Effectiveness of a Brief Home Parenting Intervention for Reducing Early Sexual Risks Among Latino Adolescents: Salud y Éxito
Journal of School Health / The Journal of School Health
Published online on October 11, 2017
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Teen pregnancy rates and related risks remain elevated among Latino teens. We tested the impact on youth sexual behaviors of a brief, culturally targeted, bilingual media intervention designed for parents of young adolescents.
METHODS
Salud y éxito (Health & Success) uses dramatic audio stories to model positive parenting practices. After completing classroom surveys, 27 urban schools in the Northeast and Southwest serving low‐income Latino communities were randomized so that all families of seventh grade students were sent either: (1) booklets on healthy eating and exercise; (2) Salud‐50, where families either received booklets or the intervention, or (3) Salud‐100, where all families received the intervention. Postintervention follow‐up surveys were conducted at 3‐ and 12‐months. Multilevel analyses tested intervention effects, controlling for sociodemographics.
RESULTS
Compared with controls, at 12‐months postintervention (8th grade spring), youth in Salud‐100 report lower sexual risks (touching, AOR 1.46, CI 1.19‐0.84, p < .001; lifetime sex (AOR 0.74, CI 0.61‐0.90, p < .01); and sex intentions (AOR 0.78, CI 0.63‐0.96, p < .05). Consistent with a dose‐response, Salud‐50 results are between those from Salud‐100 and control schools.
CONCLUSIONS
Salud y éxito is an effective parenting intervention that can augment school‐based health and sexuality education and help Latino parents support their children during early adolescence.