Efficacy of Programs Designed to Reduce the Incidence of Premarital Sexual Behavior Among Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The incidence of premarital sexual behavior worldwide is increasing despite the fact that it is known that it may cause health and psychological problems. Hence, interventions are needed to reduce the incidence of premarital sexual behavior. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the reported interventions used to reduce the incidence of premarital sexual behavior in adolescents and identify the implications for nursing practice. A systematic review was conducted using The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science, and ProQuest databases were searched using the keywords "premarital sexual behavior” and “sexual,” and three researchers independently examined the resultant selected full-text articles. Articles published between 2020 and 2022 that described studies with a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design and that were published in English and had the full text available were included. The quality of each article was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist. Seven articles met the inclusion criteria and were subsequently analyzed. Our study showed that different types of interventions have been tested to variously enhance education, motivation, skills, and empowerment. The findings of our study have implications for nursing practice in terms of the creation of intervention-based programs and standard operating procedures for implementing programs designed to reduce the prevalence of premarital sexual behavior