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Introduction Research shows that mainstream parenting and repeat pregnancy prevention programs generally do not effectively engage with fathers and that young men's levels of participation in such services are low. To support practitioners in overcoming the barriers to recruiting and retaining young fathers, the current study aimed to gather lessons learned from one program's state administrators, case managers, and young fathers about the most effective strategies for engaging this population in intensive case management. Methods Three focus groups were conducted. One focus group was held with the creators and managers of the Michigan Adolescent Pregnancy and Parenting Program MI-APPP at the state Department of Health and Human Services (n = 3). The other two groups were designed to jointly engage young fathers currently involved in intensive case management (n = 11) and their case managers (n = 5). A qualitative analysis of the focus group transcripts was conducted using a coding scheme developed from emerging themes in the transcripts and related literature. Results The findings highlight a selection of those strategies that focus group participants perceived to be most successful in improving male recruitment and retention in intensive ongoing case management. Among these strategies were centralizing feedback from young fathers in program decision making, offering opportunities for young fathers to connect, and challenging staff's negative stereotypes about young fathers. Discussion Despite the small sample size, the results of this study nevertheless contribute to debates in the field regarding appropriate strategies for engaging young fathers by informing professional practice., Author(s): Sara McGirr [sup.1] , Jennifer Torres [sup.1] , Julia Heany [sup.1] , Hillary Brandon [sup.2] , Carrie Tarry [sup.2] , Christopher Robinson [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.415507.2, 0000 0001 [...]

The purpose of the present study was to examine the feasibility of conducting a parent-based intervention in a pediatric health clinic to prevent HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and unintended pregnancies among urban African American and Latino youth. Eight focus groups were conducted with health care providers, adolescent patients and the mothers of adolescent patients (n = 41) from December 2007 to February 2008. All participants were recruited from a community-based pediatric health clinic in the Bronx, New York. Content analysis of focus group transcripts identified results in three primary areas: (1) the role of parents and providers in preventing HIV, STDs and unintended pregnancies among adolescents, (2) feasibility of the intervention in the clinic setting; and (3) optimal recruitment, retention and intervention delivery strategies. Study results suggest that a parent-based intervention delivered in a community-based pediatric health clinic setting is feasible. Focused recommendations for intervention recruitment, delivery, and retention are provided. DOI: 10.1089/apc.2009.0308

Despite high rates of unintended pregnancy among women aged 18 to 30 years, little research has been conducted to understand the factors associated with their contraceptive use. Eighteen focus groups were conducted with young adult women (N = 106) who were mostly white, non-Hispanic. Results suggested that contraceptive use was negatively affected by low contraceptive knowledge; use of alcohol; a lack of planning for sex; a misperception of the likelihood of pregnancy; forgetting to use contraceptives; and concerns about side effects, cost, and confidentiality. Women liked the peace of mind that using contraceptives gave them and the benefits of regular periods from some hormonal methods. Implications for reducing unintended pregnancies through interventions are offered. KEYWORDS unintended pregnancy, contraceptive use, young adults DOI: 10.1080/03630242.2010.480909

Preventing adolescent pregnancy is a national research priority that has had limited success. In the present study, the authors examined whether Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC) relative to intervention services as usual (group care [GC]) decreased pregnancy rates among juvenile justice girls mandated to out-of-home care. Girls (13-17 years of age) with histories of criminal referrals (Mdn = 10) were randomly assigned to MTFC (n = 81) or GC (n = 85) as part of 2 randomized controlled trials. Pregnancy histories were assessed from baseline through 24 months. Fewer postbaseline pregnancies were reported for MTFC girls (26.9%) than for GC girls (46.9%)--an effect that remained significant after controlling for baseline criminal referrals, pregnancy history, and sexual activity. MTFC has previously been shown to decrease arrest and lock-up rates. The present findings support the long-term preventive effects of MTFC on adolescent girls' pregnancy rates. Findings are consistent with the notion that programs that target delinquency by impacting general risk behavior pathways and contexts may more successfully prevent teen pregnancy than those that directly target sexual behaviors. Keywords: pregnancy, prevention, juvenile justice, delinquency, RCT

The first author recruited parent--adolescent dyads (N = 192) into after-school prevention education groups at middle schools in southeast Texas. This author placed participants in either (1) an Interactive Program (IP) in which they role-played, practiced resistance skills, and held parent--child discussions or (2) an Attention Control Program (ACP) that used the same curriculum but was delivered in a traditional, didactic format. Questionnaires administered at the beginning and end of the 4-session program and again after booster sessions in 3 subsequent semesters provided measures of social controls (eg, communication with parents) and self controls (eg, protection against risk) on the youths' sexual health behaviors. Linear mixed models adjusted for gender, age, and ethnicity showed that the IP, in comparison with the ACP, achieved significant gains in social control by increasing parental rules about having sex and other risky behaviors and also enhanced students' self-control by increasing their knowledge about prevention and enhancing resistance responses when pressured to have sex. Index Terms: adolescent pregnancy prevention, HIV/STD prevention, parent involvement, In a recent nationwide survey, nearly half (47%) of US youths aged 12 to 14 years said their parents influence their decisions about sex more than anyone else. (1) Nearly [...]

