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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2016 Sep;106(S1):S117-S124.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2016.303363.

Text Messaging, Teen Outreach Program, and Sexual Health Behavior: A Cluster Randomized Trial

Sheana Bull  1 , Sharon Devine  1 , Sarah J Schmiege  1 , Leslie Pickard  1 , Jon Campbell  1 , Judith C Shlay  1
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Text Messaging, Teen Outreach Program, and Sexual Health Behavior: A Cluster Randomized Trial

Sheana Bull et al. Am J Public Health. 2016 Sep.

Erratum in

  • ERRATUM.
    [No authors listed] [No authors listed] Am J Public Health. 2016 Dec;106(12):e14. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2016.303363e. Am J Public Health. 2016. PMID: 27831783 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

Abstract

Objectives: To consider whether Youth All Engaged! (a text message intervention) intensified the effects of the adolescent pregnancy prevention Teen Outreach Program (control) for youths.

Methods: In this trial performed in Denver, Colorado, from 2011 to 2014, we randomized 8 Boys & Girls Clubs each of 4 years into 32 clubs per year combinations to ensure each club would serve as a treatment site for 2 years and a control site for 2 years. Control intervention consisted of the Teen Outreach Program only. We enrolled 852 youths (aged 14-18 years), and 632 were retained at follow-up, with analytic samples ranging from 50 to 624 across outcomes. We examined program costs, and whether the intervention increased condom and contraceptive use, access to care, and pregnancy prevention.

Results: Control program costs were $1184 per participant, and intervention costs were an additional $126 per participant (+10.6%). There were no statistically significant differences in primary outcomes for the full sample. Hispanic participants in the intervention condition had fewer pregnancies at follow-up (1.79%) than did those in the control group (6.72%; P = .02).

Conclusions: Youth All Engaged is feasible, low cost, and could have potential benefits for Hispanic youths.

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References

    1. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. Making the case: for wanted and welcomed pregnancy 2015. 2015. Available at: http://thenationalcampaign.org/why-it-matters. Accessed March 15, 2015.
    1. Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment HSS. National Vital Statistics Denver, CO 2004-2013. Denver, CO: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment; 2014.
    1. Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment HSS. National Vital Statistics Denver. Denver, CO: Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment; 2013.
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    1. WYMAN. Wyman’s Teen Outreach Program (TOP) 2013. Available at: http://wymancenter.org/nationalnetwork/top. Accessed January 18, 2013.

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