Linking Families and Teens: Randomized Controlled Trial Study of a Family Communication and Sexual Health Education Program for Rural Youth and Their Parents

• Published in: Journal of adolescent health 2021-09, Vol.69 (3), p.398-405
• Main Authors: Brown, Sally A., Turner, Rita E., Christensen, Cindy
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescents; Children & youth; Clinical trials; Communication; Educational programs; Health education; Health information; Parent-child relations; Parent-child sex communication; Parents & parenting; Pregnancy; Randomized controlled trial; Regression analysis; Rural areas; Rural communities; Secondary schools; Self-efficacy; Sex education; Sexual health; Sexuality; Teenage pregnancy; Teenage pregnancy prevention; Teenagers; Youth
• ISSN: 1054-139X; 1879-1972
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2021.05.020

This study describes the results of an impact evaluation of the Linking Families and Teens (LiFT) program, a 5-hour program for families in rural communities. LiFT’s goal is to reduce unplanned teen pregnancies by increasing family connectedness and youth’s self-efficacy, knowledge, and sexual health skills. LiFT was externally evaluated using a cluster randomized controlled trial. Families, consisting of one or more dyads of high school aged youth and their parenting adults, were randomly assigned to a study condition. The program was implemented 57 times in rural communities in 9 states. The analytic sample includes 786 youth (407 program and 379 control) with baseline, 3-month, and 12-month data. The analysis used an intent-to-treat framework using ordinary least squares regression to measure effects on each outcome. Fewer LiFT participants experienced a pregnancy than control youth, which was significant at 3 months (net of baseline, 0 program vs. 4 control) and marginally significant at 12 months (net of baseline, 6 program vs. 14 control.) At both follow-up periods, the program had statistically significant effects on youth’s frequency of communication with their parenting adults about sexuality and pregnancy prevention and on their perceived competence to prevent pregnancy. LiFT achieved lasting effects on increasing parent-child communication and youth self-efficacy to prevent unwanted pregnancies a full year following the brief, family-focused workshop. LiFT’s impact on pregnancy was significant at 3 months and trended in the right direction at 12 months. A larger experimental study of this promising program is warranted to show the long-term effect on pregnancy.