Randomized controlled trial of ‘teens and toddlers’: A teenage pregnancy prevention intervention combining youth development and voluntary service in a nursery

• Published in: Journal of adolescence (London, England.) Vol. 36; no. 5; pp. 859 - 870
• Main Authors: Bonell, Chris, Maisey, Ruth, Speight, Svetlana, Purdon, Susan, Keogh, Peter, Wollny, Ivonne, Sorhaindo, Annik, Wellings, Kaye
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2013; Elsevier; John Wiley & Sons, Inc
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescent [MeSH]; Adolescent Development; Adolescents; Biological and medical sciences; Birth Control; Child Care Services; Clinical trials; Contraception; England; Female; Health Promotion - methods; Health promotion [MeSH]; Humans; Intervention; Logic; Medical sciences; Mental health; Nurseries; Nurseries, Hospital; nursery [MeSH]; Pediatrics; Pregnancy; Pregnancy in Adolescence - prevention & control; Pregnancy in adolescence [MeSH; Prevention. Health policy. Planification; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Randomized controlled trial [MeSH]; Schools; Self Concept; Self Esteem; Self Report; Selfesteem; Sex education; Sexual behavior; Sexual behaviour [MeSH]; Social development; Social psychiatry. Ethnopsychiatry; Unsafe Sex - statistics & numerical data; Volunteers; Young children; Youth; England; Sexual behaviour [MeSH]; DfE; T&T; nursery [MeSH]; Health promotion [MeSH]; Pregnancy in adolescence [MeSH; Randomized controlled trial [MeSH]; Adolescent [MeSH]; Department for Education; Schools; Teens and Toddlers; Human; Sanitary program; Health promotion; Sexual behavior; Mental health; Controlled therapeutic trial; Pregnancy; Prevention; Adolescent; Schools nursery [MeSH]; Self esteem; Public health
• ISSN: 0140-1971; 1095-9254
• DOI: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2013.07.005

Abstract We conducted an independent evaluation of the “Teens and Toddlers” intervention. Our randomized trial examined effects on self-reported last sex without contraception, >1 episode of sex without contraception in previous 3 months, expectation of teenage parenthood and youth development score, plus secondary outcomes among 449 at-risk girls age 13/14 in England. The intervention involves 18–20 weekly sessions in pre-school nurseries. Response rates were 95% post-intervention and 91% one year later. At follow-up two, there was no evidence of intervention benefits for primary outcomes and a positive impact for our secondary outcome, low self-esteem. At follow-up one, there was no evidence of benefits for our primary outcomes but evidence of benefits for our secondary outcomes: low self-esteem; low sexual health knowledge; and difficulty discussing the contraceptive pill. The intervention should be refined, with a clearer logic model and more emphasis on sex education, and re-evaluated.