeth,
Weil Marsha
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of school health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.851
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1746-1561
pISSN - 0022-4391
DOI - 10.1111/j.1746-1561.1999.tb06383.x
Subject(s) - condom , safer , medicine , psychosocial , family planning , pregnancy , safer sex , family medicine , developed country , population , demography , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , environmental health , psychiatry , research methodology , computer security , syphilis , sociology , biology , computer science , genetics
This study evaluated the effectiveness of the first year of Safer Choices , a theoretically based, multicomponent HIV, STD, and pregnancy prevention program for high school youth. The study featured a randomized trial involving 20 schools in California and Texas, with a cohort of 3,869 ninth‐grade students. Students who completed both the baseline and the first follow‐up survey approximately seven months later were included in the analysis (n = 3,677). Safer Choices enhanced 9 of 13 psychosocial variables including knowledge, self efficacy for condom use, normative beliefs and attitudes regarding condom use, perceived barriers to condom use, risk perceptions, and parent‐child communication. Safer Choices also reduced selected risk behaviors. Specifically, Safer Choices reduced the frequency of intercourse without a condom in the three months prior to the survey, increased use of condoms at last intercourse, and increased use of selected contraceptives at last intercourse.