An Intervention to Promote Healthy Behaviors in Homeless Youth
Condition: Substance Use Disorders
MeSH terms: Substance-Related Disorders
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Investigators will use a Solomon 4-group design to test the effectiveness of a brief
      intervention to promote health behaviors for homeless youth who are 18-23 years of age. We
      will recruit 300 youths from Austin, TX and 300 from Columbus, OH. We will gather
      quantitative data on health behaviors and life satisfaction 3 and 6 months following the
      intervention, which will be delivered on an individual basis. Data will be analyzed using
      structural equation modeling and ANCOVA statistics.
    

Detailed description: 
      The specific aims of this proposal are to:

        1. determine the effectiveness of a self-reflective preventive intervention to promote
           responsible substance use and safe sex behaviors (prevent HIV/AIDS) in homeless youths,
           ages18-23 years;

        2. determine whether psychological capital factors mediate the relationship between
           background risk factors (sexual orientation, duration of homelessness, sex abuse
           history, history of substance use, past sexual risk behaviors, and service utilization)
           and improved proximal outcomes (self-efficacy and intentions) and distal outcomes
           (responsible substance use, safer sex, life satisfaction);

        3. determine the effect of pre-testing on intervention proximal outcomes (immediately
           following intervention) and distal outcomes (at an interval of 3 and 6 months following
           intervention); and an exploratory aim

        4. to explore general and specific differences in proximal and distal outcomes of the
           intervention between participants in two geographically different sites (Austin, TX and
           Columbus, OH). We will recruit a total of 600 homeless youths from 2 drop-in centers in
           2 geographic areas of the central US: Austin, TX and Columbus, OH. Using a Solomon
           four-group design with repeated measures, we will conduct a randomized controlled trial
           of a brief possible selves intervention (PSI) consisting of 6 brief individualized
           sessions that focus on generating images of one's possible self as feared or as best.
           Intervention participants will also receive weekly electronic messages to encourage them
           to move toward a goal of becoming their best possible self. Quantitative data will be
           collected before, immediately after the intervention, and at intervals of 3 and 6 months
           following intervention to test hypotheses about the effectiveness of the intervention on
           health behaviors and life satisfaction as well as the effects of pre-testing on these
           outcomes using structural equation modeling and ANCOVA statistics. The findings are
           expected to have a public health impact on further development of individualized
           services to promote healthy behaviors, healthy lifestyles and life satisfaction for
           vulnerable youths.
    

Intervention name(s): Intervention to Promote Healthy Behaviors
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Six individualized sessions (30 minutes each) are delivered to each participant randomized to receive the intervention.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Sequential Assignment
Intervention model description: This intervention has one (1) intervention arm. Participants were randomly assigned to the intervention with or without the pre-test or to receiving services as usual, with or without the pre-test.
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Prevention