'Parents Speak Up' National Campaign Encourages Parent-Child Communication About Sex, Study Finds
Posted: 06-03-2009 : RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — Advertising can be an effective way to encourage parents to talk with their children about sex, according to a new study by researchers at George Washington University and RTI International.

The study, published in the June issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health, found that the "Parents Speak Up National Campaign" successfully encouraged parents to initiate conversations about sex with their children.

"The study adds a new dimension to the larger debate on abstinence education and intervention programs," said Doug Evans, Ph.D., director of public health communication and marketing at George Washington University and the study's lead author. "We found that abstinence messaging delivered to parents through mass media is efficacious in promoting parenting-child communication about sex and thus may be an effective public health strategy."

The results showed that four weeks after exposure to the ad campaign, fathers initiated more conversations with their children than they had previously. And after six months, both fathers and mothers who were exposed to the campaign were more likely to specifically recommend to their children to wait to become sexually active.

"The pattern of initiation of conversations about sex at four weeks post-baseline and then recommendations to their child to wait at six months post-baseline among fathers" is significant, said Kevin Davis, M.A., a senior researcher at RTI and the study's co-author. "This suggests the campaign succeeded in communicating its 'call to action,' particularly among fathers."

The campaign, funded by the Department of Health and Human Services, was launched in June 2007 and primarily uses public service announcements as well as paid television, radio, print and outdoor announcements.

The study included nearly 1,500 parents of children 10 to 14 years old, selected from the Knowledge Networks, an online panel based on a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. Participants were randomly assigned to experiment conditions, receiving exposure or no exposure to campaign ads and materials. All participants completed a baseline survey prior to exposure and then two follow-up surveys four weeks and six months later.

RTI News Media Contacts
Email: news@rti.org
Lisa Bistreich: 919-316-3596
Patrick Gibbons: 919-541-6136

About RTI International
RTI International is one of the worlds leading research institutes, dedicated to improving the human condition by turning knowledge into practice. Our staff of more than 2,800 provides research and technical expertise to governments and businesses in more than 40 countries in the areas of health and pharmaceuticals, education and training, surveys and statistics, advanced technology, international development, economic and social policy, energy and the environment, and laboratory and chemistry services. For more information, visit www.rti.org.