NCJ Number
117087
Date Published
1987
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This study assesses the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral training in preventing adolescent pregnancy.
Abstract
The training, which was done in a large public high school, consisted of 14 50-minute group sessions. Topics covered by guest speakers, audiovisuals, and Socratic discussion were reproductive biology and contraceptive methods. Principles of problemsolving and decisionmaking were examined in the context of discussions of dating, sexuality, birth control, pregnancy, abortion, childbearing, and parenthood. To evaluate the training's effectiveness, a sample of 36 students was drawn from the sophomore class. Students were assigned randomly to one condition of a Solomon four-group research design: pretest, training, and posttest; training and posttest; pretest and posttest; and posttest only. Compared with untrained, control-condition youth, trained youth had more positive posttest scores on measure of sexual knowledge, interpersonal problemsolving, and in vivo performance. At 6-month followup, the girls and boys who participated in training groups had better attitudes toward family planning and were practicing more effective contraception than were those in control conditions. 32 references.