Rigorous evaluation of 性 health programs in real world settings
十年来， ICF进行了 applied evaluations for DASH-funded initiatives to assess innovative programs, 政策, and processes that work to prevent adverse 性 health outcomes among youths. The findings are enhancing outreach efforts at schools—helping at-risk populations avoid becoming pregnant or infected with HIV or 性传播疾病.
客户端
Division of Adolescent School Health (DASH), 研究 Application and Evaluation Branch
挑战
Find answers to high-priority questions about the effects of 性 health programs across multiple school districts in a timely and flexible manner
解决方案
Design evaluation approaches and protocols to gather critical data from hard-to-reach and high-risk youth. Analyze and share study results to inform future interventions.
影响
Access to high-quality evaluation services allows DASH to take timely informed action and advance key priorities in adolescent 性 health interventions. Our findings ensure that best practices in school-based 性 health are made widely available to help young people across the United States.
School and family connectedness in adolescence
在一个 just released pediatrics publication, one of ICF’s DASH-funded studies examined multiple adult health outcomes and explored protective factors associated with connectedness during adolescence. Findings suggested that school and family connectedness in youth have both independent and combined protective effects in adulthood related to emotional, 性, 身体健康. This points to the potential for upstream prevention efforts focused on building connectedness in childhood to help promote long-term health and well-being.
Sexual health education in high school
ICF conducted an evaluation and developed accompanying outcome briefs to capture a comprehensive snapshot of lessons-learned from an evaluation of 性 health education in the Ft. Worth Independent School District. The study showed—at a glance—the adaptation and augmentation of a popular health education curriculum to meet the local school district needs, the dramatic increase in student 性 health knowledge as a result of the course, and next steps for sustaining and expanding effective 性 health education in the district.
HIV testing among 性 minority males of color
ICF conducted a formative research project to help DASH design stronger school-based programs to prevent HIV among adolescent 性 minority males (ASMM). We recruited participants at community-based organizations that serve ASMM in New York City, 费城, and San Francisco—collecting over 400 web-based surveys and 32 in-depth interviews. We learned that 72% had been tested for HIV, but only 13.5% of them at school or a school clinic. Participants claimed they would be more likely to get tested if available close to or at school, 和64年.4% would use HIV testing if offered in schools.
ICF continued evaluation of school-based programs to prevent HIV among ASMM by conducting a 5-year evaluation of efforts in Broward County Public Schools. This evaluation included collection of about 10,000名青年调查, 学校教职员调查, 学校氛围评估, and partnership assessments at multiple time points. Final results are being analyzed currently but many ancillary studies have been published from this data.
与项目负责人会面
