ix
Copyright 2025 Marline E. Pearson
Evidence-Based Program
In addition to Love Notes having been recognized as an evidence-based program for
pregnancy prevention, as mentioned at the start, it is notable that Love Notes is an
adaptation of an earlier program written by this author for younger teens. Relationship
Smarts completed a 5-year evaluation involving over 8,000 teenagers in the state of
Alabama. Researchers from Auburn University conducting the study report sustained
gains over time. Findings include: increases in students’ realistic understanding of
relationships and decreases in faulty relationship beliefs, broadened understanding
of relationship aggression, and declines in aggression in relationships as compared to
those in the control group.4
Relationship Smarts (and Love Notes as an adaptation) were listed in the National Registry
of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP), a service of the Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administrations (SAMHSA).
References:
1 Barbee, A. P., Cunningham, M. R., van Zyl, M. A., Antle, B. F., &Langley, C. N.
(2016). Impact of two adolescent pregnancy prevention interventions on risky sexual
behavior: A three-arm cluster randomized control trial. American Journal of Public
Health, 106(S1), S85–S90. http://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2016.303429. (For the OAH
evidence-based list, see https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/sites/default/files ebp-
chart1.pdf.)
See the interview with Anita P. Barbee, MSSW, Ph.D., Principle Investigator:
MedicalResearch.com. (2016, October 14). Impact of two adolescent pregnancy
prevention interventions on risky sexual behavior. https://medicalresearch.com/author-
interviews/impact-two-adolescent-pregnancy-prevention-interventions-risky-sexual-
behavior/28876/
2 Guzman, L., Ikramullah, E., Manlove, J., Peterson, K., &Scarupa, H. J. (2009, October).
Telling it like it is: Teen perspectives on romantic relationships (Research Brief No. 44).
Child Trends. https://www.childtrends.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Child_
Trends-2009_11_05_RB_TeenRelation.pdf
Copyright 2025 Marline E. Pearson
Evidence-Based Program
In addition to Love Notes having been recognized as an evidence-based program for
pregnancy prevention, as mentioned at the start, it is notable that Love Notes is an
adaptation of an earlier program written by this author for younger teens. Relationship
Smarts completed a 5-year evaluation involving over 8,000 teenagers in the state of
Alabama. Researchers from Auburn University conducting the study report sustained
gains over time. Findings include: increases in students’ realistic understanding of
relationships and decreases in faulty relationship beliefs, broadened understanding
of relationship aggression, and declines in aggression in relationships as compared to
those in the control group.4
Relationship Smarts (and Love Notes as an adaptation) were listed in the National Registry
of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP), a service of the Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administrations (SAMHSA).
References:
1 Barbee, A. P., Cunningham, M. R., van Zyl, M. A., Antle, B. F., &Langley, C. N.
(2016). Impact of two adolescent pregnancy prevention interventions on risky sexual
behavior: A three-arm cluster randomized control trial. American Journal of Public
Health, 106(S1), S85–S90. http://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2016.303429. (For the OAH
evidence-based list, see https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/sites/default/files ebp-
chart1.pdf.)
See the interview with Anita P. Barbee, MSSW, Ph.D., Principle Investigator:
MedicalResearch.com. (2016, October 14). Impact of two adolescent pregnancy
prevention interventions on risky sexual behavior. https://medicalresearch.com/author-
interviews/impact-two-adolescent-pregnancy-prevention-interventions-risky-sexual-
behavior/28876/
2 Guzman, L., Ikramullah, E., Manlove, J., Peterson, K., &Scarupa, H. J. (2009, October).
Telling it like it is: Teen perspectives on romantic relationships (Research Brief No. 44).
Child Trends. https://www.childtrends.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Child_
Trends-2009_11_05_RB_TeenRelation.pdf
