Poder Latino: A Community AIDS Prevention Program for Inner-City Latino Youth

Investigators: Hispanic Office of Planning & Evaluation and New England Research Institutes

This multifaceted community-based intervention targets Latino youth, ages 14 to 20, at elevated risk for HIV/AIDS. One goal of the program is to increase awareness of the disease by saturating target neighborhoods with public service announcements broadcasting risk reduction messages. In addition, the program aims to reduce infection by encouraging sexually active teens to use condoms. Project messages are reinforced through ongoing activities conducted by specially-trained peer leaders, including workshops in schools, community organizations, and health centers, group discussions in teens' homes, presentations at large community centers, and door-to-door canvassing. At all activities, condoms are available, along with pamphlets explaining their correct use. In a field study of the intervention in Boston, MA, researchers compared the sexual behavior of teens in the target community and a similar, control community. At the 18-month follow-up assessment, the intervention appeared to reduce the incidence of multiple sexual partners among females and delay the onset of sexual activity among males. Click here to view more detailed information on this program.

Prime Time: A Positive Youth Development Program

Investigators: Renee Sieving, Jenny Oliphant, Kayci Rush, Bethany Divakaran, Jill Farris, and Glynis Shea

Prime Time is an 18-month multicomponent program that seeks to reduce sexual risk behaviors, violence involvement, and school disconnection among sexually active female adolescents at increased risk for early pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. The program is grounded in a Positive Youth Development framework that views young people as resources to be developed, not problems to be fixed. Prime Time aims to build adolescents’ skills and competencies, confidence, character, connections, and contributions through program activites. Prime Time consists of two core components. The first is one-on-one case management, which addresses social and emotional skills, responsible behaviors, healthy relationships, and positive involvement with family, school and the community. The second core component is a 16-session peer educator program called Just In Time, which addresses communication, stress management and conflict resolution skills, responsible sexual behaviors, sexual decision-making, and contraceptive use. Through a combination of case management and the peer educator program, Prime Time targets outcomes including fewer sexual partners; consistent condom and hormonal contraceptive use; reduced interpersonal aggression and violence; and reduced school misbehavior and dropout. An evaluation of Prime Time showed that receiving the intervention increased abstinence, as well as more consistent use of condoms, hormonal contraception, and dual-method contraception. Intervention participants also reported improvements in family connectedness and self-efficacy to refuse unwanted sex, and reductions in the perceived importance of having sex. Click here to view more detailed information on this program.

Project MARS: Motivating Adolescents to Reduce Sexual Risk

Investigators: Angela D. Bryan, Renee E. Magnan, Arielle S. Gillman, Elizabeth A. Yeater, Sarah W. Feldstein Ewing, Alberta S. Kong, & Sarah J. Schmiege

MARS (Motivating Adolescents to Reduce Sexual risk) is an intervention targeted at reducing adolescent risky sexual behavior, particularly in contexts where alcohol or marijuana use may be involved. An evaluation of the MARS intervention showed that it resulted in decreased incident sexually transmitted infections one year after delivery. This one-session, two-hour intervention is appropriate for community based settings including juvenile justice centers for use with high risk adolescents. The MARS intervention is delivered in a motivational enhancement therapy format. The approach for this intervention is grounded in the assumption that the responsibility and capability for change exist within the participant. The role of the intervention leader is to create an environment that will enhance the participant’s inherent motivation for, commitment to, and movement towards behavior change. The intervention involves group discussion and exercises focused on establishing a condom language, talking about condom use, provision of norms, self-affirmation, high risk situations, and how one might change, along with video review, interactive games, and skills building. The intervention is led by a Masters or PhD level therapist. Groups should be kept small and capped at 6 to 8 participants, and the age range of participants in the group should be restricted to two years (for example, 14-16 or 16-18) in order to keep the range of experiences similar. Although MARS is appropriate for all genders, if possible adolescent groups should be kept single-sex. MARS has been evaluated in a cluster randomized controlled trial. Data was collected at pre-test and immediate post-test as well as 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-intervention. The intervention was effective at reducing STI incidence. Participants had lower incidence of STI at follow-up than participants who received comparison interventions with only sexual risk or sexual risk and alcohol content, as opposed to sexual risk, alcohol, and cannabis content. Click here to view more detailed information on this program.

