TY - JOUR
T1 - Focus-on-Teens, sexual risk-reduction intervention for high-school adolescents
T2 - Impact on knowledge, change of risk-behaviours, and prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases
AU - Gaydos, C. A.
AU - Hsieh, Y. H.
AU - Galbraith, J. S.
AU - Barnes, M.
AU - Waterfield, G.
AU - Stanton, B.
PY - 2008/10
Y1 - 2008/10
N2 - A community-based intervention, Focus-on-Kids (FOK) has demonstrated risk-behaviour reduction of urban youth. We modified FOK to Focus-on-Teens (FOT) for high schools. High school adolescents (n = 1190) were enrolled over successive school semesters. The small-group sessions were presented during the school-lunch hours. Confidential surveys were conducted at baseline, immediate, six-, and 12-month postintervention for demographics, parental communication/monitoring, sexual risk behaviours and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)/HIV/condom-usage knowledge. Sexually active participants were encouraged to volunteer for urine-based STDs testing at the School-Based Health Centres. Many (47.4%) students reported having had sexual intercourse at baseline. Overall behaviours changed towards 'safer' sex behaviours (intent-to-use and using condoms, communicating with partner/parents about sex/condoms/STDs) with time (P< 0.05). Proportion of students with complete correct knowledge of STDs/HIV increased to 88% at time 4 from 80% at baseline after adjusting for age, gender and sexual activity (P < 0.05). High prevalence of STDs was detected in 875 participants who reported for urine testing at time 1: trichomonas, 11.8%; chlamydia, 10.1 % and gonorrhoea, 4.1 %. Prevalence decreased significantly for 310 participants who re-tested; chlamydia: 27.4% to 6.1 % and gonorrhoea: 11.3% to 3.2%. FOT was successfully implemented as an STDs/HIV risk-reduction intervention. Sustained improvements of knowledge about STDs/HIV/condom usage, decreases in sexual risk behaviours supported the effectiveness of this intervention.
AB - A community-based intervention, Focus-on-Kids (FOK) has demonstrated risk-behaviour reduction of urban youth. We modified FOK to Focus-on-Teens (FOT) for high schools. High school adolescents (n = 1190) were enrolled over successive school semesters. The small-group sessions were presented during the school-lunch hours. Confidential surveys were conducted at baseline, immediate, six-, and 12-month postintervention for demographics, parental communication/monitoring, sexual risk behaviours and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)/HIV/condom-usage knowledge. Sexually active participants were encouraged to volunteer for urine-based STDs testing at the School-Based Health Centres. Many (47.4%) students reported having had sexual intercourse at baseline. Overall behaviours changed towards 'safer' sex behaviours (intent-to-use and using condoms, communicating with partner/parents about sex/condoms/STDs) with time (P< 0.05). Proportion of students with complete correct knowledge of STDs/HIV increased to 88% at time 4 from 80% at baseline after adjusting for age, gender and sexual activity (P < 0.05). High prevalence of STDs was detected in 875 participants who reported for urine testing at time 1: trichomonas, 11.8%; chlamydia, 10.1 % and gonorrhoea, 4.1 %. Prevalence decreased significantly for 310 participants who re-tested; chlamydia: 27.4% to 6.1 % and gonorrhoea: 11.3% to 3.2%. FOT was successfully implemented as an STDs/HIV risk-reduction intervention. Sustained improvements of knowledge about STDs/HIV/condom usage, decreases in sexual risk behaviours supported the effectiveness of this intervention.
KW - Adolescents
KW - Behavioural intervention
KW - HIV
KW - High schools
KW - STDs
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=53549132261&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=53549132261&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1258/ijsa.2008.007291
DO - 10.1258/ijsa.2008.007291
M3 - Article
C2 - 18824625
AN - SCOPUS:53549132261
SN - 0956-4624
VL - 19
SP - 704
EP - 710
JO - International Journal of STD and AIDS
JF - International Journal of STD and AIDS
IS - 10
ER -