Online program to improve father-teen conversations about sex and relationships
Official title: Pilot of a Father-based Intervention to Support Adolescents' Reproductive Health
Run by Wellesley College · NCT06564025 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing an online program to help fathers and their high-school teens have better conversations about sex and relationships.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 14 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 100 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Wellesley College Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Wellesley, Massachusetts) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | January 30, 2025 |
| Main results expected | March 1, 2026 |
| Study ends | March 1, 2026 |
| Registry record updated | April 9, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT06564025 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates include fathers of high-school aged teens who are in regular contact with their children and can participate in English.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients who are not fathers of participating teens or those who do not have regular contact with their teens may not benefit from this program.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This pilot intervention aims to support fathers and their high-school aged teens in discussing sexual health and relationships through an online program based on Social Cognitive Theory. The study will involve 50 father-teen pairs who will participate in interactive activities and surveys to assess the program's acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy. Data will be collected through enrollment metrics, lesson feedback, and pre- and post-intervention surveys to evaluate changes in health-related knowledge and self-efficacy. The findings will help determine if a larger-scale study is warranted.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this program could enhance communication between fathers and teens about sexual health, leading to better-informed adolescents.
How similar studies have gone: While similar interventions have been explored, this specific approach focusing on father-teen dynamics in sexual health discussions is relatively novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria for fathers: * adult (18 or older) * father (biological, step, adopted, or foster) of a participating teen and * report regular contact with the teen * healthy enough to participate in online surveys, an online intervention, interactive activities (either online, over the phone or in-person) with the adolescent, and an online support group * speak English * have a reading level of 6th grade or above. Exclusion criteria for fathers: * not a father (biological, step, adopted, or foster) of a participating high-school aged teen * under the age of 18 * not in regular contact with their teen * cannot participate in intervention in English Inclusion criteria for adolescents * high-school aged child (biological, step, adopted, or foster) of a participating father * report regular contact with their father * healthy enough to participate in online surveys and interactive activities (either online, over the phone or in-person) with the father * have a reading level of 6th grade or above Exclusion criteria for adolescents * not in high school * not in regular contact with the father * not child (biological, step, adopted, or foster) of participating father * cannot participate in intervention in English
Where it's running
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Wellesley College
Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Jennifer Grossman, Ph.D.
- Email: jgrossma@wellesley.edu
- Phone: 781-283-2521
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.