title: An abstinence program's impact on cognitive mediators and sexual initiation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the impact of an abstinence education program on sexual intercourse initiation and on possible cognitive mediators of sexual initiation for virgin seventh graders in suburban Virginia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Measures of sexual behavior and 6 mediating variables were compared at 3 time periods for program participants and a matched comparison group (n=550), controlling for pretest differences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At posttest, program students scored significantly better on 4 of the 6 mediators. After one year, program students had a substantially lower risk of sexual initiation than did comparison students (RR=.457, P=.008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The program achieved a significant reduction in teen sexual initiation, and the role of the cognitive mediators was supported.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Research and Evaluation, Salt Lake City, UT 84118, USA. weedstan@aol.com
authors.forename: Stan E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Weed
authors.forename: Irene H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Ericksen
authors.forename: Allen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Gale E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.forename: Kathy H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Wibberly
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003071:Cognition; D003479:Curriculum; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012746:Sexual Abstinence / Q000523:psychology*; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014768:Virginia