Heart to Heart: Testing a Sexual Health Training for Foster and Kinship Caregivers
| Status: | Recruiting |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Infectious Disease, Women's Studies |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Immunology / Infectious Diseases, Reproductive |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 18 - Any |
| Updated: | 11/8/2017 |
| Start Date: | August 2, 2017 |
| End Date: | December 31, 2018 |
| Contact: | Kym Ahrens, MD, MPH |
| Email: | kym.ahrens@seattlechildrens.org |
| Phone: | 206-884-1031 |
Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Sexual Health Curriculum for Foster and Kinship Caregivers
Heart to Heart is a brief pregnancy prevention training program delivered to foster and
kinship caregivers to prevent unintended pregnancy in foster youth. The training delivers
easy to understand information on sexual health, contraception, and adolescent development.
It also includes a brief behavioral training, and information on effective communication,
monitoring strategies, and social support. The curriculum was piloted in Los Angeles.
Investigators will test the intervention in a randomized control trial.
kinship caregivers to prevent unintended pregnancy in foster youth. The training delivers
easy to understand information on sexual health, contraception, and adolescent development.
It also includes a brief behavioral training, and information on effective communication,
monitoring strategies, and social support. The curriculum was piloted in Los Angeles.
Investigators will test the intervention in a randomized control trial.
Dr. Ahrens and her team will evaluate the effectiveness of this training using a randomized
stepped wedge study design with a target enrollment of 100 foster and kinship caregivers.
Recruitment will be carried out in collaboration with the Los Angeles Department of Child and
Family Services, foster family agencies and support groups. After completing a baseline
survey, participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention group or the
waitlist control group. (With a target 1:1 ratio of controls to intervention subjects, but in
consideration of greater levels of attrition in the waitlist control group due to the 6-month
wait before being offered the training, participants will be randomized in a ratio of 4:3 to
control vs intervention group). The intervention group will receive the training soon after
enrollment, and will then complete 3 follow-up surveys over the following 6 months.
Participants assigned to the waitlist control group will first complete 3 surveys over 6
months, receive the intervention at the 6 month mark, then take 3 follow-up surveys over the
following 6-month period. Dr. Ahrens and team will use these survey data to measure the
effectiveness of the training based on the outcome measures. Participants will be surveyed at
multiple timepoints both because the different outcomes are expected to occur within
different time intervals (e.g. knowledge may change right away, while behaviors will take
longer), and to assess whether these outcomes change over time (e.g. whether knowledge gained
in the training is lasting).
stepped wedge study design with a target enrollment of 100 foster and kinship caregivers.
Recruitment will be carried out in collaboration with the Los Angeles Department of Child and
Family Services, foster family agencies and support groups. After completing a baseline
survey, participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention group or the
waitlist control group. (With a target 1:1 ratio of controls to intervention subjects, but in
consideration of greater levels of attrition in the waitlist control group due to the 6-month
wait before being offered the training, participants will be randomized in a ratio of 4:3 to
control vs intervention group). The intervention group will receive the training soon after
enrollment, and will then complete 3 follow-up surveys over the following 6 months.
Participants assigned to the waitlist control group will first complete 3 surveys over 6
months, receive the intervention at the 6 month mark, then take 3 follow-up surveys over the
following 6-month period. Dr. Ahrens and team will use these survey data to measure the
effectiveness of the training based on the outcome measures. Participants will be surveyed at
multiple timepoints both because the different outcomes are expected to occur within
different time intervals (e.g. knowledge may change right away, while behaviors will take
longer), and to assess whether these outcomes change over time (e.g. whether knowledge gained
in the training is lasting).
Inclusion Criteria:
- Is a foster or kinship caregiver in Los Angeles County.
- Has a youth age 11-21 who has lived with them for at least 3 months in the past year.
- Anticipates that at least one youth age 11-21 will continue to live with them for the
next 12 months.
- Is available for either training group (immediate or in 6 months).
Exclusion Criteria:
- Does not anticipate youth will stay in their home for 12 months
- Does not have a youth age 11-21 in their home
- Cannot commit to being randomized to either training group.
We found this trial at
2
sites
Click here to add this to my saved trials
Click here to add this to my saved trials