Clinical Trial Details
— Status: Completed
Administrative data
NCT number |
NCT03240887 |
Other study ID # |
6 TP2AH000037-01-01 |
Secondary ID |
|
Status |
Completed |
Phase |
N/A
|
First received |
|
Last updated |
|
Start date |
April 2016 |
Est. completion date |
June 2021 |
Study information
Verified date |
November 2022 |
Source |
The Policy & Research Group |
Contact |
n/a |
Is FDA regulated |
No |
Health authority |
|
Study type |
Interventional
|
Clinical Trial Summary
A randomized controlled trial is being conducted in high schools in North Carolina and New
York City to determine the impact of a school-based, positive youth development program on
sexual behaviors associated with teen pregnancy
Description:
The Policy & Research Group (PRG) is conducting a rigorous evaluation of the Peer Group
Connection (PGC) program's impact on sexual behaviors associated with teen pregnancy. PGC is
a school-based, group peer mentoring program for ninth grade students that is designed to
facilitate the transition into high school and improve non-cognitive abilities, student
engagement, and educational outcomes. The study enrolls students from high schools that serve
large populations of economically disadvantaged and minority students in communities with
high teenage birth rates. In North Carolina, the study is being implemented in schools
serving rural populations, and in New York City, schools serving largely Hispanic and other
minority populations are targeted.
As part of the PGC program, ninth-grade participants attend weekly group outreach sessions
led by older peer leaders. Outreach sessions occur during regularly scheduled classes
(participants are pulled from their classes to attend). They include hands-on activities,
simulations, and discussions intended to build group cohesion and to improve the
decision-making skills of group members. A minimum of 18, 45-minute outreach sessions are
expected to be offered to PGC participants during the course of their ninth-grade year.
Although PGC is not explicitly a sexual health or teen pregnancy prevention program, the
belief is that by engaging ninth grade students in school, building connectedness among
peers, and building students' decision-making and goal-setting skills, PGC will encourage
students to make healthier decisions, including reducing sexual risk-taking and increasing
protective behaviors.
The comparison condition consists of normally scheduled classes or activities (e.g., Physical
Education/Health class, elective class, or homeroom period) that comparison group
participants are assigned to during the period that PGC outreaches occur. Comparison group
participants will therefore receive more time in the regularly scheduled class than will the
treatment group, but there will be no alternative program or additional activities offered to
the participants assigned to the comparison group.
The study is an individual randomized controlled trial in which eligible, consenting ninth
grade participants are randomly assigned by the evaluator to intervention (PGC) or control
(class as usual) groups at a 1:1 ratio. Outcomes will be assessed using questionnaire data
gathered at three time points: baseline, occurring during the fall of participants' 9th grade
year (prior to the provision of any PGC programming), and follow-up during the fall of their
10th and 11th grade years. Primary outcomes of interest include sexual initiation, frequency
of any type of sex, and number of sexual partners.