Safer Choices as a Public Health-Based Intervention Program - Essay Example

Public Health Intervention Review Josee Genty Introduction Safer Choices is a public health based intervention program, which aims at reducing the involvement rate of the youths belonging to high schools towards unprotected sex (Wolfe & Mash, 2006; Wallander & Siegel, 1995). This particular intervention is deemed to fulfill the above stated aim by making the young individuals to use condoms during sex and also changing their sexually behavioral attitudes (Orlowski, 2015; CDC, 2011). The above discussed intervention program provides a brief idea about various important subject matters that entail the knowledge of Human Immunodeficiency Virus HIV , appropriate use of condoms and the requirement of changing as well as developing sexually oriented behavioral attitudes of the individuals (Eisen, Pallitto, Bradner,& Bolshun, 2000; Selvan & Ross, n.d.). With this concern, the essay intends to review and analyze the intervention program of Safer Choices by accessing varied literatures relevant to the same. During the analysis, various significant aspects that include identifying the major target population for the stated intervention program and determining the success or the failure of this intervention program by focusing on the overall findings of certain articles would be taken into concern for discussion. Review of a Specific Public Health Intervention Program: Safer Choices Brief description of the major components of the program The major components of the program i.e. Safer Choices are parenting education, prospectus concerning pregnancy avoidance as well as HIV and establishment of linkage between the program and community services (Education, Training and Research Associates, 2014). Apart from these, the other vital components of the programs can be apparently noted as deliverance of effective recommendations about educator training and hosting school-wide actions among others (Advocates for Youth, 2008; Wang, Davis, Robin, Collins, Coyle, & Baumler, 2000). These components are delivered to the people who are involved in unprotected sex. These components are mainly delivered by organizing any sort of event or a discussion session (Advocates for Youth, 2008; Wang, Davis, Robin, Collins, Coyle, & Baumler, 2000). Major Target Populations for the Intervention Program After acquiring a brief idea about the intervention program of Safer Choices and its major components, it is to be affirmed that the students of high school studying in 9th as well as 10th grades are one of the prime target populaces for the stated program (Bartholomew, Parcel, Kok, & Gottlieb, 2011; Child Trends, 2015). Apart from this, the other populaces include Hispanic youths who are sexually inexperienced, urban as well as sub-urban youths, sexually knowledgeable young people and multiethnic groups that comprise African American, white, Asian, and Hispanic adolescents ( Advocates for Youth, 2008; Education, Training and Research Associates, 2014). Discussion of the Selected Peer-Reviewed Articles “The ‘safer choices’ intervention: its impact on the sexual behaviors of different subgroups of high school students.” The article mainly propounded by Kirby, Baumler, Coyle, Engquist, Parcel, Harrist, & Banspach in the year 2004 in Southeast Texas and Northern California. In terms of synopsis, this article mainly focused on determining the effects of the intervention concerning Safer Choices on sexually based behavioral attitudes of diverse subgroups of the students associated with high schools. The article has been mainly conducted owing to the reason that the rate of involvement of high school students belonging to the above stated regions in unprotected sex has increased by a considerable degree. Various significant aspects that entail meta-analyses and randomized trials have been taken into concern by the authors of the article in order to reach into a valid conclusion. The article concluded the success of the intervention i.e. Safer Choices in various ways. In this regard, one of such ways included lessening one or in excess of one sexual risk measures taking over 31 months amid all youth groups. The other way included proving the effectiveness of the stated intervention within males, youths and the Hispanic groups who mainly participated in the study. These respondents were identified to be involved in unprotected sex and thus, experienced higher HIV risks. “Behavioral interventions for the prevention of sexually transmitted infections in young people aged 13–19 years: a systematic review.” This particular article of Picot, Shepherd, Kavanagh, Cooper, Harden, Page, Jones, Clegg, Hartwell, & Frampton was propounded in the year 2012 in the UK. While providing the synopsis, the article emphasized determining appropriate behavioral interventions for preventing infections that spread due to sexual transmission amid the young people belonging to the UK. The specific reason for which the article has propounded was that the involvement of the young people of the UK particularly falling under the age range between 13-19 years in unprotected sex has augmented largely in recent times as compared to the earlier years. It has been apparently recognized that the article considered certain methods that included meta-analysis by executing the software associated with EPPI-Reviewer and also chi-squared test for obtaining appropriate research finding This particular article concluded the failure of the intervention program i.e. Safer Choices in changing the behavioral outcomes of the participants who mainly participated in the study. It can be apparently observed that there lay certain vital reasons for which the study showcased the failure of the above stated intervention in preventing STD related infections amid the youths whose age fall between 13-19 years. In this similar context, such reasons entailed inappropriate execution of the intervention, difficulties in involving the youths towards the intervention and shortage in discussing about varied remedial measures that are accessible in the process of preventing infections amid the youths that are dispersed from STD diseases. “Using intervention mapping to adapt an effective HIV, sexually transmitted disease, and pregnancy prevention program for high-risk minority youth.” Tortolero, Markham, Parcel, Peters, Chaves, Engquist & Lewis have propounded the article in the year 2005 in Texas. The article was propounded for the purpose of appropriately estimating the prevalence of common sexual activities amid the adolescents in Texas. Notably, the authors conducted certain methods including need assessment and survey