Theater in School Sex Education - a Randomized Controlled Study

Prevention of Chlamydia Infection With Theater in School Sex Education - a Randomized Controlled Study

The study evaluated if interactive theater in school sex education affects student knowledge, attitudes and behavior regarding condom use. The intervention group got a play, value exercises, chlamydia games, condom school and interactive replay with professional actors and staff from a youth guidance center. The control group got standard sex education from school staff, based on the education guidelines of the Swedish National Agency for Education.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Sexual Behavior; Chlamydia Infections; Condom Use; Prevention; Safe Sex; Attitude
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: SAFETY; Behavioral: Standard education

Detailed Description

The spread of chlamydia indicates that current preventive work with condoms is insufficient. Research shows that reasons behind increased chlamydia include youths taking more sexual risks, due to altered attitudes and sexual behaviors. Since only condoms protect against both sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unwanted pregnancy, the goal of the World Health Organization (WHO) chlamydia prevention program is to increase condom use. Research suggests that school is the most important arena for sex education, reaching all youths early in life, when many values on sex and relationships are instilled. International studies on theater in sex education indicate effects like increased knowledge on the topic, and partially changed attitudes and behaviors among youths. Furthermore, several studies show that youths feel theater is a good method for sex education and a supplement to standard education.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 826
• Phase: Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 13 years to 15 years (CHILD)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• students in eighth grade
• could read and understand Swedish

Exclusion Criteria:

• students in special education.

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
EXPERIMENTAL: Intervention group; The intervention SAFETY was performed in school facilities by professional actors and staff from the municipality's youth guidance center within the county. The actors first enacted a play portraying youths and problems with condom use. Next, a value exercise was held by the youth guidance center staff. The class continued with chlamydia games held by the youth guidance center staff, providing information on symptoms, protection, how to get tested, treatment and consequences. The youth guidance center staff and the actors, playing students, then held a condom school. Lastly, the students came up with new endings to the play. All replays were enacted and the students gave feedback on the new endings. The class ended with condoms being handed out.	Behavioral: SAFETY
ACTIVE_COMPARATOR: Control group; The intervention in the control group contained standard education from school staff, based on the sex education guidelines of the Swedish National Agency for Education. Students got education on human sexuality, reproduction, menstruation, love, sex, pregnancy and how STIs and unwanted pregnancy are prevented.	Behavioral: Standard education

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
- Knowledge of condom use and chlamydia. - Attitudes toward condom use. - Behavior relating to condom use.	Web-based surveys contained questions about; knowledge of condom use and chlamydia (7 questions); attitudes toward condom use (5 questions); behavior relating to condom use (6 questions)	One month.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Örebro University, Sweden
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Annsofie Adolfsson, Med Dr, Orebro University, School of Health Sciences

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (ACTUAL): December 1, 2016
• Primary Completion (ACTUAL): March 31, 2017
• Study Completion (ACTUAL): March 31, 2017

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 11, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 14, 2017
• First Posted (ACTUAL): December 15, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ACTUAL): December 15, 2017
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 14, 2017
• Last Verified: December 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Chlamydia infections; condoms; theater,; sex education
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Communicable Diseases; Sexually Transmitted Diseases; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections; Bacterial Infections; Bacterial Infections and Mycoses; Chlamydiaceae Infections; Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Bacterial; Infections; Chlamydia Infections
• Other Study ID Numbers: Orebro U Sex education

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: De-identified individual participant data for all primary outcome measures will be made available on request.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No