Effects of media campaign messages targeting parents on adolescent sexual beliefs: a randomized controlled trial with a national sample.
Using a randomized controlled trial, this study evaluated the effects of media messages targeting parents on the sexual beliefs of 404 adolescents. The messages aimed to increase parent-child communication about waiting to initiate sexual activity. Compared with children of unexposed parents, children of parents exposed to media messages were more likely to believe that teen sexual activity is psychologically harmful. However, effects varied by parent and adolescent gender; treatment effects were only significant among adolescents whose opposite-sex parent was exposed. Parent exposure strengthened beliefs that teen sexual activity is physically harmful only among adolescents with at least 1 sexually active friend.
Health, Social, and Economics Research Unit, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA. lpalen@rti.org
Lori-Ann
LA
Palen
Olivia Silber
OS
Ashley
Jennifer C
JC
Gard
Marni L
ML
Kan
Kevin C
KC
Davis
W Douglas
WD
Evans
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012736:Sex Education; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D040241:Social Marketing; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013690:Television; D014481:United States