A Healthy Relationships Program for Vulnerable Youth
- Conditions
- Sexually Transmitted DiseasesPregnancy, Unplanned
- Interventions
- Behavioral: About Us
- Registration Number
- NCT03736876
- Lead Sponsor
- ETR Associates
- Brief Summary
Developed from a piloted intervention and based on scientific evidence, About Us is an innovative healthy relationships intervention that promotes positive adolescent romantic relationships and use of condoms and highly effective contraceptives if having sex. The program includes 10 lessons (2 that are between 30-45 minutes long 8 that are 50 minutes long) that blend group-based activities with online activities implemented in a small group format with students in grades 9 or 10 who have parental consent and provide assent to take part. The program will be implemented in school-based health centers (SBHCs).
Primary research question:
1. Nine months following the end of the program, what is the impact of About Us relative to the standard of care on:
1.1. Rates of vaginal or anal sex without condoms in the past three months?
Secondary research questions:
2. Three and nine months following the end of the program, what is the impact of About Us relative to the standard of care on:
2.1. Rates of abstinence from vaginal or anal sex in the past three months? 2.2. Frequency of communicating without abuse? 2.3. Utilization of school-based health center services? 2.4. Rates of behavioral willingness and attitudes toward birth control?
Exploratory research questions:
3. Three and nine months following the end of the program, what is the impact of About Us relative to the standard of care on:
3.1. The psychosocial variables stemming from the theoretical framework (e.g., attitudes toward condom and contraceptive use, normative beliefs, perceived self-efficacy to use condoms or have difficult conversations) and enumerated in the logic model.
3.2. Outcomes listed above within key sub-groups including those defined by sex (male/female), race/ethnicity, and exposure to violence;
4. Among those receiving About Us, how do effect sizes for the primary and secondary behavioral outcomes vary by dosage?
- Detailed Description
Students will be screened for eligibility through each school-based health center (SBHC) by SBHC staff, and those participants meeting the screening eligibility requirements (previous exposure to violence and/or previous or current involvement in a romantic relationship) will be offered a parental consent form and informational packet. Consent forms will be available in English and Spanish. Pending parental consent and youth assent, students will be randomized into either the intervention or control group.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 550
-
The target population includes 9th or 10th grade students from participating schools who meet at least one of the following inclusion criteria based on their responses to a school-wide health assessment:
- prior exposure to violence;
- prior or current experience with a romantic relationship.
Any student answering "yes" to either criteria would be eligible to take part in the study. Only those who have parent consent and assent would be enrolled.
- Those students without parental consent;
- If siblings are eligible to participate, the sibling who returns the signed consent form first will be admitted into the study. Any other eligible siblings will be excluded.
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Treatment group About Us These students will receive About Us, an innovative, healthy relationship intervention. The program includes 10 lessons that blend group-based activities with online activities implemented in school-based health centers.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Rates of vaginal or anal sex without condoms 9 months post intervention Reported number of times having had vaginal or anal sex without using condoms or insertive condoms.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Behavioral intentions to engage in sexual activity 9 months post intervention 4 items from the Sexual Behavior Index (SBI) that assess one's willingness and intention to engage in sex in the next 9 months. Response options range from 1-7 with lower scores indicating lower willingness or intentions to engage in sexual activity.
Frequency of communicating without abuse 9 months post intervention Reported number of times communicating with a partner without abuse. Response options range from 1 "Never - this has never happened in your relationship" to 4 "Often: this has happened 6 times or more in your relationship".
Clinic utilization 9 months post intervention Number of times receiving services or information from school-based health center on contraception, pregnancy, abortion, or sexually transmitted diseases.
Behavioral intentions to use condoms 9 months post intervention Assessed using 3 items from the COMPAS Program Behavioral Intentions Scale designed to measure one's intentions to acquire, discuss, and use condoms before sex. Items response options range from 1-4 with higher scores indicating higher intentions to perform the health behavior.
Rates of abstinence of vaginal or anal sex 9 months post intervention Reported number of times having had vaginal or anal intercourse. Response options range from 1 "Never" to 5 "4 or more times".
Trial Locations
- Locations (3)
California School Based Health Alliance
🇺🇸Oakland, California, United States
San Diego State University
🇺🇸San Diego, California, United States
ETR
🇺🇸Scotts Valley, California, United States