Conducting Adolescent Sexuality Research in Schools: Lessons Learned

Abstract

Research that analyzes school-based health education programs usually includes the intervention's strategies, the instrument used to gauge its effectiveness, the sample sizes, and results. Issues related to recruiting and retaining of participants are rarely studied. Using school-based personnel as allies has been suggested in previous studies, but no studies have reported the outcome of this strategy when the research involves the topic of sexuality education. In this paper, the authors describe their experience using such a strategy in a longitudinal evaluation of Reducing the Risk curriculum, using 1141 adolescents within the 12 intervention schools in Maine in order to explore its impact on adolescent attitudes and behavior. The evaluation explored the supports and barriers to adopting curricula, the extent to which teachers implemented them and the types of modifications they made. Overall, the authors concluded that modifying a curriculum during implementation can reduce its effectiveness.