HIV Prevention in Teens: A Peer-Mentoring Strategy

修订后的第一阶段可行性研究将开发和测试一个导师培训光盘，旨在帮助高中三年级和四年级学生以有效和无威胁的方式学习艾滋病毒预防信息和指导策略。拟议产品的目的是通过结合现有预防方案的两个成功要素：同伴指导和互动软件，改善青少年中的艾滋病毒预防。在修订后的第一阶段应用程序中，我们将专注于软件内容开发和可行性测试。 我们的研究旨在收集初步证据，以支持这一假设，即青少年的舒适度和兴趣，在从事学习艾滋病毒预防策略的初始阶段是更高的使用无威胁的计算机模式，比当这些信息是由成年人提供。为了实现这一目标，在第一阶段，我们将从纽约布鲁克林的一所高中招募45名学生参与测试我们的软件。 第一阶段将使用非比较研究设计，其中收集的数据来自调查，要求学生评估软件的易用性和内容适当性，以及评估他们使用导师培训软件学习预防技术的舒适度，相对于他们认为他们的舒适度将从成人健康教育工作者那里学习相同的信息。 如果第一阶段取得成功，第二阶段的支持将在一项随机试验中全面测试导师培训软件的艾滋病毒预防效果，在该试验中，学校被分配接受1）干预措施，包括导师培训光盘，研究和学校工作人员的辅导，以及辅导课程; 2）标准护理艾滋病毒预防计划;以及3）没有正式的艾滋病毒预防干预措施。第三阶段将使导师培训光盘和学校工作人员指导和监督的配套指导手册商业化，以便在高中卫生科学课程中有效和一致地使用。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The revised Phase I feasibility study will develop and test a mentor-training CD-ROM designed to help high school juniors and seniors learn HIV prevention information and mentoring strategies in an efficient and non-threatening manner. The purpose of the proposed product is to improve HIV prevention among adolescents by combining two successful elements of existing prevention programs: peer mentoring and interactive software. In the revised Phase I application we will focus on software content development and feasibility testing. Our research aims to gather initial evidence in support of the hypothesis that adolescents' comfort and interest in engaging in the initial stages of learning HIV prevention strategies is higher using a non-threatening computer modality, than when this information is provided by adults. Toward this aim, in Phase I we will recruit 45 students from a single high school in Brooklyn, NY to participate in testing our software. Phase I will use a non-comparative study design in which data are gathered from surveys asking students to evaluate the ease of use and content-appropriateness of the software, as well as to evaluate their comfort using the mentor-training software to learn prevention techniques, relative to what they believe their comfort would be learning the same information from adult health educators. If Phase I is successful, Phase II support will be pursued to fully test the HIV prevention efficacy of the mentor-training software in a randomized trial in which schools are assigned to receive 1) the intervention, comprised of the mentor-training CD-ROM, coaching from research and school staff, and mentoring sessions; 2) a standard of care HIV prevention program; and 3) no formal HIV prevention intervention. Phase III will entail commercialization of the mentor-training CD-ROM, and accompanying manuals of instruction for school staff coaching and supervision, for efficient and consistent use in high school health science curricula.