Study Details
Jemmott, J. B.,III, Jemmott, L. S., Fong, G. T. (2010). Efficacy of a theory-based abstinence-only intervention over 24 months: A randomized controlled trial with young adolescents. Archives of Pediatrics Adolescent Medicine, 164(2), 152-159.
Promoting Health Among Teens! Abstinence-Only Intervention
Program Information
Evaluation Setting
Study Sample
Research Design
268
5
24
Study Findings
The study evaluated the program with a randomized controlled trial involving middle school students in a low-income African American community in the northeastern United States. Adolescents participating in the study were randomly assigned to either a control group that received an 8-hour general health-promotion program, or to one of four treatment groups, each receiving one of the following interventions: (1) an 8-hour abstinence-only intervention; (2) an 8-hour safer sex-only intervention; (3) an 8-hour comprehensive abstinence and safer sex intervention; or (4) a 12-hour comprehensive abstinence and safer sex intervention. The study administered surveys immediately before the intervention (baseline) and at follows-ups conducted 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after baseline. The effectiveness of each intervention was assessed relative to the control group.
The study found that averaged across the five follow-up periods, adolescents assigned to the PHAT-AO group were statistically significantly less likely than those in the control group to report having had sexual intercourse in the previous three months. In addition, adolescents assigned to the PHAT-AO group who were sexually inexperienced at baseline were statistically significantly less likely to report having initiated sexual intercourse. The study found no statistically significant program impacts on the likelihood of having multiple sexual partners or unprotected intercourse in the past three months.
The study also examined program impacts on consistency of condom use. Findings for this measure were not considered for the review because they did not meet the review evidence standards. Specifically, findings were reported only for subgroups of youth defined by sexual activity at follow up.
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.