Intervention to Encourage HIV Testing and Counseling Among Adolescents
Condition: Human Immunodeficiency Virus
MeSH terms: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; HIV Infections
Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase 1

Summary: 
      This study aims to minimize risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in adolescent boys and
      girls, ages 15-16, by promoting HIV testing and counseling (HTC) through the use of an
      interactive videogame. With input from focus groups of adolescents, the investigators will
      adapt an HIV prevention videogame, PlayForward: Elm City Stories, for adolescents ages 15-16
      . The investigators will then pilot test the videogame in 30 adolescents to assess the
      acceptability and feasibility of the videogame. They will also assess whether the videogame
      increased the participants' intentions to obtain HTC, whether they actually obtained HTC, and
      whether the videogame increased knowledge of HIV.
    

Detailed description: 
      Adolescents are at high risk of contracting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). To help them
      to minimize their risk and maintain their uninfected status, it is critical to give them the
      information, motivation, and skills to get HIV testing and counseling (HTC).

      The current proposal focuses on adapting an existing HIV prevention videogame, PlayForward:
      Elm City Stories (R01HD062080), developed for 11-14 year olds, to include a primary focus on
      promoting access to and uptake of HTC in adolescent boys and girls, ages 15-16. PlayForward,
      an engaging and interactive videogame grounded in social learning theory and the theory of
      planned behavior, was developed through extensive work with its target audience to focus on
      the delay of sexual initiation in young teens and is currently demonstrating preliminary
      efficacy in a large randomized controlled trial (RCT).

      In this Phase I proposal, PlayForward will be adapted for use in a slightly older age group
      with the primary outcome of encouraging them (increasing intentions) to obtain HTC and
      increasing knowledge about HIV/AIDS.

      Working with the multi-disciplinary team of the play2PREVENT (p2P) Lab, we will conduct the
      formative work with our target audience and content experts to modify PlayForward for a focus
      on promoting HTC. To this end, our specific aims for this Phase I proposal targeting HTC in
      15-16 year old adolescents are to:

      Aim 1: Translate our culturally and socially-tailored videogame PlayForward to focus on HTC
      in an older age group of 15-16 year old boys and girls by:

        1. Developing a conceptual model of the theoretical mechanisms of behavior change to be
           applied specifically within the game. We will develop this model with input from 4 focus
           groups of 5 adolescents each (n = 20, aged 15-16) and the extant literature.

        2. This model will inform the development of a set of intervention manuals ("Game
           Playbooks") targeting the new outcome.

           Aim 2: Modify aspects of the PlayForward game to reflect this new focus by pilot testing
           it with 30 adolescents, aged 15-16 to determine in a pre-post design:

        3. The intervention's acceptability and feasibility using self-report data on the game play
           experience.

        4. Preliminary evidence of the efficacy of the intervention by collecting data on i)
           intentions to seek HTC; ii) actual obtaining of HTC; and iii) knowledge about HIV/AIDS.
    

Intervention name(s): HIV prevention videogame
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Assess acceptability and efficacy of a HIV prevention videogame
Intervention model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Prevention