Open AccessSingle and Multi-message Sexuality Education: Improving Implementation and Evaluation of Group-based Programs
Author(s) -
Lisa De La Rue,
Michael Floren,
Kiley Floren,
Galena K. Rhoades,
Elaine Walker,
Jesse Owen
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
health behavior and policy review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2326-4403
DOI - 10.14485/hbpr.8.3.4
Subject(s) - curriculum , rubric , psychological intervention , psychology , medical education , categorization , descriptive statistics , computer science , applied psychology , medicine , nursing , pedagogy , artificial intelligence , statistics , mathematics
Objective: In this study, we isolated primary messaging strategies of sexuality education curricula to improve tailored delivery of group-based interventions. Specifically, our aim was to define single-message programs (eg, messaging about avoiding sexual risk or messaging about reducing sexual risk) and multiple-message programs (eg, avoiding sexual risk and reducing sexual risk), and to investigate their comparative effectiveness. Methods: We used a descriptive approach with publicly available data from US Department of Health and Human Services-funded teen pregnancy prevention programs to categorize 16 different curricula as single-message or multiple-message. We coded primary messages using a curriculum mapping rubric and scoring that was evaluated by a panel of experts for content validity. Forest plots compared behavioral outcomes. Results: Scores for primary messages achieved inter-rater reliability of 91%-100%; curricula were scored on 20 items within each category to calculate mean scores. Spearman correlations for items ranged from .43 to .93. Conclusions: No outcome differences were observed between single- or multi-message programs. Effective delivery of primary messaging may rely more on identifying moderators of classroom climate typically underrepresented in evaluations of school-based programs.