The findings appear in the online article, Reducing Sexual Risk Behavior in Adolescent Girls: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial, published August 29 in the Journal of Adolescent Health full article available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2012.07.005.

Dianne Morrison-Beedy, PhD, RN, WHNP-BC, FNAP, FAANP, FAAN

“While teen pregnancy has been on the decline, it still costs an estimated $10.9 billion annually and carries an elevated risk both for the young mothers and babies. These data highlight the need for continued research into effective interventions such as our program,” said Dr. Morrison-Beedy. “According to a June 2011 report from the National Campaign to Reduce Teen Pregnancy, between 1991 and 2008 there have been approximately 454,978 teen births in Florida, costing taxpayers a total of $11.7 billion over that period in direct health and welfare support for the children and mothers, and lost revenue in part due to decreased earnings and spending.”

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an SRR intervention targeting low-income, urban, sexually-active teenage girls at elevated risk for HIV, STIs, and unintended pregnancies. The SRR intervention used age appropriate games and interactive group activities to provide information, motivate and teach skills to reduce sexual risk behaviors. Study results demonstrated significant increases in sexual abstinence, and decreases in unprotected sex and pregnancy rates over the 12-month study period.

The researchers recruited 738 girls, ages 15 to 19, from several venues, including youth development centers, adolescent services and school-based centers, to participate in the randomized controlled trial. The participants initially attended four weekly two-hour sessions, then two 90-minute booster sessions three and six months after the initial intervention. A non-intervention control group following the same schedule and process received information on general health promotion topics such as nutrition, breast health and anger management.

The study demonstrated that a female-tailored intervention helped girls reduce their sexual risk behavior over one year. The reduction in pregnancies was especially impressive considering that the intervention did not specifically address pregnancy prevention or contraception, the researchers concluded.

“Our findings underscore the benefit of gender-specific prevention interventions for adolescent girls, yet there is more work to be done to continue refining these interventions to ensure they are feasible, appealing, and successful in reducing risky sexual behavior,” said senior study author Michael P. Carey, PhD, Director of the Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine at The Miriam Hospital in Providence, R.I. and Professor at Brown University.

This study was funded with a grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research to the University of Rochester.

-USF Health-
USF Health’s mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the College of Pharmacy, the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences; and the USF Physician’s Group. The University of South Florida is a global research university ranked 50th in the nation by the National Science Foundation for both federal and total research expenditures among all U.S. universities.

-The Miriam Hospital-
The Miriam Hospital (www.miriamhospital.org) is a 247-bed, not-for-profit teaching hospital affiliated with The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. It offers expertise in cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, men’s health, and minimally invasive surgery and is home to the state’s first Joint Commission-certified Stroke Center and robotic surgery program. The hospital, which received more than $23 million in external research funding last year, is nationally known for its HIV/AIDS and behavioral and preventive medicine research, including weight control, physical activity and smoking cessation. The Miriam Hospital has been awarded Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Services four times and is a founding member of the Lifespan health system. Follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/miriamhospital) and on Twitter (@MiriamHospital).

Dr. Morrison-Beedy co-authored the book titled Intervention Research: Designing, Conducting, Analyzing, and Funding with Bernadette Mazyrek Melnyk, PhD. Contributing authors from USF include: Barry B. Bercu, MD, FAAP, Cheryl L. Byers, MHA, CIP, Amanda Hastings, MSHL, Kevin Kip, PhD, FAHA, Cindy Munro, PhD, RN, ANP-BC, FAAN, LaRon Nelson, PhD, RN, NP, and Constance Visovsky, PhD, RN, ACNP-BC. The book was released on April 23, 2012 by Springer Publishing Company.

Known both as a scholar and a leader, Dr. Morrison-Beedy has received numerous awards for her research, including the Excellence in HIV Prevention Award from the Association for Nurses in AIDS Care, the Florida Nurses Association Nursing Research Award, and an Excellence in Research award from the Association of Women’s Health Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) for her excellence in clinical practice and continued innovation in the delivery of care for women and newborns. She has over 200 publications and has also served as a NIH reviewer for HIV/AIDS related grant proposals.

Dr. Morrison-Beedy’s leadership has brought unprecedented growth to the USF College of Nursing. In less than 2 years the college’s NIH ranking increased from 30th to 25th place. She has received national recognition for the college’s work in Military and Veteran’s health. In April 2012, Dr. Morrison-Beedy was invited to take part in the first lady’s Joining Forces summit. Joining Forces is a national initiative dedicated to providing service members with support and opportunities such as those projects that have originated at the College of Nursing.

For more information about Dr. Morrison-Beedy’s book and accomplishments read: USF Nursing Dean Dianne Morrison-Beedy Co-Authors Book on Intervention Research.

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