How do I work this? A mixed-methods evaluation of relationship education for high school youth

Objective: Guided by social exchange theory, we used mixed methods to examine youth romantic relationship concerns, perceived gains from a relationship education curriculum, and the extent to which the curriculum addressed adolescents' concerns. Background: Adolescents' relationships influence the health of their future romantic relationships. Relationship education is increasingly offered to youth in the United States, but few studies examine how well these programs address youth concerns. Methods: Phenomenological content analysis was used to analyze short-response qualitative data (n = 267) about romantic relationship concerns (pretest) and programmatic gains (posttest). Themes were then compared to examine how well the curriculum addressed youth concerns. Quantitative pretest-posttest outcomes were also examined among a larger sample (n = 9,130). Complementarity was used to consider qualitative and quantitative findings together. Results: Participants' pretest concerns included relationship knowledge (i.e., how, with whom, and when to have a relationship), and relationship risks (e.g., cheating, coercion). Posttest themes suggested that program content largely addressed participants' concerns (i.e., increased knowledge, ability to discern healthy and unhealthy relationships). Quantitative analyses yielded significant changes in four measures of participant attitudes pretest to posttest, with increased relationship knowledge and healthier attitudes. Conclusions: Youth perceived that relationship education gave them tools that addressed their stated concerns; quantitative data suggest the program had its intended effect. Implications: Youth relationship education is a positive preventative intervention.