Effect of HIV/STD Risk Reduction Program on South African Adolescents

September 23, 2015 updated by: John Jemmott, University of Pennsylvania

South African Adolescent Health Promotion Project

This study will evaluate the effect of an HIV/STD risk-reduction program on the sexual behavior of South African adolescents.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

HIV is a virus that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a disease that breaks down the immune system and allows for entry of life-threatening secondary infections. HIV is transmitted through the exchange of bodily fluids, primarily through sexual intercourse. South Africa has been one of the countries in which the AIDS pandemic has had an especially devastating effect. New cases of HIV infection in South Africa have been occurring at a high rate in people 15 to 24 years of age. There is no vaccine or cure for HIV yet, making disease prevention methods imperative. An important part of the prevention process is early education on HIV to reduce sexual-risk behavior and to promote safe sexual practices. This study will evaluate the effect of an HIV/STD risk-reduction program on the sexual behavior of South African adolescents.

In this single-blind study, participants will include sixth grade students from 18 South African schools that meet study criteria. The participants will be randomly divided into 2 structurally similar treatment groups. One group will take part in HIV/STD risk-reduction sessions, while the other group will take part in health promotion sessions. There will be 12 total sessions, each lasting 1 hour. The participants in the HIV/STD risk-reduction group will be taught to practice abstinence and condom use through interactive activities, comic workbooks, and take-home assignments. Through similar methods, the participants in the health promotion group will be taught about general health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, alcohol and drug abuse, and certain cancers. Participants will also be taught healthful behaviors to help prevent these health problems. All participants will provide self-reports of sexual behavior and precautionary methods used in sexual intercourse immediately before the first and after the last treatment sessions. Follow-up evaluations will occur at Months 3, 6, 12, 42, and 54 months post-treatment. STDs will be assessed 42 and 54 months post-treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

1057

Phase

  • Phase 2
  • Phase 3

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Schools, with Grade 6 learners, that served the general population of learners, not just those with learning disabilities
  • Grade 6 learners at participating schools with signed parent/guardian consent forms

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Schools exclusively serving children with learning disabilities

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: HIV/STD Sessions
The HIV/STD Risk-Reduction Intervention arm focuses on reducing the risk of STDs, including HIV.
Behavioral: HIV/STD Risk-Reduction
Let Us Protect Our Future consists of twelve 1-hour sessions to increase knowledge, motivation, and skills in practicing abstinence and condom use. It is highly structured, and Xhosa-speaking male and female co-facilitators implement the program using standardized manuals. Treatment sessions include mixed-gender and single-gender activities, games, brainstorming, and role-playing. Comic workbooks are used to address abstinence, condom use, and how risky behavior affects goals and dreams. The Xhosa culture is taken into account, including cultural transformations in urban township settings. Take-home assignments enlist parents' help to empower their children to reduce their STD risk and ensure that parents are aware of the nature of the treatment program.
Other Names:
  • Let Us Protect Our Future
Active Comparator: Health Promotion Control Sessions
The Health Promotion Intervention arm focuses on physical activity, diet, and other behaviors linked to risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and certain cancers, which are all leading causes of morbidity and mortality among South Africans.
Behavioral: Health Promotion
The health promotion treatment is structurally similar to the HIV/STD treatment: each has the same number of sessions and sessions led by Xhosa-speaking male and female co-facilitators. It focuses on behaviors linked with risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, certain cancers, and alcohol and drug abuse, which are all leading causes of morbidity and mortality among South Africans. Participants are taught that healthful behaviors, including eating habits, physical activity, dental hygiene, and avoidance of cigarette smoking and substance use, can prevent these health problems. Comic workbook story lines are used to increase risk perception and awareness of health risks. Take-home assignments are used to foster communication with parents about healthful lifestyle.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Protection use in sexual intercourse
Time Frame: Measured at Month 12
Measured at Month 12

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Sexual intercourse considerations: number of sexual partners, sexual debut, anal intercourse, consistency of condom use
Time Frame: Measured at Month 12
Measured at Month 12
Theoretical mediators of abstinence (e.g., self-efficacy to avoid having sexual intercourse)
Time Frame: Measured at Month 12
Measured at Month 12
Theoretical mediators of condom use (e.g., self-efficacy to use condoms)
Time Frame: Measured at Month 12
Measured at Month 12
HIV/STD risk-reduction knowledge
Time Frame: Measured at Month 12
Measured at Month 12
Condom-use knowledge
Time Frame: Measured at Month 12
Measured at Month 12
Biologically confirmed STDs
Time Frame: Measured at Month 42
Positive test for chlamydial infection, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis
Measured at Month 42

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

University of Pennsylvania

Collaborators

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: John B. Jemmott III, PhD, University of Pennsylvania

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

October 1, 2004

Primary Completion (Actual)

June 1, 2010

Study Completion (Actual)

June 1, 2010

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 14, 2007

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 15, 2007

First Posted (Estimate)

November 16, 2007

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

September 25, 2015

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 23, 2015

Last Verified

September 1, 2015

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • R01MH065867 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)
  • DAHBR AZ-A (Other Identifier: National Institute of Mental Health)

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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