title: Repeated exposure to media messages encouraging parent-child communication about sex: differential trajectories for mothers and fathers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine changes in parent-child communication related to sexual behavior after exposure to public health messages.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized, controlled trial that was part of precampaign message testing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Exposure occurred online or through DVDs mailed to participants and viewed on their personal computers. Data collection occurred via a secure Web site.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants included parents (n  =  1969) living with a child age 10 to 14 years drawn from a nationally representative sample of U.S. households.
  
  
  METHODS
  Treatment participants were exposed to video, audio, and print advertisements that promoted the benefits of speaking to their children early and often about delaying initiation of sexual activity; messages also directed parents to an informational Web site.
  
  
  METHODS
  The dependent variable assessed frequency of parent-child communication related to sexual behavior. The primary independent variable was treatment assignment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal growth modeling that included five waves of data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The trajectory of growth over time differed between fathers in the treatment group and fathers in the control group (F[1, 2357]  =  4.15; p < .042), indicating more frequent communication among treatment fathers than among control fathers. Trajectories did not differ between mothers in treatment and control groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that father-child and mother-child communication patterns differ over time in response to public health messages. Findings have implication for researchers developing health marketing campaigns.
authors.affiliation: RTI International, 3040 East Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194, USA. jblitstein@rti.org
authors.forename: Jonathan L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Blitstein
authors.forename: W Douglas
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Kevin C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Kian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kamyab
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003142:Communication; D005219:Father-Child Relations; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012736:Sex Education / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States