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REAL Men

An Evidence-Based Practice

Description

REAL Men targets men aged 11-14 and their fathers or father figures. The intervention is delivered to fathers one a week in a group format. There are a total of seven sessions, each lasting two hours. Fathers attended the first 6 sessions alone, and fathers and sons attended the final session together.

During the sessions, fathers are presented with information on communication with adolescents, general topics such as parental monitoring and relationships with peers, general sexual topics important in adolescence, and specific information about transmission and prevention of HIV and AIDS. The program is structured to include opportunities to view others performing the behavior (i.e., videotapes of fathers talking to sons about sexual topics) and to practice the behavior through role plays.

Goal / Mission

This program aims to promote delay of sexual intercourse, condom use among those who were sexually active, and communication on sexuality between fathers (or father figures) and sons.

Results / Accomplishments

The program group was compared to a control group who participated in a similarly structured seven-session nutrition and exercise program. Fathers who received the REAL Men intervention had a greater likelihood to discuss sex-related topics with their sons compared to the control group 12 months after the intervention (p=0.04). Twelve months after the intervention, adolescent boys receiving the intervention reported a greater likelihood of using condoms during sexual intercourse compared to the controls (p=0.03).

These findings show that involving fathers in sex education can be an effective means of promoting HIV prevention practices among adolescent males.

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
Emory University and Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta
Primary Contact
Colleen DiIorio
Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education
Rollins School of Public Health
Emory University
1518 Clifton Rd, NE, Rm 560, Atlanta, GA 30322
cdiiori@sph.emory.edu
https://www.sph.emory.edu/departments/bshe/researc...
Topics
Health / Adolescent Health
Health / Men's Health
Organization(s)
Emory University and Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta
Source
American Journal of Public Health
Date of publication
Jun 2007
Geographic Type
Urban
Location
Atlanta
For more details
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17463382
Target Audience
Teens, Men, Racial/Ethnic Minorities

Related Promising Practices

  1. HIV/STD Risk Reduction Interventions for African American and Latino Adolescent Girls
  2. Video Opportunities for Innovative Condom Education and Safer Sex (VOICES/VOCES)
  3. HIV Prevention Intervention for African American Adolescent Girls

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An Evidence-Based Practice meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes at a minimum: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program implementation steps, and outcomes that have demonstrated program success in achieving the program goal in one or more localities.
  2. The results from an evaluation of the program include quantitative measures showing improvement in the outcome(s) of interest after the implementation of the program (i.e. increase in smoking cessation, not just the delivery of a smoking cessation program). The outcome measure(s) is/are compared at relevant time periods before and after the intervention or program implementation. Alternatively, the evaluation study compares the outcome(s) between an intervention group and an appropriate control group.
  3. The study is of peer-review quality and presents numbers in a scientific manner; measurements of precision and reliability are included (e.g. confidence intervals, standard errors), results from statistical tests show a significant difference or change in the outcome measure(s), and relevant point estimates and p-values are presented. Note: if the results from an evaluation of a program are presented in a scientific manner and the outcome measure is improved compared to the baseline measurement or the control group but the difference is not statistically significant, the practice is classified as effective and not evidence-based.