Project Redirection, 1980-1983

Investigators: Denise Polit

Project Redirection was a pilot program designed to help disadvantaged pregnant teenagers and teenage mothers achieve economic self-sufficiency. From 1980 to 1983 investigators compiled data from three interviews with participating teens (at baseline, 12 months, and 24 months) in order to evaluate the efficacy of Project Redirection in aiding pregnant or parenting teens as compared to a similar non-Redirection control group. Community-based organizations in four locations arranged a variety of services for Redirection participants including Individual Participant Plans (IPPs), peer group sessions, and community women (local volunteers for support and for positive role models). These services were designed to facilitate the teenagers' participation in educational, vocational, and/or parenting training programs. On average, teenagers stayed with the program for one year. Initial subjects had enrolled in program sites between September 1980 and July 1981 and, along with a comparison group, comprise Sample I. In the fall of 1981, funds became available to enlarge the research sample. Teens enrolled in the program between March 1981 and March 1982, together with an additional group of comparison teens, comprise Sample II. Sample II teens were not administered a baseline interview, since the decision to enlarge the sample came after many Sample II teens were already enrolled in the program. Because Sample II teens were not studied at baseline, many baseline variables for this group were obtained at the 12- month survey. Other baseline variables are missing for the entire Sample II group. Eighty-six percent of the original teenagers (675 of 789) completed the follow-up interviews. The DAAPPP file consists of information on 958 variables gathered from these 675 teens.Note for users of DAAPPP Data Sets #01-B1DAAPPP data sets 01 through B1 are comprised of a User's Guide, SPSS syntax files (*.SPS or *.SPX) and raw data files only. Most of these datasets contain SPSS syntax files that use Job Control Language (JCL) from 1980s versions of SPSS-X. Because the syntax is old, the syntax files require editing to conform to the current syntax standards used by SPSS/Windows or SPSS/Unix. If you require technical assistance in using or editing these syntax files, please contact Sociometrics' Data Support Group at 800.846.3475 or socio@socio.com.

Project SAFE: Sexual Awareness For Everyone An Intervention to Prevent STDs Among Minority Women

Investigators: Rochelle N. Shain, Reyes Ramos, Sondra T. Perdue, & Edward R. Newton

Developed for use in public health clinics, PROJECT S.A.F.E. is a three session cognitive-behavioral intervention designed to reduce STD infections among Hispanic and African American women. Sessions are designed to facilitate skill development to avoid infections while increasing awareness that STDs (including AIDS) disproportionately affect minority women. The intervention also helps build decision-making and communication skills, and encourages participants to set risk reduction goals. Participants gain mastery through role-play, group discussion, and behavioral skills exercises. The original evaluation, conducted in metropolitan San Antonio, TX, between 1993 and 1994, included 617 Hispanic and African American women. Participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n=313) or the control group (n=304). Intervention group participants took part in three small-group sessions while their control group counterparts received standard STD counseling. Program participants showed a lower rate of infection as well as a better understanding of risky sexual behavior as compared to the control group. Click here to view more detailed information on this program.

Project TALENT: Consequences of Adolescent Childbearing for the Young Parents' Future Life, 1960-1974

Investigators: J. J. Card

This study investigated the educational, occupational, and family-related consequences of adolescent pregnancy and childbearing for young women and men who were in the ninth grade in the U.S. in 1960. The study utilized data for a subset of 7,656 individuals (1,883 blacks and 5,773 whites) who had participated in a large-scale educational research study called Project TALENT. Data available include demographic background, cognitive characteristics, and social-psychological characteristics as measured in ninth grade; educational, marital, and childbearing histories through age 29; and plans and expectations at age 29 regarding future childbearing.Note for users of DAAPPP Data Sets #01-B1DAAPPP data sets 01 through B1 are comprised of a User's Guide, SPSS syntax files (*.SPS or *.SPX) and raw data files only. Most of these datasets contain SPSS syntax files that use Job Control Language (JCL) from 1980s versions of SPSS-X. Because the syntax is old, the syntax files require editing to conform to the current syntax standards used by SPSS/Windows or SPSS/Unix. If you require technical assistance in using or editing these syntax files, please contact Sociometrics' Data Support Group at 800.846.3475 or socio@socio.com.

Prospero Project Condom Study, San Francisco, 1989-1991

Investigators: Dan Waldorf and David Lauderback

The Prospero Project Condom Study, San Francisco, 1989-1991, which was conducted between December 1989 and April 1991, explored condom use in 552 male sex workers in San Francisco - men who are at high risk to contract and spread the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Investigators employed face-to-face interviews to gather detailed information about the conditions (e.g., type of partner, type of sexual activity) under which condoms were and were not used. In addition, the investigators sought to quantify the amount of condom failure (i.e., breakage and/or slippage) in this population. This dataset includes information on 736 variables across 552 cases. Respondents were identified through a combination of methods, including snowball sampling, and represented two types of sex workers, hustlers and call men, who are gay, bisexual, heterosexual, or transvestite/transsexual.

