Web-Based Middle School HIV Prevention Curricula: Aspiring for Reach and Impact

June 12, 2014 updated by: Melissa Peskin, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a web-based HIV, sexually transmitted infection (STI), and pregnancy prevention curriculum as a stand alone intervention for 8th grade students in a large urban school district. This web-based curriculum will be adapted from the computer-based component of an existing successful prevention program, It's Your Game…Keep it Real, (IYG) but will be enhanced to include critical elements from the IYG classroom component. The primary hypothesis to be tested is: (1) students who receive the web-based curriculum will delay sexual activity relative to those who receive standard care. The major dependent variable is the proportion of students initiating sexual activity (vaginal, oral, or anal sex). Secondary hypotheses will examine the effect of the web-based curriculum on specific types of sex (e.g., vaginal, oral, anal) and psychosocial variables such as students' intentions, knowledge, self-efficacy, attitudes, and perceived norms related to sexual risk-taking behavior. Secondary hypotheses will also examine the effect of the intervention on the proportion of students who are sexually active, number of times students engage in unprotected sexual intercourse, and students' number of sexual partners.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a web-based HIV, sexually transmitted infection (STI), and pregnancy prevention curriculum as a stand alone intervention for 8th grade students in a large urban school district. Twenty middle schools were invited to participate in the study. From those schools, we randomized 10 to the intervention group and 10 to the comparison condition, and will then recruit a cohort of 2,000 8th grade students into the study. Parental permission and youth assent will be required prior to participation. Students will be asked to complete a baseline and 12-month follow-up survey. The web-based curriculum will be adapted from the computer-based component of an existing successful prevention program, It's Your Game…Keep it Real, (IYG) but will be enhanced to include critical elements from the IYG classroom component. The web-based intervention will consist of 13 lessons and will tailor information to the individual's gender and to his/her intentions or behaviors related to sexual risk-taking. The program will address peer norms, attitudes, self-efficacy, refusal skills, and communication skills related to healthy relationships, dating, and sexual risk-taking behavior. The primary hypothesis to be tested is: (1) students who receive the web-based curriculum will delay sexual activity relative to those who receive standard care. The major dependent variable is the proportion of students initiating sexual activity (vaginal, oral, or anal sex). Secondary hypotheses will examine the effect of the web-based curriculum on specific types of sex (e.g., vaginal, oral, anal) and psychosocial variables such as students' intentions, knowledge, self-efficacy, attitudes, and perceived norms related to sexual risk-taking behavior. Secondary hypotheses will also examine the effect of the intervention on the proportion of students who are sexually active, number of times students engage in unprotected sexual intercourse, and students' number of sexual partners.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

1700

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Texas
      • Houston, Texas, United States, 77030
        • University of Texas Houston School of Public Health

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

12 years to 16 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 8th graders attending regular classes in large urban school district in Southeast Texas

Exclusion Criteria:

  • No students will be excluded based on race/ethnicity, age, or gender
  • Students will be informed that the surveys and intervention will only be available in English and will be asked to consider their comfort level with participating in the study.

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: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: It's Your Game Tech
An interactive web-based HIV, sexually transmitted infection (STI), and pregnancy prevention program for 8th grade students. This web-based intervention will be adapted from the computer-based component of an existing successful prevention program, It's Your Game…Keep it Real, (IYG) as well as include critical elements from the IYG classroom component. The web-based intervention will consist of 13 lessons and will tailor information to the individual's gender and to his/her intentions or behaviors related to sexual risk-taking. The program will address peer norms, attitudes, self-efficacy, refusal skills, and communication skills related to healthy relationships, dating, and sexual risk-taking behavior.
Behavioral: It's Your Game Tech
An interactive web-based intervention for 8th grade students. This web-based intervention will be adapted from the computer-based component of an existing successful prevention program, It's Your Game…Keep it Real, (IYG) as well as include critical elements from the IYG classroom component. The web-based intervention will consist of 13 lessons and will tailor information to the individual's gender and to his/her intentions or behaviors related to sexual risk-taking. The program will address peer norms, attitudes, self-efficacy, refusal skills, and communication skills related to healthy relationships, dating, and sexual risk-taking behavior.
Other Names:
  • IYG Tech

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
sexual initiation
Time Frame: baseline prior to intervention
baseline prior to intervention
sexual initiation
Time Frame: 12 month follow-up
12 month follow-up

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
sexual activity in past 3 months
Time Frame: baseline prior to intervention
baseline prior to intervention
unprotected sexual intercourse
Time Frame: baseline prior to intervention
baseline prior to intervention
number of sexual partners
Time Frame: baseline prior to intervention
baseline prior to intervention
sexual activity in past 3 months
Time Frame: 12 month follow-up
12 month follow-up
unprotected sexual intercourse
Time Frame: 12 month follow-up
12 month follow-up
number of sexual partners
Time Frame: 12 month follow-up
12 month follow-up

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

Collaborators

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Melissa Peskin, PhD, University of Texas Houston School of Public Health
  • Principal Investigator: Ross Shegog, PhD, University of Texas Houston School of Public Health

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

December 1, 2009

Primary Completion (Actual)

June 1, 2013

Study Completion (Actual)

June 1, 2013

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 14, 2011

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 18, 2011

First Posted (Estimate)

January 20, 2011

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

June 13, 2014

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 12, 2014

Last Verified

June 1, 2014

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • R01MH085594 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

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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