PubMed · 1997 · 53 citations · 0 references
Public HealthHealth EducationHealth PromotionAdolescent HealthDisease PreventionSexual Health EducationAdolescent Health EducationHealth Education For Disease PreventionInfectious Disease PreventionPrevention Of Sexual TransmissionSexual Risk ReductionSexually Transmitted Infection PreventionCognitive Behavioral Skills TrainingHiv Risk ReductionPreventive Health PromotionRisk Reduction BehaviorsSexual Risk Behavior PreventionSexual Risk PreventionYouth Sexual Health EducationYouth Sexual Risk Reduction
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a school-based knowledge- and cognitive-behavioral skills-building STD/HIV prevention intervention. Subjects were 513 ethnically and racially diverse students attending four urban public high schools. The sample was 59% female and had a mean age of 14.4 years. A quasi-experimental design was utilized to evaluate the intervention which consisted of three class sessions. Results of hierarchical regression analyses, controlling for baseline scores and demographic factors, indicate that this intervention was effective at increasing STD knowledge (p < .05), and skills related to prevention of risky sexual (p < .05) and drug use (p < .001) behavior. Although significant changes in risk behaviors were not detected, it is too soon to conclude that school-based education and skills building STD/HIV prevention interventions are ineffective at changing risk behaviors in adolescents. Implications for future study are addressed.