Clinical trial NCT04227236: Interventions to Improve Reproductive Health Among Adolescents
Official title: Interventions to Improve Reproductive Health Among Adolescents
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Teacher Training
Keywords: Sexual
health
Lead sponsor: RAND
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: dfusion Inc
First posted: 2020-01-13
Enrollment: 53
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 21
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: in-person training or e-based virtual training.
Primary purpose: OTHER

Brief summary: The proposed virtual training prototype will provide Making Proud Choices (MPC) facilitator trainees the opportunity to make decisions, build facilitator skills, practice core concepts and enhance self-efficacy with a virtual audience programmed to display a range of behaviors and emotions, simulating a true-to-life experience with immediate feedback. Seventy-two adults who have experience working with adolescents but not with MPC, STI, or pregnancy prevention education will receive MPC training. Participants will be randomly assigned to either: 1) virtual training in the MPC module on condom use n=36), or 2) dfusion/ETR's traditional in-person training in the same module (n=36). Using mixed methods (survey, focus groups, observations), the project will evaluate the virtual training's impact on STI/pregnancy prevention knowledge, teaching efficacy, and teaching skills and its usability, feasibility, and acceptability.

Detailed description: Dfusion, in partnership with the RAND Corporation, Allen Interactions and Dr. Loretta Jemmott (MPC developer), proposes to develop an online avatar-based virtual training that can make MPC training more accessible while still being as effective as in-person. In this Phase I STTR, we will develop and test a prototype of the online, avatar-based virtual training for activities of MPC and test it with 72 adults who have experience working with adolescents (but not with MPC or any HIV/STI/teen pregnancy risk-reduction program). At random, 36 will receive traditional in-person MPC training, and 36 will receive avatar-based MPC training. The avatar group (n=36) will be compared to the in-person group (n=36) on their STI/pregnancy prevention knowledge, teaching efficacy, and teaching skills.

The scientific premise is that avatar-based virtual training will prepare educators to implement the popular evidence-based MPC as effectively as traditional (and expensive) face-to-face trainings. The specific aims are:

* Aim 1: Develop a prototype for a novel, online avatar-based virtual training for select components of the evidence-based STI/pregnancy risk reduction program Making Proud Choices.
* Aim 2: Using mixed methods (survey, focus groups, observations), evaluate the avatar-based training's preliminary impact on facilitator STI/pregnancy prevention knowledge, teaching efficacy, and teaching skills compared to in-person training, as well as its usability and acceptability.

By developing novel tools/platforms to improve the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based behavioral interventions to prevent STIs/teen pregnancy, this application is in line with the priorities of the NICHD Population Dynamics Branch, which supports reproductive health research on STIs and family planning. If successful, not only will dfusion proceed to Phase II, but the findings could inform other nascent efforts to develop avatar facilitator trainings that could make a range of evidence-based programs more accessible to community-based organizations.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* age 21+ and have no prior experience with MPC or providing STI or pregnancy prevention education

Exclusion Criteria:

* non-English speaking

Primary outcomes:
measure: Implementation Fidelity
timeFrame: up to 1 hour post teacher training
measure: Pre-Training Knowledge of Condom Line-Up Activity
timeFrame: 30 minutes before teacher training
measure: Post-Training Knowledge of Condom Line-Up Activity
timeFrame: 30 minutes after teacher training
measure: Pre-Training Teaching Self-efficacy
timeFrame: 30 minutes before teacher training
measure: Post-Training Teaching Self-efficacy
timeFrame: 30 minutes after teacher training
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Acceptability of training
timeFrame: 30 minutes after teacher training
measure: Applicability of training
timeFrame: 30 minutes after teacher training
measure: Overall Impression
timeFrame: 30 minutes after teacher training
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Scotts Valley
country: United States
facility: Dfusion, Inc
state: California
Study officials:
References: