With NIMH funding, we developed Talking Parents, Healthy Teens, a worksite-based program to help parents of 6th-10th graders learn to communicate with their children and promote healthy sexual development and risk reduction. The skills-based program is administered in 8 weekly one-hour lunchtime sessions to groups of 15 parents at worksites. In a randomized controlled trial, intervention and control parents complete surveys pre-intervention and at 0, 3, & 9 months post-intervention. Youth do not attend sessions but complete mail surveys. We have conducted the program at 10 sites (430 parents, 541 youth) and are scheduled at 5 more sites (180 parents, 227 youth). Preliminary analyses show significant improvement in short-term parent-child communication outcomes, which have the potential to mediate longer-term sexual behavior outcomes. Most youth in our study have not reached the average age of intercourse initiation; so long-term follow-up is critical to evaluate the program's full impact. We are applying for continuation funds to follow parents and youth every 6 months for 4 more survey waves (15, 21,27, 33 months). If the program has the hypothesized effects on behavior, we will have provided strong evidence for a causal link between parenting practices and adolescent sexual health behaviors.
Our specific aims are to: (1) determine whether the program reduces sexual risk over several years, (2) assess persistence of program effects on parenting behaviors, parent-child relationships, and communication, (3) determine whether key components of our behavior change model mediate changes over time in parent-child relationships and adolescent behaviors, (4) explore subgroup differences in program effectiveness over time, (5) determine program effects on behavior of youth who received a substantial amount of the intended parenting practices, (6) determine whether the program affects adolescents' communication with peers and romantic/sexual partners about sexual topics and affects their relationships with peers and partners. ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01MH061202-07
Application #
7120008
Study Section
Behavioral and Social Science Approaches to Preventing HIV/AIDS Study Section (BSPH)
Program Officer
Brouwers, Pim
Project Start
1999-09-28
Project End
2008-07-31
Budget Start
2006-08-01
Budget End
2007-07-31
Support Year
7
Fiscal Year
2006
Total Cost
$707,497
Indirect Cost
Name
Rand Corporation
Department
Type
DUNS #
006914071
City
Santa Monica
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
90401
Ladapo, Joseph A; Elliott, Marc N; Bogart, Laura M et al. (2013) Cost of talking parents, healthy teens: a worksite-based intervention to promote parent-adolescent sexual health communication. J Adolesc Health 53:595-601
Beckett, Megan K; Elliott, Marc N; Martino, Steven et al. (2010) Timing of parent and child communication about sexuality relative to children's sexual behaviors. Pediatrics 125:34-42
Schuster, Mark A; Corona, Rosalie; Elliott, Marc N et al. (2008) Evaluation of Talking Parents, Healthy Teens, a new worksite based parenting programme to promote parent-adolescent communication about sexual health: randomised controlled trial. BMJ 337:a308
Martino, Steven C; Elliott, Marc N; Corona, Rosalie et al. (2008) Beyond the ""big talk"": the roles of breadth and repetition in parent-adolescent communication about sexual topics. Pediatrics 121:e612-8
Eastman, Karen L; Corona, Rosalie; Schuster, Mark A (2006) Talking parents, healthy teens: a worksite-based program for parents to promote adolescent sexual health. Prev Chronic Dis 3:A126
Eastman, Karen L; Corona, Rosalie; Ryan, Gery W et al. (2005) Worksite-based parenting programs to promote healthy adolescent sexual development: a qualitative study of feasibility and potential content. Perspect Sex Reprod Health 37:62-9
Schuster, M A; Eastman, K L; Fielding, J E et al. (2001) Promoting adolescent health: worksite-based interventions with parents of adolescents. J Public Health Manag Pract 7:41-52