Adapting and Evaluating an EBI to Prevent HIV/AIDS Risk Among Apache Youth
Condition: HIV/AIDS
MeSH terms: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; HIV Infections
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The investigators seek to adapt, implement and evaluate a randomized controlled trial of an
      evidence based intervention delivered by Apache interventionists to reduce HIV/AIDS risk,
      targeting Apache adolescents. Specific study objectives include:

        1. To perform formative research through focus groups and individual interviews on
           attitudes, practices and intervention preferences among Apache adolescents and community
           stakeholders.

        2. To adapt the Focus on Youth (FOY) evidence-based intervention using findings from the
           formative research, components of Protection Motivation Theory, and input from a
           community advisory board.

        3. To enroll 304 White Mountain Apache youth ages 13-19 to participate in a randomized
           intervention trial measuring behavior change at 6- and 12- months follow-up.

        4. To determine the feasibility of gathering biological specimens via self-administered
           swabs to track sexually transmitted diseases among 18-19 year olds enrolled in this and
           future studies.
    

Detailed description: 
      The general format of the study consists of a randomized controlled trial delivered through
      the medium of an 8-day basketball camp. Intervention activities will consist of the daily
      delivery of a youth HIV/AIDS prevention curriculum over the course of 8 days.
    

Intervention name(s): Focus On Youth; Health Education Control Condition
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Focus on Youth is a community-based, eight session group intervention that provides youth with the skills and knowledge they need to protect themselves from HIV and other STDs. Focus on Youth uses fun, interactive activities such as games, role plays and discussions to convey prevention knowledge and skills pertaining to Protection Motivation Theoretical concepts. The intervention consists of 8 group sessions delivered daily over 8 days by two Apache facilitators to same-sex peer groups of 8-12 Apache youth. Each lesson lasts approximately 60-90 minutes. The goal of the sessions will be to teach youth about sexual and reproductive health with a specific focus on safe sex practices and sexual decision making.; The health education control condition consists of team-building activities and viewing of educational videos on nutrition and fitness, environmental protection and nature. The control condition program will be delivered according to the same structure as the Focus on Youth intervention; daily for 60-90 minutes over the course of 8 days. Due to local staffing availability and the pilot nature of this research, youth in the control condition will not receive the control program in small-group peer format. Rather, youth will receive the control condition program in groups of approximately 30-50.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: HIV/AIDS; Prevention; American Indian; Substance use; CBPR