Evaluation of a Middle School Comprehensive Sexual Health Media Literacy Education Program (MASH)

Randomized Control Trial Efficacy Study of a Comprehensive Sexual Health Media Literacy Education Program for Middle School Students

The purpose of this study is to conduct a randomized controlled trial of a media literacy education program for middle school students with the goal of enhancing decision-making skills to prevent early and risky sexual behavior and teen pregnancy, and encourage healthy relationships.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Safe Sex
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Media Aware-Sexual Health

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 1017
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • North Carolina
    • Durham, North Carolina, United States, 27707
      • innovation Research & Training

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 10 years to 15 years (CHILD)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Must be able to read and write in English

Exclusion Criteria:

• None

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: PREVENTION
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Interventional Model: PARALLEL
• Masking: NONE

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Wait-list control
Experimental: Media Aware-Sexual Health; 10-lesson middle school, comprehensive sexual health program developed based upon the Message Interpretation Processing model designed to increase critical thinking skills about media messages and reduce risky sexual behaviors.	Behavioral: Media Aware-Sexual Health; 10-lesson middle school, comprehensive sexual health media literacy education program. Each lesson take approximately 50 minutes to teach and will be taught every school day for 2 weeks.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Change in self-reported sexual activity assessed via questionnaire.	2 weeks
Change in self-reported sexual activity assessed via questionnaire.	3 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Change in self-reported intentions to engage in sexual activity assessed via questionnaire.	2 weeks
Change in self-reported intentions to engage in sexual activity assessed via questionnaire.	3 months
Change in self-reported attitude toward sexual activity assessed via questionnaire.	2 weeks
Change in self-reported attitude toward sexual activity assessed via questionnaire.	3 months
Change in self-reported attitudes toward contraception assessed via questionnaire.	2 weeks
Change in self-reported attitudes toward contraception assessed via questionnaire.	3 months
Change in self-reported attitude toward sexual communication assessed via questionnaire.	2 weeks
Change in self-reported attitude toward sexual communication assessed via questionnaire.	3 months
Change in self-reported perceived norms regarding sexual activity assessed via questionnaire.	2 weeks
Change in self-reported perceived norms regarding sexual activity assessed via questionnaire.	3 months
Change in self-reported perceived norms regarding contraception assessed via questionnaire.	2 weeks
Change in self-reported perceived norms regarding contraception assessed via questionnaire.	3 months
Change in self-reported perceived norms regarding sexual communication assessed via questionnaire.	2 weeks
Change in self-reported perceived norms regarding sexual communication assessed via questionnaire.	3 months
Change in self-reported self-efficacy to refusal sexual activity assessed via questionnaire.	2 weeks
Change in self-reported self-efficacy to refusal sexual activity assessed via questionnaire.	3 months
Change in self-reported self-efficacy to use contraception assessed via questionnaire.	2 weeks
Change in self-reported self-efficacy to use contraception assessed via questionnaire.	3 months
Change in self-reported self-efficacy for sexual communication assessed via questionnaire.	2 weeks
Change in self-reported self-efficacy for sexual communication assessed via questionnaire.	3 months
Change in self-reported intentions for condom/contraception use assessed via questionnaire.	2 weeks
Change in self-reported intentions for condom/contraception use assessed via questionnaire.	3 months
Change in self-reported intentions for sexual communication assessed via questionnaire.	2 weeks
Change in self-reported intentions for sexual communication assessed via questionnaire.	3 months

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Change in media deconstruction skills assessed via questionnaire.	2 weeks
Change in media deconstruction skills assessed via questionnaire.	3 months
Change in perceived realism of media messages assessed via questionnaire.	2 weeks
Change in perceived realism of media messages assessed via questionnaire.	3 months
Change in perceived similarity to media messages assessed via questionnaire.	2 weeks
Change in perceived similarity to media messages assessed via questionnaire.	3 months
Change in perceived desirability of media messages assessed via questionnaire.	2 weeks
Change in perceived desirability of media messages assessed via questionnaire.	3 months
Change in media skepticism assessed via self-report questionnaire.	2 weeks
Change in media skepticism assessed via self-report questionnaire.	3 months
Change in identification to media messages assessed via questionnaire.	2 weeks
Change in identification to media messages assessed via questionnaire.	3 months
Change in acceptance of dating violence norms assessed via questionnaire.	2 weeks
Change in acceptance of dating violence norms assessed via questionnaire.	3 months
Change in acceptance of gender role norms assessed via questionnaire.	2 weeks
Change in acceptance of gender role norms assessed via questionnaire.	3 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Innovation Research & Training
• Collaborators: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Tracy M Scull, PhD, innovation Research & Training

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Scull TM, Kupersmidt JB, Malik CV, Morgan-Lopez AA. Using Media Literacy Education for Adolescent Sexual Health Promotion in Middle School: Randomized Control Trial of Media Aware. J Health Commun. 2018;23(12):1051-1063. doi: 10.1080/10810730.2018.1548669. Epub 2018 Nov 23.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: April 1, 2014
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 1, 2015
• Study Completion (Actual): August 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 3, 2014
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 4, 2015
• First Posted (Estimate): February 10, 2015

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): November 20, 2015
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 19, 2015
• Last Verified: November 1, 2015

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: iRT-2R44HD061193-02-RCT; 2R44HD061193-02 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)