title: Short-Term Impact of a Teen Pregnancy-Prevention Intervention Implemented in Group Homes.
abstract: Youth living in group home settings are at significantly greater risk for sexual risk behaviors; however, there are no sexual health programs designed specifically for these youth. The study's purpose was to assess the effectiveness of a teen pregnancy-prevention program for youth living in group home foster care settings and other out-of-home placements.
  
  
  
  The study design was a cluster randomized controlled trial involving youth (N = 1,037) recruited from 44 residential group homes located in California, Maryland, and Oklahoma. Within each state, youth (mean age = 16.2 years; 82% male; 37% Hispanic, 20% African-American, 20% white, and 17% multiracial) in half the group homes were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n = 40 clusters) and the other half were randomly assigned to a control group that offered "usual care" (n = 40 clusters). The intervention (i.e., Power Through Choices [PTC]) was a 10-session, age-appropriate, and medically accurate sexual health education program.
  
  
  
  Compared to the control group, youth in the PTC intervention showed significantly greater improvements (p < .05) from preintervention to postintervention in all three knowledge areas, one of two attitude areas, all three self-efficacy areas, and two of three behavioral intention areas.
  
  
  
  This is the first published randomized controlled trial of a teen pregnancy-prevention program designed for youth living in foster care settings and other out-of-home placements. The numerous significant improvements in short-term outcomes are encouraging and provide preliminary evidence that the PTC program is an effective pregnancy-prevention program.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion Sciences, College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Electronic address: roman@unr.edu.
authors.forename: Roy F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Oman
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
authors.forename: Sara K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Vesely
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion Sciences, College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Green
authors.affiliation: Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
authors.forename: Janene
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fluhr
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002140:California; D005260:Female; D016352:Group Homes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008396:Maryland; D009825:Oklahoma; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012736:Sex Education / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Group homes; Intervention; Psychosocial change; Reproductive health; Sex education; Teen pregnancy prevention; Youth in foster care; Youth sexual risk behavior