Teen Pregnancy and STI Prevention Research: Lessons Learned in Hawaii

• Activity Number: 308
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Tuesday, August 11, 2015 : 8:30 AM to 10:20 AM
• Sponsor: Health Policy Statistics Section
• Author(s): Tamara Tom*
• Companies: University of Hawaii
• Keywords: Sex education research ; Longitudinal data collection ; Adolescent health research ; Study recruitment and retention

Abstract

This paper presents lessons learned by the University of Hawai'i during a cluster randomized controlled trial (CRCT) designed to evaluate the impact of a middle school teen pregnancy & sexually transmitted infection (STI) program and prepare findings for an independent evidence-based review. Topics include: lessons learned recruiting and retaining middle schools in the CRCT intervention phase and high schools in the follow-up phase, and the effects on study power; navigating the politics surrounding teen sex education as a researcher, and the effects local controversy can have on research; and the influence a sensitive topic area may have on parent consent rates and approvals to collect data. The study retained 34 of 36 randomly assigned schools (clusters) during baseline and the first of two follow-ups. Research procedures used to achieve no cluster drop out between baseline and the first follow-up and an 87% response rate in the first follow-up will be shared. Lessons learned conducting rigorous research in a politically charged atmosphere will also be shared. The presentation will present the perspective of the University of Hawai'i, one of several collaborators in the project.