View in EDS PDF Full Text

An Ounce of Prevention: Policy Prescriptions to Reduce the Prevalence of Fragile Families

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: An Ounce of Prevention: Policy Prescriptions to Reduce the Prevalence of Fragile Families
Language: English
Authors: Sawhill, Isabel, Thomas, Adam, Monea, Emily
Source: Future of Children. Fall 2010 20(2):133-155.
Availability: Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and The Brookings Institution. 267 Wallace Hall, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544. Tel: 609-258-6979; e-mail: FOC@princeton.edu; Web site: http://www.brookings.org/index/publications.htm
Peer Reviewed: Y
Physical Description: PDF
Page Count: 23
Publication Date: 2010
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Descriptive
Descriptors: Contraception, Prevention, Birth Rate, Pregnancy, Sexuality, Mass Media, Cost Effectiveness, At Risk Persons, Marital Status, Marriage, Social Problems, Motivation, Knowledge Level, Barriers, Access to Health Care, Sex Education, Cultural Influences, Adolescents
ISSN: 1054-8289
Abstract: Isabel Sawhill, Adam Thomas, and Emily Monea believe that given the well-documented costs of nonmarital births to the children and parents in fragile families, as well as to society as a whole, policy makers' primary goal should be to reduce births to unmarried parents. The authors say that the nation's swiftly rising nonmarital birth rate has many explanations--a cultural shift toward acceptance of unwed childbearing; a lack of positive alternatives to motherhood among the less advantaged; a sense of fatalism or ambivalence about pregnancy; a lack of marriageable men; limited access to effective contraception; a lack of knowledge about contraception; and the difficulty of using contraception consistently and correctly. Noting that these explanations fall generally into three categories--motivation, knowledge, and access--the authors discuss policies designed to motivate individuals to avoid unintended pregnancies, to improve their knowledge about contraception, and to remove barriers to contraceptive access. Some motivational programs, such as media campaigns, have been effective in changing behavior. Some, but not all, sex education programs designed to reduce teen pregnancy have also been effective at reducing sexual activity or increasing contraceptive use, or both. Programs providing access to subsidized contraception have also been effective and would be even more so if they could increase the use not just of contraceptives, but of long-acting, reversible contraceptive methods such as intrauterine devices (IUDs) and implants. Finally, the authors present simulations of the costs and effects of three policy initiatives--a mass media campaign that encourages men to use condoms, a teen pregnancy prevention program that discourages sexual activity and educates participants about proper contraceptive use, and an expansion in access to Medicaid-subsidized contraception. All three have benefit-cost ratios that are comfortably greater than one, making them excellent social investments that can actually save taxpayer dollars. (Contains 1 figure, 3 tables and 66 endnotes.)
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2010
Accession Number: EJ901826
Database: ERIC
FullText Links:
  – Type: pdflink
    Url: https://content.ebscohost.com/cds/retrieve?content=AQICAHj0k_4E0hTGH8RJwT4gCJyBsGNe_WN95AvKlDbXJGqwxwHAYtmtM81bLLfURmI8ZwLeAAAA4jCB3wYJKoZIhvcNAQcGoIHRMIHOAgEAMIHIBgkqhkiG9w0BBwEwHgYJYIZIAWUDBAEuMBEEDF_rVyoupuyCPPzGSwIBEICBmmxwslaezl7KNdMEdeBLiuUCNRbiACZC-OFSsp_Mb3cSDLnbF_EaqNE-NB44BdCKrZpuBAZ0pJC38MGwB8Pdp9rpr7dCpFv1ZOdbIrwBLzVE0H0I3Lw2btej2nNno9zAzZUHuznzYJj3ZIlwQYuoWy63FZ0qiMUQZrWnnigLE9adW1dbn6SvS27FvYavZP71XP0mo5QCo9R7ZCE=
Text:
  Availability: 0
CustomLinks:
  – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=EJ901826
    Name: ERIC Full Text
    Category: fullText
    Text: Full Text from ERIC
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ901826
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: An Ounce of Prevention: Policy Prescriptions to Reduce the Prevalence of Fragile Families
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sawhill%2C+Isabel%22">Sawhill, Isabel</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Thomas%2C+Adam%22">Thomas, Adam</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Monea%2C+Emily%22">Monea, Emily</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Future+of+Children%22"><i>Future of Children</i></searchLink>. Fall 2010 20(2):133-155.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and The Brookings Institution. 267 Wallace Hall, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544. Tel: 609-258-6979; e-mail: FOC@princeton.edu; Web site: http://www.brookings.org/index/publications.htm
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: PhysDesc
  Label: Physical Description
  Group: PhysDesc
  Data: PDF
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 23
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2010
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Descriptive