Queens Hospital Center's Teenage Program

Investigators: Jill M. Rabin & Vicki Seltzer

Based upon the premise that a teen's first pregnancy may stem from underlying, unmet needs, this clinic-based program provides medical care, psychosocial support, and education to the adolescent, her partner, and her family. The comprehensive approach to service emphasizes early intervention, beginning during pregnancy. For the duration of the intervention, each patient and her infant remain with a team of providers: an obstetrician-gynecologist, pediatrician, social worker, and health educator. The program also includes a physician/ practitioner 24 hour "on call" system and a reproductive health and family life education program, featuring bi-weekly classes for the patient, her partner, and family. In an effort to prevent repeat pregnancy and STDs, the teen's partner is encouraged to participate in education, support, and counseling activities. A field study of the intervention was conducted in Queens, New York, with 498 adolescents and their infants. Compared to a control group of teen mothers, program participants were more likely to attend and graduate from school and (for those who were sexually active) use regular contraception; additionally, both they and their infants experienced significantly better health. Moreover, the repeat pregnancy rate was significantly lower for program participants compared to the control group. Click here to view more detailed information on this program.

Reach for Health: A School-Sponsored Community Youth Service Intervention for Middle School Students

Investigators: Lydia O'Donnell, Alexi San Doval, Richard Duran, Deborah Haber, Rebecca Atnafou, Patricia Piessens, & Renee F. Wilson-Simmons, Ann Stueve, Joseph H. Pleck, Norma Johnson, Uda Grant, Helen Murray

The REACH FOR HEALTH COMMUNITY YOUTH SERVICES PROGRAM (RFH-CYS) targets African-American and Hispanic youth living in urban areas. REACH FOR HEALTH combines a classroom teaching component with community service work. The intervention, as implemented, provides opportunities for middle school students to participate in service activities within their communities while simultaneously reducing early and unprotected sexual activity. The intervention was initially delivered in 1994 to two large middle schools in Brooklyn, NY; one school was designated as the intervention school, the other as the control. A total of 68 classrooms participated in the initial implementation. In the control school, 33 classrooms (584 students) received the standard New York City health education program, which includes some mandated lessons on drugs and AIDS. Within the intervention school, 22 classrooms (222 students) were randomly assigned to receive core RFH curriculum (classroom component only). The remaining 13 intervention classrooms (255 students) received the enhanced RFH plus Community Youth Services program (RFH-CYS). Bi-lingual and special education classes were included from both school sites. At follow-up six months later, reports of sexual activity were higher across the sample. However, students in the control condition showed greater increases in risk behavior (ever had sex, recent sex, recent sex without condom, recent sex without birth control) than did their peers in the treatment conditions. In contrast, students in both intervention conditions showed increases in their use of STD protection and birth control. Also noteworthy are the findings that eighth graders and special education students showed the greatest improvement. Click here to view more detailed information on this program.

Rehabilitation Services Administration-Social Security Administration Data Link, 1988

Investigators: Rehabilitation Services Administration, Social Security Administration

The State-Federal Program of Vocational Rehabilitation provides individualized vocational rehabilitation services to persons with disabilities to help them attain, maintain, or regain employment. In the course of providing these services, State Rehabilitation Agencies maintain case records on all of the individuals requesting services under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. In an effort to improve program evaluation through the exchange of statistical information, the Department of Education's Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) have established a Data Link. The continuing exchange of RSA-SSA Data was established in law with Section 141 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1992. The merging of records of these two agencies has advanced the understanding of the rehabilitation experience of disabled persons by providing their employment, earnings, and beneficiary history following the receipt of services through the State-Federal Program of Vocational Rehabilitation. The RSA-SSA Data Link allows researchers to examine key issues regarding rehabilitation, including whether or not rehabilitated persons remain employed and for how long; the earnings of rehabilitated persons in the years following case closure; how earnings of rehabilitated persons compare to those of persons who could not be rehabilitated or who were not accepted for rehabilitation services; how well severely disabled individuals responded to their rehabilitation experience compared to their non-severely disabled counterparts; how frequently rehabilitated persons become publicly supported; whether or not rehabilitated persons are less likely to require public support than individuals who could not be rehabilitated or were not accepted for rehabilitation services; and the work histories of disabled persons in the years prior to their rehabilitative experience.