PHAT Life: Preventing HIV/AIDS Among Teens in Juvenile Justice
Condition: HIV
MeSH terms: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; HIV Infections
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      PHAT Life: Preventing HIV/AIDS Among Teens, is a uniquely-tailored intervention designed for
      recently-arrested juvenile offenders on probation. The program will teach teens about
      HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections, and safer decision-making. The PHAT Life Research
      Study is a 2-arm randomized controlled trial of the PHAT Life Intervention. The investigators
      will test and compare PHAT Life to the health promotion control group on adolescent risky
      sexual behavior, substance use, and theoretical mediators.
    

Detailed description: 
      High rates of mental illness, HIV/AIDS/STI, and incarceration among African Americans (AA)
      reflect significant health disparities, particularly among youth. Teens in juvenile justice
      are disproportionately AA, and compared to the general population, juvenile offenders (JO)
      report more risky sexual behavior, drug and alcohol use, and psychiatric disorders, and are
      more likely to test positive for STIs. Still, few empirically-supported, theoretically-driven
      programs exist to address their negative health outcomes. This proposal addresses these
      health disparities by testing an innovative and uniquely tailored HIV/AIDS/STI, mental
      health, and substance use program designed for and pilot tested with recently arrested 13 -
      17 year-old urban males and females (85% African American, 14% Latino/a) released on
      probation. PHAT Life was derived from a carefully staged process that included an active,
      diverse, multi-disciplinary advisory board, a youth advisory board, focus groups, two pilot
      tests, extensive feedback, and a series of curriculum revisions over three years. The R34
      established feasibility and acceptability, revealed positive youth and stakeholder feedback,
      and yielded good preliminary outcomes at 3-month follow-up (e.g., increased condom use) to
      justify an efficacy trial. This application proposes a 2-arm randomized controlled trial to
      test PHAT Life versus a health promotion program with recently arrested 13-17 year-old male
      and female, mostly ethnic minority JO (as representative of Cook County) on probation in
      Chicago. The investigators will use the procedures and methods established in the
      developmental study to recruit, enroll, assess, track, and intervene with teens.
      Investigators will randomly assign youth to PHAT Life (N=150) or a health promotion control
      group (N=150). The interventions will be delivered in single sex groups of 5 - 7 teens at
      Evening Reporting Centers. Assessments will occur at baseline, 6-, and 12-months
      post-treatment, and participants will be screened for three common STIs (Chlamydia,
      Gonorrhea, Trichamonas) at baseline and 12-month follow-up. All youth who test positive for
      an STI will receive single dose antibiotic treatment free of charge. An intent-to-treat
      analysis will be used to test and compare PHAT Life to the health promotion control group on
      adolescent risky sexual behavior, substance use, and theoretical mediators. This study
      answers a compelling need for innovative prevention programs that address the intersecting
      health disparities of mental illness and HIV/AIDS/STIs among youth in juvenile justice.
      Without intervention, these teens continue to engage in risk behaviors post-release,
      amplifying their own and their partner's risk for HIV/AIDS/STIs. The lasting effects on
      community well-being, individual employment prospects, and neighborhood health are profound,
      but effective programs can alter the negative developmental trajectories of this very
      high-risk population and begin to redress existing health disparities.
    

Intervention name(s): PHAT Life Intervention; Health Promotion Control
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): HIV Prevention behavioral health intervention; Behavioral health intervention control
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Participant)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: HIV Prevention; Juvenile Justice; Sexual Health; Evidence Based Intervention