Evaluation of Peer Group Connection - Middle School

Summary

This study is a randomized controlled trial to assess the impact of the Peer Group Connection - Middle School (PGC-MS) intervention on pre-sexual behaviors and sexual initiation in middle school-aged youth. The primary research questions it aims to answer are:

1. What is the impact of the offer to participate in PGC-MS relative to the control group on participants' reported initiation of sexual intercourse at sixteen months post-intervention?
2. What is the impact of the offer to participate in PGC-MS relative to the control group on participants' reports of ever smoking a cigarette at four months post-intervention?
3. What is the impact of the offer to participate in PGC-MS relative to the control group on participants' reports of ever using an electronic vapor product at four months post-intervention?
4. What is the impact of the offer to participate in PGC-MS relative to the control group on participants' reports of ever having a drink of alcohol at four months post-intervention?
5. What is the impact of the offer to participate in PGC-MS relative to the control group on participants' reports of ever using marijuana at four months post-intervention?

Researchers will compare participants randomized to receive PGC-MS (treatment group) to participants randomized to class-as-usual (which contains no sexual or reproductive health information (control group)).

Participants randomized to the treatment group will be offered PGC-MS over the course of their transition year into middle school (6th grade). Participants randomized to the control group will be offered class-as-usual.

Conditions

• Teen Pregnancy Prevention

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Peer Group Connection - Middle School (PGC-MS)

Peer Group Connection - Middle School (PGC-MS) is the treatment condition. PGC-MS is a school-based positive youth development program for students entering the transition year into middle school (6th or 7th grade). PGC-MS aims to improve school engagement and social-emotional learning skills that support adolescent health and educational outcomes for program participants. Participants receive 40-minute outreach sessions held 3 to 4 times per month for the full school year. Schools are expected to implement a minimum of 18 outreach sessions over the school year. PGC-MS outreach sessions are delivered by older peer leaders (8th, 9th, or 10th graders) who are carefully selected by faculty advisors and trained on how to deliver program content.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Department of Health and Human Services

  collaborator FED

• Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.

  collaborator OTHER

• Reproductive Health National Training Center

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Center for Supportive Schools

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• The Policy & Research Group

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Sarah Walsh, PhD · The Policy & Research Group

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

11 Years

Max Age

14 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-09-01

Primary Completion

2027-12-31

Completion

2028-09-14

Countries

• United States

Study Locations