Study Details
Hawkins, J. D., Catalano, R. F., Kosterman, R., Abbott, R., Hill, K. G. (1999). Preventing adolescent health-risk behaviors by strengthening protection during childhood. Archives of Pediatrics Adolescent Medicine, 153(3), 226-234.
Lonczak, H. S., Abbott, R. D., Hawkins, J. D., Kosterman, R., Catalano, R. F. (2002). Effects of the Seattle social development project on sexual behavior, pregnancy, birth, and sexually transmitted disease outcomes by age 21 years. Archives of Pediatrics Adolescent Medicine, 156(5), 438-447.
Hawkins, J. D., Kosterman, R., Catalano, R. F., Hill, K. G., Abbott, R. D. (2008). Effects of Social Development Intervention in Childhood 15 Years Later. Archives of Pediatrics Adolescent Medicine, 162(12), 1133-1141.
Raising Healthy Children (formerly known as the Seattle Social Development Project)
Program Information
Evaluation Setting
Study Sample
Research Design
376
4
180
Study Findings
NA = Not available. This means the authors did not report the information in the manuscripts associated with the studies we reviewed.
a This information was not available whenever authors did not report information for the treatment and comparison groups separately on outcome means, standard deviations, and/or sample sizes.
b Authors reported that the program effect (impact) estimate is statistically significant with a p-value of less than 0.05 based on a two-tailed test.
c For some outcomes, having less of that outcome is favorable. In those cases, an effect with a negative sign is favorable to the treatment group (that is, the treatment group had a more favorable outcome than the comparison group, on average).
d An effect shows credibly estimated, statistically significant evidence whenever it has a p-value of less than 0.05 based on a two-tailed test, includes the appropriate adjustment for clustering (if applicable), and it is not based on an endogenous subgroup.
The program was evaluated with a quasi-experimental design involving 18 public elementary schools in Seattle, Washington. The study compared 156 students from elementary schools that implemented the programs in grades 1 through 6 with 220 students from elementary schools that did not have the program. Surveys were administered before the program started and at long-term follow ups conducted when the sample members were 18, 21, 24, and 27 years old.
When the study participants were 18 years old, the study found that participants in the intervention group were statistically significantly less likely to report ever having had sexual intercourse and reported significantly fewer lifetime sexual partners. The study found no statistically significant program impacts on lifetime pregnancy or births. When the study participants were 21 years old, the study found that participants in the intervention group reported a significantly higher age at first intercourse and significantly fewer lifetime sexual partners. Female participants were significantly less likely to report a lifetime pregnancy or birth. The study found no statistically significant program impacts on frequency of condom use, condom use at first intercourse, STD diagnoses, or causing a pregnancy (for males). When the study participants were 24 years old, the study found that participants in the intervention group were significantly less likely to report having ever been diagnosed with an STD.
The study also examined program impacts on measures of substance use, school outcomes, criminal activity, mental health, socioeconomic status, employment outcomes, community involvement, and civic engagement. Findings for these outcomes were not considered for the review because they fell outside the scope of the review.