Researchers Evaluate Teen Pregnancy Prevention Model with Latino Families

Arkansas has the third highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation and some estimates suggest that among Latinas the rate of incidence is nearly double that of non-Hispanic whites. To address this issue, Voices 4 Healthy Choices, a teen pregnancy prevention program with Healthy Connections, Inc., in Mena, pilot- tested a community-based teen sex prevention model on Saturday, October 2, 2010.

The model is based on research conducted by University of Arkansas researchers Yvette Murphy-Erby and Kim Stauss, and by Javier Boyas, from the University of Texas, Austin. The model is a culturally relevant community-based effort targeting Latino youths, grades 6-12, and their families from the rural community of DeQueen. The core components of the model include community- and faith-based partnerships; family involvement with a particular emphasis on Latino father involvement; experiential learning activities extracted from an evidence-based curriculum for youth and parents; and Latino family socialization.

Over 400 Latino children and parents attended the 10 hour community-based intervention; 121 children completed a pre- and post-test survey that tests their knowledge regarding sexual disease, risky behaviors, decision making, and health literacy. The researchers are also conducting focus groups with the participants. 

The pilot project and project evaluation are funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The researchers plan to seek additional funding to conduct a more comprehensive evaluation of the model. For more information about this study, please contact Stauss (kstauss@uark.edu) or Murphy-Erby (ymurphy@uark.edu).