The Research

Evidence Summary Findings

Journal of Adolescent Health article: Linking Families and Teens: Randomized Controlled Trial Study of a Family Communication and Sexual Health Education Program for Rural Youth and Their Parents.

LiFT was found to be effective at improving competency and communication related to sexual risk, and improved teen pregnancy rates among those receiving the intervention. Adolescents receiving the LiFT intervention had lower pregnancy rates, reported improved competency to prevent pregnancy and communication about pregnancy prevention with supportive adult(s) compared to adolescents in the control group.

Fewer LiFT participants experienced a pregnancy than control youth, which was significant at 3 months (net of baseline, 0 program vs. 4 control) and marginally significant at 12 months (net of baseline, 6 program vs. 14 control.) At both follow-up periods, the program had statistically significant effects on youth’s frequency of communication with their parenting adults about sexuality and pregnancy prevention and on their perceived competence to prevent pregnancy.

Research Design

Linking Families and Teens was rigorously evaluated by Philliber Research & Evaluation using a Randomized Control Trial (RCT) evaluation design. By conducting an RCT we are able to demonstrate that the outcomes for young people were directly caused by participation in the program, rather than by chance. This evaluation was funded through the federal Office of Adolescent Health Teen pregnancy Prevention Initiative.

Due to this evaluation process, each LiFT workshop was subject to the following requirements:

  • The LiFT curriculum was approved by the Office of Adolescent Health as being medically accurate, age and developmentally appropriate for the intended audience, inclusive and trauma-informed.
  • Each LiFT workshop was implemented with fidelity to the entire program curriculum. No site-specific adaptations to the program activities were made during the course of the evaluation.
  • Families were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group received the LiFT Workshop while the other group had access to any other programming available in the community.

Workshop evaluation was conducted from 2015 – 2020, and enrolled 747 family units (with 786 youth) in rural communities across nine states: Alaska, California, Idaho, Hawai’i, Mississippi, Oregon, New York, Utah and Washington.

Data Gathering

Youth and parenting adults who participated in the study completed a baseline survey, a booster call three months after the workshop, and a 12-month follow-up survey, to gauge any short and long-term changes in knowledge. An implementation evaluation assessed attendance, fidelity, and quality.

Theory

The LiFT program built on a family connection framework, as well as several evidence-based best practices in adolescent sexual health education including ETR’s Parent-Child Connection (PCC), Positive Youth Development as well as adult learning theory and social cognitive theories. It uses an established theoretical foundation, sound education pedagogy, and program deliver based on adult learning theory.