Project Summary
We will assess the preliminary effects of Girls Invest, an innovative savings intervention that aims to reduce
economic, social, and health behavior risks associated with disproportionately high rates of pregnancy among
US Latina adolescents. Recommended models of adolescent pregnancy prevention in the US focus on
modifying social norms (e.g., norms supporting early childbearing), as well as sexual health knowledge and
skill-building; however, such efforts are not likely effective in reducing economic risk factors (e.g., financial
reliance on male partners, low expectations for future career and educational achievements). Girls Invest
involves a multidisciplinary conceptual model adapting the most effective prevention strategies from the
disciplines of public health and economics to address social and economic risks associated with adolescent
pregnancy. Participants receive a savings account (via our collaborating bank) with $100 deposited in
increments based on completion of each module of a gender and life skills training via a mobile “app.” Girls
Invest will be evaluated among a community sample of Latina adolescents residing in economically
disenfranchised neighborhoods in San Diego County with high rates of adolescent pregnancy. Adolescent
pregnancy is a concern in San Diego and other US-Mexico border regions, where rates are higher compared
to the rest of the US or elsewhere in Mexico. Compared to other racial/ethnic groups, Latina adolescents of
Mexican origin have the highest pregnancy rates. In California, where Latinos constitute 39% of the population,
30% of all Latinas give birth prior to their 20th birthday. Latina adolescents ages 15-19 will be recruited via
community-based sampling in City Heights and National City, CA. Eligible and interested girls will recruit one of
their same-gender friends who are part of their social network to participate in the intervention with them.
Friends must meet eligibility criteria, except can be of any race/ethnicity. Half of the dyads will be randomized
to receive Girls Invest and the remaining assigned to a wait-list control condition (n= 50 dyads per arm; total =
200 girls). To assess feasibility and fidelity, we will track (via data logs and app-based data) all aspects of
recruitment, retention, and intervention completion. In-depth interviews with Girls Invest participants and focus
groups with key stakeholders will inform acceptability and scalability of Girls Invest. Participants will complete a
questionnaire at baseline and 6 months follow-up to assess evidence of improvements in intermediate
outcomes. Regression analyses will assess treatment effects on intermediate outcomes. We hypothesize that
at follow-up, compared to control participants, Girls Invest participants will have reduced economic vulnerability
(e.g., reduced financial reliance on male partners, improved expectations for future career and educational
achievements), decreased social risks for pregnancy (e.g., intentions to delay pregnancy), and improved
prioritization, knowledge of, and attitudes supportive of contraceptive use. Study findings will inform a full-scale
efficacy trial of Girls Invest.