Clinical trial NCT04917575: Efficacy Trial of Life Simulation Game to Routinize Adolescent HIV Testing
Official title: Efficacy Trial of Life Simulation Game to Routinize Adolescent HIV Testing
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Hiv
Keywords: HIV prevention
HIV testing
mHealth
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
adolescents
interactive technology
Lead sponsor: George Washington University
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Media Rez
First posted: 2021-06-08
Enrollment: 300
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 13
Maximum age (years): 24
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: SCREENING

Brief summary: This study will aim to assess the acceptability, usability and efficacy of using state-of-the-art video game technology to increase HIV testing among adolescents and young adults (AYA) ages 13-24. AYA often lack awareness of their personal risk of contracting HIV and where to go for testing and care. This lack of awareness has contributed to poor uptake of HIV testing among AYA despite engagement in high risk behaviors. The goal of this project is to harness this strong motivation to play games to increase HIV testing. Previous games for behavior change have yielded early success for increasing target behaviors among their sample populations, yet research on increasing HIV testing among AYA through gaming has been limited. This intervention builds on prior formative work and is designed to offer AYA personally-tailored risk messages and supports their accessibility to HIV testing and prevention services through an innovative gaming approach that is sharable over social media with in-game rewards for sharing the game with peers. The specific aim of this study is to determine the efficacy of a life-simulation game in changing HIV testing, knowledge, and risk behaviors among AYA at risk for HIV.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* age 13-24
* self-reported HIV negative or unknown status
* self-reported ever sexually active
* resident of the DC metropolitan region which includes the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia for at least the next 6 months
* Is able to provide informed consent or assent
* able to complete all study procedures in English
* has own mobile phones and be willing to use them for the study.

Primary outcomes:
measure: HIV testing
timeFrame: prior 6 months
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Intent to test for HIV
timeFrame: baseline, 1, 3, 6 months
measure: HIV knowledge
timeFrame: baseline, 1, 3, 6 months
measure: HIV risk perception and behaviors
timeFrame: baseline, 1, 3, 6 months
measure: Knowledge of PrEP
timeFrame: baseline, 1, 3, 6 months
measure: CDC risk estimator scores
timeFrame: baseline, 1, 3, 6 months
measure: Frequency of game use
timeFrame: 1, 3, 6 months
measure: PrEP screening
timeFrame: baseline, 1, 3, 6 months
measure: PrEP use/uptake
timeFrame: baseline, 1, 3, 6 months
measure: PrEP locator use
timeFrame: baseline, 1, 3, 6 months
measure: Duration of game use
timeFrame: 1, 3, 6 months
measure: Reasons for continued or discontinued use of game
timeFrame: 1, 3, 6 months
measure: HIV locator use
timeFrame: baseline, 1, 3, 6 months
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Washington
country: United States
facility: George Washington University Milken School of Public Health
state: District of Columbia
Study officials:
References:
citation: Castel AD, Wilbourn B, Trexler C, D'Angelo LD, Greenberg D. A Digital Gaming Intervention to Improve HIV Testing for Adolescents and Young Adults: Protocol for Development and a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc. 2021 Jun 24;10(6):e29792. doi: 10.2196/29792.