ERIC Number: EJ1476704
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1389-4986
EISSN: EISSN-1573-6695
Available Date: 2025-04-14
Short-Term Impacts of a School-Based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program for Latino Youth: A Cluster Randomized Trial
Krystle McConnell1,3; Sahra Ibrahimi2,3; Martha Yumiseva3; Salwa Shan3; Amy Lewin3
Prevention Science, v26 n5 p716-726 2025
This study evaluates El Camino, a goal-setting sexual health promotion program developed for Latino youth. A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted in grades 9-12 in 68 classrooms (n = 746 students) across 11 schools in Maryland with large populations of Latino students. A total of 208 students were lost to follow-up, leaving 538 students for an intention-to-treat analysis (El Camino, 34 clusters, n = 289; control, 34 clusters, n = 249). At baseline, most participants (72.1%) reported never having had vaginal sex and no sex in the last 3 months (84.4%). This study did not detect any significant intervention impacts on sexual behavior outcomes but found impacts on several proximal sexual health outcomes. At post-test, approximately 1-2 weeks after curriculum completion, scores were significantly higher among El Camino participants compared to control participants on measures of contraception knowledge ([beta] = 0.5 (cluster robust SE 0.1)), condom knowledge (0.4 (0.1)), consent knowledge (0.3 (0.1)), and awareness of birth control methods (0.9 (0.1)), as well as confidence to discuss sex with a partner (0.3 (0.1)). A total of 84.7% of El Camino participants reported positive attitudes toward condom use compared to 67.1% of control participants (OR = 2.7, 95% CI [1.8, 4.0]); 83.1% reported intending to use condoms if sexually active compared to 72.6% of control participants (1.9, [1.2, 2.9]); 80.9% reported knowing where to get birth control compared to 48.9% of control participants (4.4, [2.8, 7.0]), and 83.3% reported being confident to state and ask for consent compared to 70.5% of control participants (2.1, [1.2, 3.7]). This study also found that intervention impacts varied by student gender and program implementation factors. Overall, El Camino appears to be effective in improving sexual health knowledge, self-efficacy, and intentions among Latino youth.
Descriptors: Outcomes of Treatment, Pregnancy, Pregnant Students, Adolescents, Prevention, Hispanic American Students, Secondary School Students, Sex Education, Health Promotion, Contraception, Intervention, Gender Differences, Program Implementation, Self Efficacy
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) (DHHS), Office of Population Affairs (OPA)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Maryland
Grant or Contract Numbers: TP2AH000077
Author Affiliations: 1Towson University, Department of Health Sciences, Towson, MD, USA; 2Denison University, Department of Global Health, Granville, OH, USA; 3University of Maryland, Department of Family Science, College Park, MD, USA