Internet-Based Sexual Health Education for Middle School Native American Youth
Condition: Sexually Transmitted Diseases; Pregnancy; HIV Infections
MeSH terms: Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This study will evaluate the effect of an American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) adaptation of
      the It's Your Game…Keep It Real (IYG) intervention, relative to a comparison condition on
      sexual behavior outcomes and psychosocial variables for middle school aged youth (12 - 14
      years old). The original IYG program was designed for students in Houston middle schools to
      help students delay sexual initiation and if sexually active, use condoms and contraception.
      The present study will adapt the existing IYG program for an AI/AN youth cohort; the original
      IYG curriculum will be transferred into a web-based format and modified to incorporate
      additional culturally-relevant components. 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. Secondary hypotheses will examine the effect of the web-based
      curriculum on specific types of sex and psychosocial variables related to sexual risk-taking
      behavior. This project 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.
    

Detailed description: 
      The goal of this four year research project is to adapt and evaluate the effectiveness of an
      Internet-based HIV/STI, and pregnancy prevention curriculum for American Indian/Alaska Native
      (AI/AN) middle school-aged youth (12-14 years). This curriculum will be adapted from a
      successful, Internet-accessible, prevention program, It's Your Game…Keep it Real (IYG).

      During year 1 (Fall 2010 through Spring 2011) of this project, the study team will test the
      usability of the existing IYG program, while performing an assessment of existing programs
      for cultural of the IYG intervention. In year 2 (beginning Fall 2011), the project team plans
      to initiate and complete development of the cultural-adapted IYG intervention for AI/AN youth
      (IYG-AI/AN). Starting in year 3 (Fall 2012), the study efficacy trial will commence to
      evaluate the effectiveness of IYG-AI/AN on sexual behaviors and psychosocial determinants of
      those behaviors among AI/AN youth in three regions (Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, including
      Idaho, Oregon, and Washington state, and Arizona) relative to a comparison condition.
      Recruitment sites will be middle schools and Boys and Girls Clubs (BGCs), identified through
      their affiliations with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC), the Pacific
      Northwest Tribal Epicenter (the Epicenter) and the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona (ITCA).
      Randomization will occur regionally, at the site (schools and BGCs) level, to one of two
      conditions: IYG-AI/AN and a comparison condition. The comparison condition will consist of
      two web-based educational programs unrelated to sexual health. The IYG-AI/AN intervention
      will be compared against the comparison condition. The efficacy trial will continue for 16
      months into year 4 (2013).

      The primary hypothesis to be tested is: (1) youth who receive the IYG-AI/AN intervention will
      delay sexual activity relative to those who receive the comparison condition. The major
      dependent variable is the proportion of AI/AN youth initiating sexual activity (vaginal,
      oral, or anal sex). Secondary hypotheses will examine the effect of the intervention on
      specific types of sex (e.g., vaginal, oral, anal) and psychosocial variables such as youth
      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 AI/AN youth who are sexually active, occurrences of unprotected sexual
      intercourse and the number of sexual partners among these AI/AN youth.
    

Intervention name(s): HIV, STI and Pregnancy Prevention Curriculum; Control Curricula
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): A complete internet-based, "It's Your Game...Keep It Real" Intervention Program; A computer-based, science education program that does not contain elements of sexual health education
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: Adolescents; Youth; Sexual Health; Sex Education; Pregnancy Prevention; Abstinence Education; HIV; Human Immunodeficiency Virus; STI; Chlamydia; Gonorrhea; Sexually Transmitted Infections; American Indian; Alaska Native; Native American; Internet-Based; Computer-based Education; Computer-based learning