Effects of Infant Simulators on Urban, Minority, Middle School Students

Abstract

An experiential approach to preventing teen pregnancy, "Baby Think It Over" is a popular option in schools. The current study used an experimental design and a 1-year longitudinal follow-up with 93 experimental group and 92 control group male and female, primarily African American and Mexican American, low-socioeconomic status students from two middle schools in a large, urban district in the Midwest (mean age = 13.24 years, range = 12-15 years). The program was evaluated for a wide array of outcomes, including sexual behavior, contraceptive use, realism about parenting responsibilities, personal intentions to avoid teenage pregnancy, self-efficacy to avoid sexual risk taking and pregnancy, sexual attitudes, plans for pregnancy, and actual pregnancy rates. The program successfully increased the Baby Think It Over group's sense of realism regarding lack of readiness to be a teenage parent, although no behaviors were changed. Differences emerged by demographic subgroup. All results are discussed in light of several contexts that must be considered, including the need to examine both costs and benefits of this type of program. This has direct implication for organizational policies regarding the intervention selection and application.