Empirical investigations have identified hundreds of factors that predict whether youth engage in sexual activity (YSA). To promote optimal health and the avoidance of unhealthy or problematic outcomes that can result from YSA, sex education programs have been extensively developed and evaluated. Many evaluations have identified the effect of the program on immediate outcomes such as attitudes and intentions, others have examined subsequent behavioral and health outcomes, and some have done both. The purpose of this study was to extend the evaluation literature by testing a mediated effects model. A sex education program was found to have significant immediate effects on several attitudinal factors that have been shown to predict YSA, and was shown to significantly reduce the incidence of sexual activity approximately one year after the program (OR = 0.534, p = .004). A mediating effects test showed that youth’s stated intentions to engage in sexual activity was a significant mediated effect (B = -0.182, Lower CI = -0.291, Upper CI = -0.073), suggesting that the program effects on sexual activity occurred through the immediate effect on intentions, which in turn was likely affected by program content, which changed other attitudinal factors such as values, efficacy, and knowledge. Using immediate changes on these mediating factors to predict the likelihood of YSA showed that accurate prediction was possible, with an overall prediction accuracy rate of 74%. It was easier to predict who was not going to engage in YSA (94% accuracy) than who would (35% accuracy). Further predictive analyses showed that a score of 4.12 (on a scale of 1 to 5) on agreement with the items comprising the mediating factors’ scales was a threshold point, with the likelihood of engaging in YSA rising sharply as a function of this score until that point, and score increases above that point resulting in minimal changes in the probability of YSA. The results of this study demonstrate that it is possible to reduce YSA, that intent to engage in YSA was a primary mediator, and that accurate prediction of eventual behavioral results is possible, based on analysis of immediate results.

School-based sexuality education (SBSE) is an important and debated part of the sexual socialization of young people in the US. While existing literature addresses the sociological implications of SBSE at the policy and curriculum-level, little was previously known about the ways instructors carried out and made sense of sex education in their classrooms. In this study, I examine the relationship between how sex education instructors make sense of sex education and their understandings of youth and sexuality. I conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with sex education teachers in Mississippi public schools and used an inductive analysis approach to determine themes from the data. I find that teachers depart from the prescribed curriculum, or go off-script, to address their functional and ideological concerns in the classroom. Where teachers translate their own ideologies about youth and sexuality into instruction, these ideologies serve to reproduce social inequality by gendering, racializing, and classing instruction.

The research problem in this study addressed the lack of evaluation criteria used to assess the LIFE curriculum's alignment with the A-H guidelines of the federally funded Title V abstinence education program. These A-H guidelines have existed for almost two decades but no evaluation has been done that measured the degree of alignment between a specific curriculum and the federal A-H guidelines. Using Lewis' theory of the culture of poverty as the foundation, the purpose of this qualitative study that used a constant comparison analysis was to evaluate the level of alignment of the LIFE curriculum with each of the eight guidelines (A-H) of the Federal Title V abstinence education program. The research question that this study sought to address was: Is there is an alignment between the LIFE abstinence education curriculum and the Title V abstinence education Federal Guidelines A-H. The data was collected from the 8 lessons within the LIFE curriculum documents, were then coded using a deductive reasoning strategy. The data was then subjected to content analysis using a qualitative software program, which was Atlas.ti. Learning outcomes from each of the eight LIFE curriculum lessons were listed in a six-column table that showed the alignment of the desired outcome with the evaluation criteria of the A-H guidelines. Overall, the LIFE curriculum was found to be 71% in alignment with the A-H guidelines. This study has policy implications such that it may provide insight to policymakers, parents, and communities regarding the need for further alignment between federal guidelines and abstinence education curriculum. Attention to alignment issues may impact positive social change by assisting in the reduction of pregnancy rates among those ages 10-19 years old.

This study assessed indicators of adoption of abstinence-only-until-marriage education as an innovation by middle school principals in the state of Texas. It also assessed school principals?? likelihood of adopting such programs. This study was conducted in the context of changing school policies related to sexuality education and an influx of governmental funding intended to encourage instruction about abstinence-only-until-marriage. The impact of school-based, abstinence education and the role of the principal are of special interest for those promoting healthy sexual behavior among youth. The study??s sample consisted of 433 responses from a proportional random sample of middle school principals selected from 20 Education Service Center Regions in the state of Texas. Rogers?? Diffusion of Innovations Theory provided the theoretical framework and foundation for this research. Five perceived attributions of an innovation??relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability and observability??were the study??s independent variables. The dependent variable was defined as the likelihood of principals adopting abstinence-only-until-marriage education in their schools. Location of schools (i.e., in rural or urban counties), was examined as having a possible moderating effect on other variables. Findings from this study indicated the middle school principal who was most willing to adopt abstinence-only-until-marriage education programs into his or her school??s curriculum strongly believed abstinence education provided important advantages for youth, and strongly perceived abstinence-only-until-marriage education to be consistent with his or her professional and personal beliefs and values. The average principal also did not perceive abstinence-only-until-marriage education to be complex. The typical respondent agreed that elements of abstinence-only-until-marriage education could be easily tried in the school, and considered it important to observe other principals adopting abstinence-only-until-marriage education prior to adopting the innovation. Trialability, complexity and religion were the strongest predictors for likelihood of adoption. Efforts to promote abstinence-only-until-marriage education in the public schools are dependent upon an understanding of the role of administrators in the curriculum adoption process. This study contributes to the knowledge base related to the school principal??s influence on abstinence promoting programs.

This study assessed indicators of adoption of abstinence-only-until-marriage education as an innovation by middle school principals in the state of Texas. It also assessed school principals?? likelihood of adopting such programs. This study was conducted in the context of changing school policies related to sexuality education and an influx of governmental funding intended to encourage instruction about abstinence-only-until-marriage. The impact of school-based, abstinence education and the role of the principal are of special interest for those promoting healthy sexual behavior among youth. The study??s sample consisted of 433 responses from a proportional random sample of middle school principals selected from 20 Education Service Center Regions in the state of Texas. Rogers?? Diffusion of Innovations Theory provided the theoretical framework and foundation for this research. Five perceived attributions of an innovation??relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability and observability??were the study??s independent variables. The dependent variable was defined as the likelihood of principals adopting abstinence-only-until-marriage education in their schools. Location of schools (i.e., in rural or urban counties), was examined as having a possible moderating effect on other variables. Findings from this study indicated the middle school principal who was most willing to adopt abstinence-only-until-marriage education programs into his or her school??s curriculum strongly believed abstinence education provided important advantages for youth, and strongly perceived abstinence-only-until-marriage education to be consistent with his or her professional and personal beliefs and values. The average principal also did not perceive abstinence-only-until-marriage education to be complex. The typical respondent agreed that elements of abstinence-only-until-marriage education could be easily tried in the school, and considered it important to observe other principals adopting abstinence-only-until-marriage education prior to adopting the innovation. Trialability, complexity and religion were the strongest predictors for likelihood of adoption. Efforts to promote abstinence-only-until-marriage education in the public schools are dependent upon an understanding of the role of administrators in the curriculum adoption process. This study contributes to the knowledge base related to the school principal??s influence on abstinence promoting programs.