This study investigated the role of three groups of risk and protective factors (e.g., individual, family, and extrafamilial) that are associated with teen pregnancy. Two groups of Latina adolescents (aged 15 to 19), nonpregnant/nonparenting (NP; N = 48) and pregnant/parenting (P; N = 46), completed a demographic survey, an adolescent profile questionnaire, self-esteem, and locus of control scales. Findings revealed a group of protective factors related to each category: Significant group differences favoring the NP teens were obtained for the individual factors of higher grades and career aspirations, and family factors were related to living with biological parents and greater parental monitoring. Extrafamilial factors included variables related to greater participation in extracurricular activities and religious services, and having friends who model conventional behavior. Keywords: Latina adolescents; teen pregnancy; adolescent childbearing; risk and resiliency

Pregnancy among young Latinas demands attention. These teens have higher birthrates than other teen populations. Seven focus groups (N = 40) were conducted with Latinas to explore how relationships between young Latinas and their mothers, fathers, and male partners contribute to teen pregnancy. ATLAS/ti (a qualitative data analysis software program) was used to assist in coding and analysis of data. Salient themes were identified. Mothers rely on cultural values regarding sexuality and pregnancy outside of marriage and fear about birth control to dissuade their daughters from pregnancy. Fathers echo these traditional messages. Open communication about sexuality and contraception rarely occurs. Male partners increase pregnancy susceptibility given the difficulty with negotiating condom use. It is important that research and prevention programs recognize the social context in which pregnancy prevention and susceptibility occur. Keywords: teen sexuality; teen pregnancy; Latinas; cultural values; condom use

A meta-analysis that was carried out on 16 control-comparison group studies to find out the effect of teenage pregnancy and parenting programs on pregnancy rates is discussed. It was found that secondary pregnancy prevention programs are effective in reducing teenage pregnancy at least at 19 months after the intervention.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of program interventions in a school-based teen pregnancy program on hypothesized constructs underlying teens' attitudes toward sexuality. An important task related to this purpose was the validation of the constructs and their stability from pre- to postintervention measures. Data from 1,136 middle grade students were obtained from an earlier evaluation of an abstinence-based teen pregnancy prevention program (S. Weed, I. Ericksen, G. Grant, & A. Lewis, 2002). Latent trait structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the impact of the intervention program on changes in constructs of teens' attitudes toward sexuality. Gender was also taken into consideration. This investigation provides credible evidence that both lst- and 2nd-order constructs related to measures of teens' attitudes toward risky sexual behavior are sufficiently stable and sensitive to detect program effects. Keywords: teen pregnancy prevention evaluation, teens' attitudes toward sexuality, structural equations, latent trait modeling

This study examined practitioners' understandings of cultural sensitivity in the context of pregnancy prevention programs for Latina teens. Fifty-eight practitioners from teen pregnancy prevention programs in California were interviewed in a guided conversation format. Three themes emerged in our analysis. First, practitioners' definitions of cultural sensitivity were consistent with existing models in the published research literature and focused largely on reinforcing the cultural strengths of Latino youth and families. Second, strategies for cultural sensitivity were complicated by tension between traditional Latino culture and the culture of pregnancy prevention programs. Third, practitioners identified a blend of personal and professional characteristics associated with cultural sensitivity among staff. We discussed policy and practice implications for Latino pregnancy prevention. Key Words: cultural sensitivity, Latina teens, Latino family, pregnancy prevention, teen pregnancy.

Summary This article describes how a sexual health service for young people can be provided in a school setting using a multi-agency drop-in approach. Keywords Adolescents; School nurses; Sexual health; [...]

Parent, teacher, and participant attitudinal and perceptional data from academic years 2001-2003, as well as reading and math scores, are examined to assess the impact of Escuelitas (Spanish for `little schools') program, which has produced mixed results. Although some findings do not show the desired results, other data demonstrate positive impacts in the lives of girls and their caregivers, and Escuelitas provides an interesting case for addressing teen pregnancy in the Latino community, particularly Mexican Americans.

Byline: Laura F. Salazar (1), Ralph J. DiClemente (2), Gina M. Wingood (2), Richard A. Crosby (2), Kathy Harrington (3), Susan Davies (4), Edward W. Hook (5), M. Kim Oh (3) Keywords: STDs; pregnancy; self-concept; African American females; sexual behavior Abstract: During adolescence, girls form self-concepts that facilitate the transition to adulthood. This process may entail engaging in risky sexual behaviors resulting in STD infection and pregnancy. This study assessed the relation between self-concept and unwanted, unprotected sex refusal among 335 African American adolescent girls. The second aim was to determine whether attributes of partner communication about sex would act as a mediating mechanism on this hypothesized relationship. These assessments were made within the context of several theoretical models (social cognitive theory and theory of gender and power). Self-concept was composed of self-esteem, ethnic identity, and body image, whereas attributes of partner communication about sex was conceptualized as frequency of communication, fear of condom use negotiation, and self-efficacy of condom use negotiation. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze data. The results showed that self-concept was associated with partner communication attributes about sex, which in turn, was associated with frequency of unprotected sex refusal. The hypothesized mediating role of partner communication was also supported. STD-HIV preventive interventions for this population may be more effective if they target self-concept as opposed to only self-esteem, incorporate an Afrocentric approach, and focus on enhancing several attributes of partner communication about sex. Author Affiliation: (1) Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia (2) Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia (3) Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA (4) Department of Health Behavior, School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA (5) Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA Article History: Registration Date: 10/10/2004

