The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an adapted (eight-hour) version of Reducing the Risk implemented in a set of rural Kentucky high schools. We examine impacts on knowledge of contraception and STIs, attitudes toward abstinence and condom use, intentions to have sex, and sexual risk behaviors one and two years after receiving the program.
Goesling, Brian and Robert Wood. 2018. "Impact Evaluation of the Reducing the Risk Program." AEA RCT Registry. May 08. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.277-6.0.
Eight hour version of Reducing the Risk: Building Skills to Prevent Pregnancy, STDs & HIV. This program was developed over 20 years ago by ETR Associates to influence adolescent sexual and drug behaviors
Intervention Start Date
2013-09-01
Intervention End Date
2015-06-01
Primary Outcomes (end points)
Sexual intercourse in past three months [ Time Frame: 2-year post intervention ] Sexual intercourse without a condom in past three months [ Time Frame: 2-year post intervention ]
Contraceptive use [ Time Frame: 1-year post intervention ]
Contraceptive use [ Time Frame: 2-years post intervention ]
Primary Outcomes (explanation)
Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Knowledge of contraception and STIs [ Time Frame: 1-year post intervention ] Knowledge of contraception and STIs [ Time Frame: 2-year post intervention ] Support for abstinence [Time Frame: 1-year post intervention ] Support for abstinence [Time Frame: 2-year post intervention ] Support for condom use [Time Frame: 1-year post intervention ] Support for condom use [Time Frame: 2-year post intervention ]
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)
Experimental Design
The evaluation’s primary objective is to test the effectiveness of an eight-hour version of Reducing the Risk on outcomes such as sexual initiation, condom and contraceptive use, number of sexual partners, and pregnancy. The evaluation will enroll youth in health classes in high schools in the Barren River and the Lincoln Trail regions of rural Kentucky. The 13 evaluation study schools will be randomly assigned twice – in summer 2013 and again in summer 2014. The study power therefore assumes a total of 26 randomly assigned clusters. Two evaluation cohorts of youth will be enrolled – the first in fall 2013 and the second in fall 2014. This study is being conducted as part of the national Personal Responsibility Education Program evaluation funded by Administration for Children and Families within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
randomization done in office by a computer
Randomization Unit
schools
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes
Sample size: planned number of clusters
26 schools
Sample size: planned number of observations
2,400 students
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
estimated 13 schools treatment, 13 schools control
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
The adapted version of Reducing the Risk led to a sustained increase in students’ knowledge of contraception and sexually transmitted infections after two years, and a longer-term impact on sexual risk behavior had emerged for one subgroup of students.
Citation
Goesling, Brian, Joanne Lee, Robert G. Wood, and Susan Zief. "Adapting an Evidence-Based Curriculum in a Rural Setting: The Longer-Term Impacts of Reducing the Risk in Kentucky," Mar 31, 2018.
OPRE Report #2018-27