Short-Term Evaluation of a Skill-Development Sexual Education Program for Spanish Adolescents Compared With a Well-Established Program

• Published in: Journal of adolescent health 2015, Vol.56 (1), p.30-37
• Main Authors: Espada, José P., Ph.D, Morales, Alexandra, M.A, Orgilés, Mireia, Ph.D, Jemmott, John B., Ph.D, Jemmott, Loretta S., Ph.D., R.N
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior; Adolescent health; Analysis of Variance; Cluster Analysis; Evaluation; Female; Health Education - methods; Health Education - standards; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Hispanic Americans - statistics & numerical data; HIV Infections - prevention & control; HIV/AIDS; Humans; Intervention research; Male; Pediatrics; Program Evaluation - methods; Risk-Taking; School Health Services - standards; Sexual Behavior - statistics & numerical data; Sexually transmitted diseases; Spain; United States
• ISSN: 1054-139X; 1879-1972
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2014.08.018

Abstract Purpose The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlights the importance of evaluating interventions rigorously and recommends evaluating new interventions against interventions with established efficacy. Competencias para adolescentes con una sexualidad saludable ( COMPAS ) is a school-based HIV prevention program that has been shown to be effective in reducing sexual risk behaviors among adolescents in Spain. This study evaluates the efficacy of COMPAS program compared with a Spanish-culture adapted version of ¡Cuídate! (Take Care of Yourself), an evidence-based HIV prevention curriculum designed for Latino adolescents in the US. Methods This cluster randomized controlled trial involved 1,563 adolescents attending 18 public high schools located in 5 provinces of Spain. The schools invited to participate were enrolled and randomly assigned to the three experimental conditions: COMPAS , ¡Cuídate! , and control group (CG; no intervention). Results Generalized estimating equation analyses revealed that both interventions improved attitudes toward people living with human immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV)/AIDS and the HIV test and increased HIV/sexually transmitted infection knowledge and intention to engage in safer sex behaviors compared with the CG. Although only COMPAS increased participants' sexual risk perception and attitude toward condom use compared with the CG, the two interventions did not significantly differ on any outcome. Conclusions When compared with an established program, COMPAS was at least as effective at increasing the intention to engage in safer sex behaviors as the evidence-based intervention.