We conducted an independent evaluation of the “Teens and Toddlers” intervention. Our randomized trial examined effects on self‐reported last sex without contraception, >1 episode of sex without contraception in previous 3 months, expectation of teenage parenthood and youth development score, plus secondary outcomes among 449 at‐risk girls age 13/14 in England. The intervention involves 18–20 weekly sessions in pre‐school nurseries. Response rates were 95% post‐intervention and 91% one year later. At follow‐up two, there was no evidence of intervention benefits for primary outcomes and a positive impact for our secondary outcome, low self‐esteem. At follow‐up one, there was no evidence of benefits for our primary outcomes but evidence of benefits for our secondary outcomes: low self‐esteem; low sexual health knowledge; and difficulty discussing the contraceptive pill. The intervention should be refined, with a clearer logic model and more emphasis on sex education, and re‐evaluated.
In 2009, the government's Department for Education commissioned a team of researchers at NatCen Social Research to evaluate the effectiveness of the youth development/teenage pregnancy prevention programme 'Teens and Toddlers'. Previous studies had positive findings but had not been very rigorous in terms of methodology and methods used. We evaluated the programme through a randomised controlled trial, in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Bryson Purdon Social Research. This case study provides an account of the stages in conducting a randomised controlled trial, from the initial scoping out of what exactly we were going to measure, coming up with the randomised controlled trial design, to reflecting on the possible methodological limitations of our research. It gives a narrative of the whole 'RCT journey' -how we determined the outcomes to be measured, the factors that enabled and limited us in designing the randomised controlled trial and the methodological and practical challenges the research team encountered along the way and how we dealt with those. Learning Outcomes By the end of the case you should Understand what a randomised controlled trial (RCT) is Understand what factors can influence the design of an RCT Have an idea of possible practical challenges in carrying out an RCT Have a better understanding of the methodological challenges involved in evaluating social interventions Background to the ResearchReducing teenage pregnancy has been a government priority in the United Kingdom for many years because teenage pregnancy often leads to poor health and underachievement for the mother and child.'Teens and Toddlers' is a youth development programme designed to tackle teen pregnancy by working with young people aged 13-17 years considered to be 'at risk'. The programme was originally conceived by Laura Huxley, in the late 1970s in California, USA. Young people on the programme attend weekly sessions for 18-20 weeks. The time on the programme is split between supervised work experience in a nursery setting with a child who needs 'special attention' and classroom work with a trained facilitator.Young people on the programme also have access to individual time with a trained counsellor to help them with their emotional development.The programme aims to prevent teenage pregnancies through providing practical experience of working with children and developing an appreciation of the enormous privilege, responsibility and hard work involved in having a child, encouraging the development of alternative goals to being pregnant, such as satisfying work and
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