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Theory-based and evidence-based development and evaluation of tailored HIV/STI prevention through the Internet directed at young people (14 - 19) who chat.

Projectomschrijving

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Samenvatting van de aanvraag

The sexual health of young people warrants attention. Chlamydia is more prevalent among young people, especially girls. Although the use of contraceptives is at a high level, 80% of girls and 20% of boys are not using condoms consistently with their current sex partner, which puts them at risk for HIV and STI infection. Sexual health is more than the absence of diseases, however. It also implies sexual well-being, not feeling ashamed about ones sexuality and having interaction competence to make informed choices. The Internet has become an important element in the lives of teenagers. Access is almost universal and chatting and profile sites are very popular. Teens use the Internet to find information on sexuality, but also to flirt and chat. Sometimes this results in real-life dates and sexual contact. Considering how important the Internet has become in the (sexual) lives of teenagers, tailored and interactive online sexual health promotion is necessary. This can be an important addition to current prevention strategies, which focus mostly on school settings or mass-media campaigns. The information on HIV/STIs that is currently available on the Internet is chiefly textual knowledge. It is not tailored, makes no use of the interactive possibilities of Internet and is hardly directed at behavioural change. Another limitation of the current sites is that teenagers have to actively go looking for them. The project we propose would link the intervention directly to popular teen sites. Two of the most important sites for young people in the Netherlands, www.sugababes.nl and www.cu2.nl, have already agreed to cooperate on this. The aims of our project are: 1. to develop and implement an Internet-based intervention aimed at promoting the sexual health of teenagers (aged 1419) who often use chat programmes: a. to stimulate the use of condoms to prevent STIs and unwanted pregnancies; b. to maintain or improve the current level of contraception use; c. to empower teenagers in their sexual health by developing their interaction competence; 2. to evaluate the effects of the intervention on protective behaviourthe consistent use of condoms and contraceptivesand determinants of behaviour and on interaction competence through a randomised experiment; 3. to develop a co-operation with (commercial) sites directed at young people to integrate the prevention of STIs and unwanted pregnancies; to build up a network with these sites and evaluate the co-operation; 4. to evaluate the possibilities and limitations of intervention development and evaluation on the Internet. Using the Intervention Mapping protocol, we will start by assessing needs and identifying determinants. Based upon these, we will formulate performance objectives, after which strategies and methods will be identified. The Intervention Mapping protocol includes the application of empirical and theoretical evidence and the use of behavioural-change strategies. The intervention will be interactive, with tailoring based on gender and reported sexual experience. Virtual relational agents will be employed to interact with the participants. Several online (audio-visual) techniques will make the intervention an enjoyable experience for the participants. The randomised experiment will consist of three arms: the intervention arm, with tailoring based on both gender and sexual experience; the current-situation arm, where participants will be guided to an existing site; and the control arm, where participants will receive interactive elements focused only on chatting and not on sexual health. Respondents will be randomised after entering the intervention. All participants will start with the baseline questionnaire and receive a follow up questionnaire at three months. 10,000 respondents will be included in the experiment. During the project, we will work together with three linkage groups: a group of adolescents, a group of Internet professionals including representatives of popular chat and/or profile sites, and an expert group of people working on sexual health and Internet interventions. The results will not only be important for improving the sexual health of young people, but they can also contribute to more general knowledge about effective tailored, interactive Internet interventions. The project is grounded in state-of-the-art theoretical and practice-based knowledge of and experience with HIV/STIs, sexual health, intervention development and tailored Internet interventions. It will form part of the ongoing co-operation that the Rotterdam Municipal Public Health Service has with Maastricht University, the Erasmus Medical Centre and STI AIDS Netherlands. If proven successful, the intervention will be embedded in the regular activities of STI AIDS Netherlands.

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Projectnummer:
61300027
Looptijd: 100%
Looptijd: 100 %
2007
2010
Onderdeel van programma:
Projectleider en penvoerder:
Verantwoordelijke organisatie:
GGD Rotterdam Rijnmond