Real Risks of the Online World

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Development and validation of questionnaire/scale to assess online dating addiction in a sub-cohort of the SwissPrEPared cohort study (validation sample: n=300). Longitudinal design to assess the association of online dating addiction and sexual/mental health. No randomised trial, only 1 cohort which will be stratified according to severity/risk of online dating addiction.

Detailed Description
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This project may fill an important gap of knowledge in a research area that has taken on major importance over the past few years, and has thus the potential to impact several major public health recommendations. First, considering the high penetrance of dating apps in the men who have sex with men (MSM) population (reaching 78.2% in a recent report), more than 62,000 MSM in Switzerland are estimated to use such applications. How many of them suffer from addiction remains unclear and our project will be the first to provide estimates of the prevalence of online dating addiction in this particular population. Second, our project will help to clarify the impact of online dating app usage on health outcomes. By identifying drivers of the current HIV/(sexual transmitted infections (STI) epidemic in Switzerland, our project might thus provide critical information to shape future prevention measures aiming at further reducing HIV/STI incidence rates. Third, because sexual risk-taking increases with substance use and depression, it remains crucial to detect mental health outcomes early and provide adequate care to populations at high risk of HIV, or other STI, transmission. Fourth, our study might identify a new phenomenon related to high-risk sexual behaviour that may not be limited to the MSM group, but could also affect other, larger populations interacting and meeting through online communication channels. Considering that more than 41 million people are currently using dating apps in Europe, our findings might have a substantial impact on the general population. Finally, this project might provide the very first insights on the interplay between online dating, mental health and sexual risk taking. This new understanding could then help Switzerland create additional measures for preventing HIV transmission and reach the UNAIDS targets for HIV elimination by 2030.

Official Title
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Real Risks of the Online World: Association of Online Dating Addiction With Mental and Sexual Health Outcomes in Sexual Minorities

Conditions
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Sexual Health

Intervention / Treatment
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* Diagnostic Test: to develop and validate a scale measuring online dating addiction (ODA) in sexual minorities - the ODA Scale


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: currently engaging in online dating (i.e., using applications/websites with the aim to meet potential relationship or sexual partners) Participating in the SwissPrEPared study at center Checkpoint Zurich German speaking Exclusion Criteria: - Potential participants will be excluded if they are unable to follow study procedures. For Inclusion/Exclusion at the SwissPrEPared study see: NCT03893188 at clinicaltrials.gov

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Interventional Model Description: only one cohort, nested within the SwissPrEPared Study, which is a large, multicentric, nation-wide cohort study that longitudinally follows individuals interested in PrEP over a period of 3 years (see also NCT03893188 on clinicaltrials.gov).
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Intervention/Treatment |
| --- |
|Diagnostic Test: to develop and validate a scale measuring online dating addiction (ODA) in sexual minorities - the ODA Scale|Qualitative part: scale development and validation with testing in 3 different participant samples, i.e. preliminary testing (n=10), pilot testing (n=30-60), validation (n=300). Quantitative part: longitudinal part conducted in the validation sample of the qualitative study part (n=300) with the aim to evaluate the association of ODA Scale scores with sexual health and mental health outcomes.|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| to develop and validate a scale measuring online dating addiction (ODA) | Scale development and validation will follow the FDA guidance for patient-reported outcomes and recommendations on questionnaire research. Preliminary testing, pilot-testing, and validation will be conducted in participants from the SwissPrEPared Study | single measurement (one day per participant) | 
| Health risks associated with online dating | to evaluate the association of online dating addiction with: • Sexual health outcomes (incident cases of STI, such as syphilis, gonorrhoea and chlamydia, or HIV), over 12 months) Mental health outcomes: prevalence of psychiatric disorders, measured at baseline and 12 months, using validated questionnaires | 12 months |