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Study Details
Citation
Philliber, A.E. Philliber, S. (2016). Evaluation of the Teen Outreach Program® in Kansas City, Missouri. Accord, NY: Philliber Research Evaluation.
Program Name
Teen Outreach Program (TOP)
Show Evidence of Effectiveness
No
Program Information
Program Type
Positive youth development
Program Length
More than 20 sessions
Evaluation Setting
Evaluation Setting
In school: High school
Study Sample
Average Age Group
14 to 17
Majority Racial/Ethnic Group
African American or Black
Gender
Youth of any gender
Research Design
Assignment Method
Cluster randomized controlled trial
Sample Size
934
Number of Follow-Ups
1
Length of Last Follow-Up
12
Year of Last Data Collection
2014
Study Findings
Result Sexual Activity
Result Contraceptive
Reviewed Studies
Moderate-Quality Randomized Trial
Protocol Version
Version 5.0
Details
Another recent study evaluated the program among a sample of 934 middle and high school students in Kansas City, Missouri. The study used a cluster randomized controlled trial that involved the 98 classrooms of 17 teachers from 12 middle and high schools. Classrooms were randomly assigned to either a treatment group that received TOP or a control group that received the regular classroom curriculum from their existing core content class teachers. Surveys were administered before the program started (baseline), and again 12 months after the program ended.
The study findings failed to replicate the favorable impact on sexual activity rates found in the earlier study by Daley et al. (2015). In particular, 12 months after the end of the program the study found that adolescents in the group receiving TOP were no less likely than adolescents in the control group to report ever having sex (odds ratio = 0.96). The study also found no evidence of statistically significant program impacts on having sexual intercourse without using any method of birth control in the last three months. The study did not measure program impacts on pregnancy.
The study findings failed to replicate the favorable impact on sexual activity rates found in the earlier study by Daley et al. (2015). In particular, 12 months after the end of the program the study found that adolescents in the group receiving TOP were no less likely than adolescents in the control group to report ever having sex (odds ratio = 0.96). The study also found no evidence of statistically significant program impacts on having sexual intercourse without using any method of birth control in the last three months. The study did not measure program impacts on pregnancy.