About this poster

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Panel information
Panel 6. Risk, Intervention, Prevention, and Action

Abstract

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The ecological model of participant engagement (Catherine et al., 2020; Marcellus, 2004; Shumaker et al., 2000) suggest there are multiple levels of influence on participant behaviors (program engagement and completion). Therefore, to be efficacious, programs promoting healthy development and healthy adjustment among adolescents must consider program characteristics and school environments as contexts influencing program engagement and completion for this population. One aspect of implementation fidelity includes program engagement, that is, how program facilitators might engage their target population (Rossi et al., 2019). Thus, the characteristics of group facilitation (henceforth program characteristics) inform program context and, in turn, can promote students’ program engagement or disengagement and ultimately their completion of the program. Specifically, among adolescent parents, experiencing stigma related to being young parents and experiences with discrimination within the school context can also influence program engagement. The influence of program and school contexts is important to consider when attempting to increase the likelihood of achieving program outcomes among adolescents.
The current study examines an intervention program serving adolescent parents (n = 298; 79% girls, 55% pregnant, Mage = 15.9) providing healthy relationship, coparenting, and life skills education to evaluate program engagement and completion. A multiple regression model was used to assess if program characteristics (i.e., quality of program visuals, positive classroom interactions, fidelity to curriculum content, facilitator preparation), and school context (e.g., discrimination, teen parent stigma) inform participants’ reports of engagement (i.e., how interested they are in the program) and completion. The model was significant, R2=.366, F(8, 151) = 2.92, p=.005, but only teen parents' stigma was significantly associated to engagement, b= -0.176, p=.003. Specifically, students who experienced more teen parent stigma at school, reported lower engagement in the intervention.
A logistic regression was used to assess how these same predictors informed program completion. The model fit the data well, X2 (8) = 32.297, p <.001, and showed that better facilitator preparation was linked to an increased likelihood of program completion, b = 5.48, exp(b) =2.78, p = .002, while more teen parent stigma was linked to lower likelihood of program completion, b = -.752, exp(b) =.471, p = .024. No other factors were significant. These results highlight the importance of taking school context into account when assessing program completion and engagement, as program characteristics, such as facilitator preparation, may not be able to offset experiences of marginalization in the larger context.

Author information

Author	Role
Priscilla Zambrano, University of Arizona	Presenting author
Norma J. Perez-Brena, University of Arizona, United States	Non-presenting author
Roxana Perez, Texas State University , United States	Non-presenting author
Jeneé C. Duncan, University of Florida, United States	Non-presenting author
Renee Perez, Texas State University	Non-presenting author

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