Stricter child support enforcement may reduce unwed childbearing by raising the costs of fatherhood. The authors investigate this hypothesis using a sample of young women from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, to which they add information on state child support enforcement. Models of the probability of a teenage premarital birth and of teenage premarital pregnancy and pregnancy resolution provide tentative evidence that during the early 1980s, teens living in states with higher rates of paternity establishment were less likely to become unwed mothers. This relationship is stronger for non-Hispanic Whites than for non-Hispanic Blacks. The findings suggest that policies that shift more costs of premarital childbearing to men may reduce this behavior, at least among non-Hispanic Whites. Keywords: child support,' paternity; premarital childbearing; teenage childbearing

The prevalence of pregnancy, substance abuse, violence, and delinquency among young people is unacceptably high. Interventions for preventing problems in large numbers of youth require more than individual psychological interventions. Successful interventions include the involvement of prevention practitioners and community residents in community-level interventions. The potential of community-level interventions is illustrated by a number of successful studies. However, more inclusive reviews and multisite comparisons show that although there have been successes, many interventions did not demonstrate results. The road to greater success includes prevention science and newer community-centered models of accountability and technical assistance systems for prevention.

The Parent--Adolescent Relationship Education (PARE) Program, designed for parents and middle school students, focuses on strengthening family communication about sexual issues and behaviors to help prevent teen pregnancy, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The program includes content about reproduction, STDs and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), contraception, sex risks, and safe-sex behaviors. The course uses social learning and cognitive behavioral concepts to enhance decision-making, refusal, and resistance skills. A randomized treatment or control group design is used to assign parent--child dyads to an experimental education group (social learning) or an attention-control group (traditional didactic teaching). Three post-program maintenance or booster sessions are held at 6-month intervals and at times prior to peak teen conception periods to reinforce the knowledge and skills learned. Pre- and posttests for parents and students assess group differences in parental involvement and communication, contraception, sex attitudes and intentions, sex behaviors (initiation of sexual intercourse, frequency, number of partners, contraceptive practices, refusal skills), and the incidence of pregnancy. Index Terms: Adolescent pregnancy prevention, HIV/STD prevention, Earlier initiation of sexual intercourse among youth is a national trend influencing the frequency of sexual activity, the number of sexual partners, the advent of teen pregnancy at increasingly younger [...]

Teenage premarital sexual activity has become an important concern for parents and educators in recent years. Many attempts have been made to address this problem in order to reduce the [...]

The GIG (1) is an innovative community based intervention which offers education regarding pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection (STI) risks and prevention in the context of a social event that is open to the adolescent community. This intensive, six hour intervention features live and recorded music, celebrities from local radio stations, raffles and prizes, and a number of educational activities providing instruction regarding pregnancy and STI risks and prevention. A total of 609 Latino adolescents completed matched pre and posttest measures. The increase in the total mean score from pretest to posttest was found to be statistically significant, as were the separate analyses for items related to pregnancy and those related to STIs. Information regarding specific attitudes and areas of knowledge are provided. Important intervention components related to the research literature are discussed along with areas of success, especially with regard to risk factors, and those in need of further attention in future intervention events. Recommendations for reinforcing and enhancing the GIG messages are presented along with implications of the findings for social work and health care professionals responsible for designing interventions for at-risk youth. KEYWORDS. Adolescent pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, Latino adolescents, intervention, prevention

The impact of family planning services on diminishing teenage pregnancy and abortion rates in UK is discussed. Additional information on a rational choice model to analyze the effect of access to family planning services on underage conception and abortion rates is included.

A problem that impacts many segments of our society today can be directly traced to unwed adolescent girls giving birth. This article details the consequences and impact such births have on out nation as a whole, and explores ways to prevent the pregnancies rather than merely offering up more coping solutions once such teenage girls become pregnant.

This article examines social factors that influence perceptions of family functioning in a diverse sample of adolescents attending pregnancy prevention classes. Findings indicate that adolescents raised without their parents are more likely to perceive their families as dysfunctional while minority teenagers perceive higher levels of healthy family dynamics.

This article describes a collaborative arrangement between a practitioner-oriented doctoral program in clinical psychology and a nonprofit teen pregnancy prevention agency. Emphasis is on academic-community connection; that is, scholarly engagement with real-world problems and a view of psychology as a force for social change through collaboration between programs of psychology and community agencies. Included is a description of a teen pregnancy prevention program and a model of academic-community collaboration with implications for curriculum design and training of doctoral level psychology students in community consultation, collaboration, and issues of social justice.