Effect of Parent-Based Sexual Health Education on Parent-Adolescent Communication and Adolescent Sexual Behavior: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Parent-based sexual education interventions have a positive impact on adolescent sexual and reproductive health. However, despite these positive outcomes, there is a lack of comprehensive research to understand the effectiveness of these programs across different communities and demographics.

Methods: We conducted a systematic search of databases from January 2013 to April 2023 and identified 51 published studies conducted globally on the effects of parent-based sexual education. We conducted meta-analyses to understand the pooled effect of interventions on parent-adolescent communication outcomes and adolescent sexual and reproductive behaviors.

Results: This review includes 51 studies. Most of the included studies (n = 36, 68.6%) were conducted in high-income countries; 17 (33.3%) involved only mothers, and 37 (72.5%) stated they were based on theoretical frameworks. The systematic review showed that interventions on sexual communication had mixed effects on parent and adolescent-related outcomes. The meta-analysis, however, showed positive effects on parent-reported sexual health communication frequency, adolescent-reported sexual health communication frequency, parental attitude, and parental self-efficacy, Cohen's d = 0.32, 0.26, 0.38, and 0.41, respectively.

Conclusion: Parent-based sexual health education interventions positively impact various aspects of parent-adolescent sexual health communication and behavior, suggesting the effectiveness of the intervention in different social, cultural, and economic contexts. The lack of research in low- and middle-income nations and limited paternal participation highlights the need for further research.