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Power Through Choices

Study Findings

Evidence by Outcome Domain and Study
Citation Sexual Activity Number of Sexual Partners Contraceptive Use STIs or HIV Pregnancy

Covington et al. 2016

 Uniformly null impacts across the outcomes examined in this domain Uniformly null impacts across the outcomes examined in this domain Uniformly null impacts across the outcomes examined in this domain Uniformly null impacts across the outcomes examined in this domain A mix of positive, null, and/or adverse impacts across the outcomes examined in this domain

Oman et al. 2016

 n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a. n.a.
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Detailed Findings
CitationDetails

Covington et al. 2016

The program was evaluated in a cluster randomized controlled trial involving 885 adolescents recruited from 44 residential group homes in California, Maryland, and Oklahoma. The study randomly assigned clusters of youth to a treatment group receiving the 10 sessions of the POWER Through Choices program or a control group not receiving the intervention but that had access to other existing community and group home services. Data for the study were collected before the intervention (baseline), immediately after the intervention, and six and 12 months after the end of the intervention. This publication focused on data collected at the 12-month follow-up.

Twelve months after the program ended, adolescents in the treatment group were significantly less likely to report ever been pregnant or gotten someone pregnant than the adolescents in the control group (odds ratio = 0.81, confidence interval = 0.75 to 0.88). In addition, 12 months after the end of the program the study found that the subgroup of female adolescents in the treatment group were significantly less likely to report ever been pregnant than their counterparts in the control group (odds ratio = 0.66, confidence interval = 0.56 to 0.77). At the 12-month follow-up, the study showed no statistically significant impacts on measures of recent sexual activity (in last three months), number of sexual partners, condom and birth control use during recent sexual activity, and being tested and diagnosed with an STI in the past 12 months.

The study also examined program impacts on measures of knowledge about reproductive anatomy and fertility, HIV and STIs, and methods and protection; attitudes toward safe sex and the use of protection; perceived self-efficacy to avoid unprotected sex; perceived ability to find methods of protection; and perceived access to condoms and birth control. Findings for these outcomes were not considered for the review because they fell outside the scope of the review.

Oman et al. 2016

This study did not meet the review eligibility criteria.
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Notes

Some study entries may include more than one citation because each citation examines a different follow-up period from the same study sample, or because each citation examines a different set of outcome measures on the same study sample. A blank cell indicates the study did not examine any outcome measures within the particular outcome domain or the findings for the outcome measures within that domain did not meet the review evidence standards.

Information on evidence of effectiveness is available only for studies that received a high or moderate rating. Read the description of the review process for more information on how these programs are identified.

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