EFFECTIVENESS OF A SCHOOL- BASED PREGNANCY PREVENTION PROGRAM ON SEXUAL HEALTH LITERACY, PREGNANCY PREVENTION BEHAVIOR AND SEXUAL RISK BEHAVIOR AMONG FEMALE TEENAGERS AND THEIR BOYFRIENDS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Abstract

Teenage pregnancy is a global health issue and remains the major reason for female teenagers leave schools. Boyfriends may have an undue influence on female decision-making about sexual behavior. This study aimed to examine effectiveness of a school-based pregnancy prevention program (SBPP) among female teenagers and their boyfriends. A randomized controlled trial design was conducted. Participants were recruited by using a simple random sampling technique from a public secondary school in Mueang District, Mahasarakham Province. They were 35 (18 females and 17 males) in the intervention group, and 38 (19 females and 19 males) in the control group. The intervention group received the SBPP and formal education curriculum from the school, while the control group received only the formal education curriculum. The SBPP was developed based on the Information-Motivation-Behavior Skill model and reviewed related literature. This program consisted of 6 sessions, while 4 sessions were implemented at school, with 120 minutes per session (week 1-4), and 2 booster sessions were implemented via the application LINE, with 60 minutes per session (week 5-6). Data were collected from July to November 2021. Outcomes included sexual health literacy, pregnancy prevention behavior, and sexual risk behavior measured 3 times at baseline (week 0, T1), post-intervention (week 6, T2), and follow-up (week 10, T3). Descriptive statistics, independent t-test, chi-square, Fisher’s exact test, and repeated measured ANOVA were used to analyze the data.

The results revealed that after completion of the intervention, participants in the intervention group had significantly higher sexual health literacy, better pregnancy prevention behavior, and lower sexual risk behavior than in the control group (p < .05). These findings suggest that the SBPP is effective. Nurses and related health care personnel should utilize this program to prevent teenage pregnancy. Consequently, appropriate sexual health literacy, pregnancy prevention behavior, and sexual risk behavior among female teenagers and their boyfriends would be achieved.

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