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Contraception%22">Contraception</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Prevention%22">Prevention</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Birth+Rate%22">Birth Rate</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pregnancy%22">Pregnancy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sexuality%22">Sexuality</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mass+Media%22">Mass Media</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cost+Effectiveness%22">Cost Effectiveness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22At+Risk+Persons%22">At Risk Persons</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Marital+Status%22">Marital Status</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Marriage%22">Marriage</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Problems%22">Social Problems</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Motivation%22">Motivation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Knowledge+Level%22">Knowledge Level</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Barriers%22">Barriers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Access+to+Health+Care%22">Access to Health Care</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sex+Education%22">Sex Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cultural+Influences%22">Cultural Influences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Adolescents%22">Adolescents</searchLink>
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 1054-8289
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Isabel Sawhill, Adam Thomas, and Emily Monea believe that given the well-documented costs of nonmarital births to the children and parents in fragile families, as well as to society as a whole, policy makers' primary goal should be to reduce births to unmarried parents. The authors say that the nation's swiftly rising nonmarital birth rate has many explanations--a cultural shift toward acceptance of unwed childbearing; a lack of positive alternatives to motherhood among the less advantaged; a sense of fatalism or ambivalence about pregnancy; a lack of marriageable men; limited access to effective contraception; a lack of knowledge about contraception; and the difficulty of using contraception consistently and correctly. Noting that these explanations fall generally into three categories--motivation, knowledge, and access--the authors discuss policies designed to motivate individuals to avoid unintended pregnancies, to improve their knowledge about contraception, and to remove barriers to contraceptive access. Some motivational programs, such as media campaigns, have been effective in changing behavior. Some, but not all, sex education programs designed to reduce teen pregnancy have also been effective at reducing sexual activity or increasing contraceptive use, or both. Programs providing access to subsidized contraception have also been effective and would be even more so if they could increase the use not just of contraceptives, but of long-acting, reversible contraceptive methods such as intrauterine devices (IUDs) and implants. Finally, the authors present simulations of the costs and effects of three policy initiatives--a mass media campaign that encourages men to use condoms, a teen pregnancy prevention program that discourages sexual activity and educates participants about proper contraceptive use, and an expansion in access to Medicaid-subsidized contraception. All three have benefit-cost ratios that are comfortably greater than one, making them excellent social investments that can actually save taxpayer dollars. (Contains 1 figure, 3 tables and 66 endnotes.)
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2010
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ901826
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ901826
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 23
        StartPage: 133
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Contraception
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Prevention
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Birth Rate
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Pregnancy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sexuality
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mass Media
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cost Effectiveness
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: At Risk Persons
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Marital Status
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Marriage
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social Problems
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Motivation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Knowledge Level
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Barriers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Access to Health Care
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sex Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cultural Influences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Adolescents
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: An Ounce of Prevention: Policy Prescriptions to Reduce the Prevalence of Fragile Families
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Sawhill, Isabel
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Thomas, Adam
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Monea, Emily
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Type: published
              Y: 2010
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 1054-8289
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 20
            – Type: issue
              Value: 2
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Future of Children
              Type: main
ResultId 1