The adolescent family life program: a multisite evaluation of federally funded projects serving pregnant and parenting adolescents.

OBJECTIVES

We evaluated the effectiveness of care demonstration projects supported by the Title XX Adolescent Family Life (AFL) program, which serves pregnant and parenting adolescents in an effort to mitigate the risks associated with adolescent childbearing.

METHODS

This cross-site evaluation involved 12 projects and 1038 adolescents who received either enhanced services funded by the AFL program or usual care. We examined the effects of enhanced services on health, educational, and child care outcomes approximately 6 months to 2 years after intake and explored moderation of program effects by time since intake and project characteristics associated with outcomes.

RESULTS

The odds of using long-acting reversible contraception (odds ratio [OR] = 1.58) and receiving regular child care (OR = 1.50) in the past month were higher in the intervention group than in the comparison group. Odds of a repeat pregnancy were lower (OR = 0.39) among intervention group adolescents than among comparison group adolescents within 12 months of intake. Several project characteristics were associated with adolescent health outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

These projects show promise in improving effective contraceptive use, increasing routine child care, and yielding short-term decreases in repeat pregnancy.