City of Rochester Teen Outreach Program (TOP™) Evaluation

University of Rochester

Status: Completed

Conditions: Adolescent Problems; Academic Underachievement Disorder of Childhood or Adolescence; Sex Behavior

Treatments: Behavioral: TOP; Behavioral: Control intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02723292

36508

Details and patient eligibility

About

As part of a 5-year national effort to reduce teen pregnancy, the University of Rochester is partnering with the City of Rochester Department of Recreation and Youth Services to evaluate the City's replication of the Teen Outreach Program (TOP™) for 11-14 year old youth registered at 11 selected Recreation Centers (RCs). A youth development program with demonstrated efficacy to reduce teen pregnancy, school failure and drop-out rates, TOP™ has never been studied in RCs. Advancing from efficacy to effectiveness, the investigators will also measure program fidelity obtained in RCs.

Enrollment: 1,188 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 11 to 14 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• must be registered at a participating RC
• age 11 through 14 years
• participants must assent and parent(s) or legal guardian(s) provide permission to participate
• basic understanding of the English language

Exclusion criteria

• age at enrollment of less than 11 or greater than 14 years
• for facilitators, age less than 21 is an exclusion criterion

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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1,188 participants in 2 patient groups

Experimental group services

Experimental group

Description:

This study will replicate the evidence-based TOP™ in after-school sessions held during RC hours. The primary components of TOP™ include: Comprehensive age-appropriate sexuality education; 90-minute sessions, once a week after-school, during the school year for nine months, using the Changing Scenes© curriculum, and at least twenty hours of youth-led service learning, which involves youth in planning, implementing and reflecting on, community service and leadership.

Treatment:

Behavioral: TOP

Control group services

Active Comparator group

Description:

Youth in the control arm will receive a work readiness training curriculum focused on competencies to secure employment. This will include such topics as building customer service skills, clear and direct communication, and creating a work portfolio.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Control intervention