Project Legacy Impact Evaluation Study
Condition: Pregnancy Prevention; Sexual Behavior; Contraception Behavior; Sexually Transmitted Diseases
MeSH terms: Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This study will design and rigorously evaluate the efficacy of Project Legacy, a five week
      positive youth development intervention to decrease sexual risk for unintended pregnancies
      and STIs among youth experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness aged 14-19. This
      randomized control trial will compare Project Legacy to a usual services control.
    

Detailed description: 
      The study uses a multi-site randomized group trial (RGT) cohort design to evaluate the
      Project Legacy intervention curriculum for reducing sexual risk behaviors among homeless
      youth age 14-19. CHLA project staff will work with 6 homeless youth serving sites in Southern
      California (Los Angeles, San Diego) to recruit 600 youth. Randomization to the intervention
      or control condition will occur at the group level and will be stratified by site. Field
      staff will survey all eligible homeless youth who provide consent to participate in the study
      at baseline (before randomization and implementation) and at 3 and 9 months post intervention
      (5-5.5 and 11-11.5 months post-baseline). The program group will receive an additional
      intervention-based survey immediately upon completion of the program.

      Youth in the control condition will receive the normal standard of care provided at the
      recruitment sites. Services available as standard of care at the recruitment sites include:
      medical care; mental health services; substance abuse services; educational, career, and
      vocational services. Intervention participants will not be excluded from receiving these
      services as well. Surveys will capture mental and physical health care service utilization
      and services to reduce substance use across both groups. The study team will monitor HIV and
      pregnancy prevention programming and other similar goal-planning/decision-making
      interventions offered to homeless youth in the study areas during the program implementation
      and follow-up period via interviews with site staff. The study team will include selected
      program exposure items on the follow up surveys to assess youth's self-reported exposure to
      similar goal-planning/decision-making and sexual health (pregnancy prevention and STI/HIV)
      education.
    

Intervention name(s): Project Legacy
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Project Legacy - Project Legacy is a 5-week, twice a week, 10 sessions small group intervention that encourages homeless and at-risk of homeless youth ages 14-19 to imagine a positive future and discuss how current risk behaviors can be a barrier to a successful adulthood. The program includes thinking about the future, the importance of positive social supports, short and long-term goal planning, and decision making. The program also includes life skills building, addressing past and current risk behaviors, linking to resources and navigating service systems, information on contraception and condoms, a healthy life plan and self-sufficiency. The 5 content core elements are the following:
1. Thinking about the future
2. Present actions to achieve future success
3. Safeguarding one's future
4. Creating a Healthy Life Plan
5. Navigating service systems
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: Pregnancy Prevention; Adolescents; STIs/STDs; Self-sufficiency