The Adolescent Reproductive Health program supports innovative domestic research to prevent unintended teen pregnancy and to integrate STD/HIV prevention into these efforts. Funded studies use epidemiological, behavioral and clinical approaches and focus on increasing understanding of the relationship between social and environmental factors and attitudes and behaviors associated with youth development and pregnancy risk.

Adolescent Reproductive Health program research studies include the following:

• Youth development approaches to promote adolescent reproductive health.
• Cultural influences on pregnancy intentions and reproductive health, with a focus on Latino populations.
• Other social influences (e.g., the role of families, access to health services, partner characteristics) on adolescent behavior, including abstinence, delayed initiation, and contraceptive use.

Currently funded research includes the following:

Longitudinal Study of Youth Assets and Teen Pregnancy*
Roy Oman and colleagues at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences are investigating relationships among youth assets, teen pregnancy, sexual risk behaviors and related risk behaviors. Youth development approaches such as these are based on the assumption that youth who meet their developmental goals are also less likely to engage in risk behavior; for example, youth who communicate with their parents, are connected to school and have a positive vision of their future are less likely to engage in risk behavior that jeopardizes those relationships and future goals. Dr. Oman’s study uses a 5-year longitudinal design that collects information from the same youth/parent pairs at 1-year intervals. The study design will allow the researchers to look at different ages of development and if and how youth assets are related to reducing teen sexual behavior and related risk behaviors.

Intervention Research on Youth Development to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
Christine Markham and colleagues at University of Texas in Houston are developing an innovative community-based model for a youth development intervention to prevent teen pregnancy. This program is focused on a predominantly Latino youth population in Houston, Texas, and will comprise a collaborative network of community service providers. Program components and activities will be pilot tested with youth, parents, and service providers in Year 2, and an evaluation study will be developed to inform a future study.

Family and Cultural Influences on Sex Among Latino Youth*
Vincent Guilamo-Ramos and colleagues at Columbia University are studying social, family, and cultural factors and how they are associated with adolescent decision making in Latino youth. Latino adolescents and their mothers will be interviewed over a 3-year period as these adolescents are transitioning from middle school to high school. This study will examine the role of
“ familialismo” (family relationships and communication) and “machismo/marianismo” (gender roles and norms) and how these concepts affect adolescent romantic relationships and sexual risk activity as well as the effects of developmental dynamics and acculturation in this process.

Unintended Pregnancy Among Young Latinos in Rural Areas*
Marie Harvey and colleagues at Oregon State University are studying sexual risk behavior, contraceptive use and HIV/STI prevention among young Latinos in rural settings. The study is being implemented in two phases. Phase 1 uses qualitative methodologies to explore Latino men’s and women’s contraceptive use and HIV/STI prevention methods. In Phase 2 researchers will conduct a cross sectional survey to determine risk and protective factors associated with contraceptive use and sexual risk and protective behavior among young Latinos.

Page last reviewed: 10/8/08
Page last modified: 10/8/08
Content source: Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion