Paper: Global Healthcare Trends for Adolescents: Evaluation Outcomes of the Newark New Jersey Best Friends/Best Men Adolescent Family Life Intervention Program and Implications for Nursing Practice, Education and Research (20th International Nursing Research Congress Focusing on Evidence-Based Practice)

Thursday, 16 July 2009: 10:30 AM

Kathleen A. Sternas, PhD, RN¹
Mary Ann Scharf, EdD¹
Janet Summerly, BSN, MSN, RN¹
RoseMarie Peterkin, MAT²
1College of Nursing, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ
2Newark Best Friends and Best Men, Friends and Families United, Inc, Newark, NJ

Learning Objective 1: 1. Identify global health care trends reported in national/international research literature which focus on risky behaviors that affect adolescent health,namely,drug/alcohol use, smoking,STD's/HIV/AIDS,and teenage pregnancy.

Learning Objective 2: 2. Describe an evidence-based intervention,the Newark NJ Best Friends/Best Men Adolescent Family Life Program,which reduces risky behaviors, promotes abstinence and enhances adolescent health.

Purpose: Global trends indicate there are high rates of risky behaviors among adolescents which affect health. Newark has high rates of adolescent drug/alcohol use, smoking, STD's/HIV/AIDS, and teen pregnancy. This presentation: describes outcomes of the Best Friends/Best Men Adolescent Family Life intervention program which promotes abstinence from smoking, drinking, drugs, sex in teenagers; compares outcomes of intervention and comparison participants (no intervention). Bandura's Social Learning/Piaget's Cognitive Development theories guided the intervention which focused on discussions, mentoring, health/fitness classes, cultural events, community service, recognition.

Methods: Pretest post-test design. Four intervention schools (N=269,183 girls/86 boys) and five comparison schools (N=220,123 girls/97 boys) participated. Intervention participants were randomly selected. Comparison participants were a convenience sample. Comparison and intervention schools were matched on demographic variables. Instruments: AFL Core Baseline/Follow-up and Demographic Questionnaires. Pearson Chi Square and Mann Whitney U statistical tests and .05 level of significance were used.

Results: Significantly more intervention than comparison participants reported:saying no to wrong activities(p=.005); more confidence(p=.009)/ bright future (p=.009); important to remain abstinent (p<.001)and future spouse to remain abstinent until marriage(p<.001); abstinence is way to avoid pregnancy/STDs/related health problems(p=.002). Significantly more comparison than intervention participants reported: friends that drink(p=.009); tried marijuana/other drugs(p=.026). Comparison girls were higher than intervention girls on: friends tried marijuana/drugs(p=.027); little control(p=.008).More comparison than intervention boys reported: friends who drink(p=.05); not talking with parents/guardians about saying no to alcohol/drugs/sex (p=.006). Intervention participants were significantly higher at post-test than pretest on:saying no to wrong activities (p=.001); staying away from trouble (p=.003); self-confidence (p<.001); no sex until marriage (p=.001).

Conclusion: Intervention participants demonstrated positive outcomes including fewer risky behaviors like drinking/drug use and more abstinence attitudes/behaviors than comparison participants. Findings have implications for nursing practice, education and research and development of intervention programs which aim to reduce risky behaviors/promote abstinence attitudes/behaviors in adolescents.

See more of: Child / Adolescent Health Behaviors
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