in order to reach into valid conclusion of this study. Based on this article, it can be concluded that the success of the intervention is determined in the form of clarifying the fact about how the intervention concerning Safer Choices gets operated in a completely new population. Specially mentioning, the article demonstrated the success of the above stated intervention in terms of determining the new determinants that require to be addressed within the selected populaces. . Discussion of the Overall Findings of the Articles Based on the findings of the above discussed articles, the success of the intervention i.e. Safer Choices could be assessed in accordance with the positive impacts impose by this intervention on the sexual behaviors of distinct subgroups of the learners belonging to high schools in the form of delaying or lessening the frequency of their involvement in unprotected sex. Strengths of the Intervention Based on the above conducted research, strengths along with weaknesses of Safer Choices, acting as one of the specific public health interventions, can be ascertained. Amongst the strengths, the delay in the instigation of sexual intercourse amid the Hispanic youths could not be ignored (Kirby et al., 2004). Apart from this, the increased level of using and following effective contraception methods like condoms or pills of birth control by the youths while getting involved in unprotected sex is also duly considered to be the other major strength of the intervention (Tortolero et al., 2005). Weaknesses of the Intervention Apart from the strengths, certain weaknesses of the intervention concerning Safer Choices could also be ascertained. In this regard, one of such weaknesses can be reckoned in terms of implementation or evaluation of the performance of the intervention program. This is due to the lack of considering experimental design in the context of treating or controlling the critical conditions of the youths that they experience while getting involved into unprotected sex (Picot et al., 2012). Recommended Changes Certain changes are required to be made in the overall attributes of the intervention program for improving its effectiveness. In this regard, such changes can be ascertained in the form of evaluating its methodology towards treating the people who underwent with critical situations after getting involved with unprotected sex. Apart from this, the change should also be made in making appropriate evaluation of the overall research findings. These research findings could be related to various important subject matters that encompass delayed start of sexual intercourse amid the youth, increased level of condom usage, gaining momentum of effectual contraception and widened testing of HIV infections among others. It is quite obvious that the incorporation of the above discussed changes would significantly aid in improving the effectiveness of the intervention of Safer Choices based on which the sexual behavioral attitudes of different subgroups of youths could be developed at large (Advocate for Youth, 2008). Conclusion From the above analysis and discussion, it is evident that Safer Choices is deemed to be an effective intervention program relating to public health, whose prime intention is to prevent the youths to be involved with unprotected sex. In this regard, by reviewing several literatures, it was observed that the aforesaid intervention program focuses on developing its varied program components for deriving various positive along with significant outcomes. In conclusion, it is to be affirmed that by making considerable changes in the overall attributes of the intervention program, its effectiveness could be developed resulting towards developing the lives of the young people by reflecting upon their respective behavioral attitudes. References Advocates for Youth. (2008). Safer choices. Retrieved from http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/1128?task=view Bartholomew, L. K., Parcel, G. S., Kok, G., & Gottlieb, N. H. (2011). Planning health promotion programs: An intervention mapping approach. New York, US: John Wiley & Sons. Child Trends. (2015). Safer choices. Retrieved from http://www.childtrends.org/?programs=safer-choices CDC. (2011). Effective HIV and STD prevention programs for youth. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/sexualbehaviors/effective_programs.htm Education, Training and Research Associates. (2015). Evidence-based programs. Retrieved from http://recapp.etr.org/recapp/index.cfm?fuseaction=pages.ebpDetail&PageID=131 ETR. (2014). Safer choices complete program. Retrieved from http://pub.etr.org/ProductDetails.aspx?id=400000&itemno=H556 Eisen, M., Pallitto, C., Bradner, C., & Bolshun, N. (2000). Teen risk-taking: Promising prevention programs and approaches. Retrieved from http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/TeenRiskTaking_2.pdf Kirby, D. B., Baumler, E., Coyle, K. K., Engquist, K. B., Parcel, G. S., Harrist, R., & Banspach, S. W. (2004). The “Safer Choices” intervention: Its impact on the sexual behaviors of different subgroups of high school students. Journal of Adolescent Health, 35, 442-452. Orlowski, M. (2015). Introduction to health behaviors: A guide for managers, practitioners & educators. US: Cengage Learning. Picot, J., Shepherd, J., Kavanagh, J., Cooper, C., Harden, A., Page, E. B., Jones, J., Clegg, A., Hartwell, D., & Frampton, G. K. (2012). Behavioral interventions for the prevention of sexually transmitted infections in young people aged 13–19 years: A systematic review. Health Education Research, 27(3), 1-18. Selven, M. S., & Ross, M. W. (n.d.). Opinion on school - based intervention and prevention programmes among Indian adolescents. Health Administrator, XVII(1), 43-49. Tortolero, S. R., Markham, C. M., Parcel, G. S., Peters, R. J., Chaves, S. L. E., Engquist, K. B., & Lewis, H. L. (2005). Using intervention mapping to adapt an effective HIV, sexually transmitted disease, and pregnancy prevention program for high-risk minority youth. Health Promotion Practice, 6(3), 286-298. Wallander, J. L. & Siegel, L. J. (1995). Adolescent health problems: Behavioral perspectives. New York, US: Guilford Press. Wolfe, D. A. & Mash, E. J. (2006). Behavioral and emotional disorders in adolescents: Nature, assessment, and treatment. Texas, USA: Guilford Press. Wang, L. Y., Davis, M., Robin, L., Collins, J., Coyle, K., & Baumler, E. (2000). Economic evaluation of Safer Choices: A school-based human immunodeficiency virus, other sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancy prevention program. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, 154(10), 1017-24. Read More