Targeting Mass Media Campaigns for HIV, STD, and Pregnancy Prevention

描述（由申请人提供）：拟议的研究代表了美国国立卫生研究院资助的一项成功研究计划的延续，该计划旨在提高针对容易发生性冒险的个人的大众媒体宣传活动的有效性。我们当前的项目评估了电视转播的 PSA 干预活动的影响，该活动专门旨在减少年轻人的高风险性行为。在一项间断时间序列、2 个城市的现场实验中，结果令人印象深刻，对高感觉寻求 (HSS) 和冲动决策 (IDM) 年轻人的安全套使用和安全套使用的关键中介因素有 4-6 个月的影响。拟议的后续研究将采用与当前项目类似的受控时间序列设计，检验在尼尔森 2 个可比较的前 125 个市场（南卡罗来纳州查尔斯顿和佐治亚州奥古斯塔）中，密集的电视宣传活动在说服青少年推迟开始性活动方面的有效性。它将涉及 3 个为期 3 个月的高饱和度电视公益广告活动（1 个社区 2 个，另一个社区 1 个），重点关注延迟开始性活动，采用基于理论、适合年龄、针对性别和文化敏感的信息。在 27 个月的评估期内，该研究将通过对两个社区公立学校的一组学生进行每月随机抽样访谈，监测 PSA 暴露、关于等待发生性行为的性规范、拒绝自我效能、参与关系、发生性行为的意图和延迟发生性行为、将自己置于潜在的性情境中，以及个体差异变量（特别是寻求感觉和冲动决策）。随附的过程研究将深入了解该活动对行为产生影响的个人和社会过程。该研究的主要目标是：1) 测试有针对性的电视公益广告宣传活动向高危青少年传达信息的能力，通过延迟性活动的开始来减少艾滋病毒相关的危险行为，2) 提供对照测试，检验此类宣传活动在性活动开始和相关中介变量方面随时间推移产生显着变化的能力，3) 探索寻求感觉和冲动决策在缓和此类影响中的作用，4) 探索宣传活动影响的过程对于非裔美国人和白人青少年来说，上述中介和结果变量是相似或不同的，5) 探索助推活动增强或维持先前活动影响的能力，以及 6) 增强对与活动效果相关的个人和社会过程的理解。该项目的潜在公共卫生意义包括推迟数百名早期青少年的性活动，从而在较长时间内显着降低青少年意外怀孕和性传播疾病（包括艾滋病毒）的发生率。电视公共服务公告也将向其他社区播放，这可能会产生重大的公共卫生成果。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed study represents a continuation of a successful NIH-funded research program on improving the effectiveness of mass media campaigns targeted toward individuals predisposed to high levels of sexual risk-taking. Our current project assessed the impact of a televised PSA intervention campaign designed specifically to reduce high-risk sexual behavior in young adults. Results have been impressive, with 4-6 month effects on condom use and critical mediators of condom use for high-sensation-seeking (HSS) and impulsive decision-making (IDM) young adults in an interrupted time-series, 2-city field experiment. The proposed continuation study will examine the effectiveness of intensive television campaigns in persuading young adolescents to delay initiation of sexual activity in 2 comparable top 125 Nielsen markets (Charleston, SC and Augusta, GA), employing a controlled time-series design similar to that in the current project. It will involve 3 high-saturation 3-month TV PSA campaigns (2 in 1 community and 1 in the other) focusing on delay of initiation of sexual activity, employing theory-based, age-appropriate, gender-targeted, and culturally sensitive messages. Over the 27-month assessment period, the study will monitor PSA exposure, sexual norms about waiting to have sex, refusal self-efficacy, involvement in a relationship, intentions to have sex and delay having sex, placing oneself in potentially sexual situations, as well as individual difference variables (particularly sensation-seeking and impulsive decision-making), through interviews with monthly random samples from a cohort of students in public schools in the 2 communities. An accompanying process study will provide insight into the individual and social processes through which the campaign has its effects on behavior. The principal objectives of the study are to: 1) test the ability of a targeted televised PSA campaign to reach at-risk adolescents with messages to reduce HIV-related risky behavior by delaying initiation of sexual activity, 2) provide a controlled test of the ability of such a campaign to produce significant changes over time in initiation of sexual activity and related mediating variables, 3) explore the roles of sensation-seeking and impulsive decision-making in moderating such effects, 4) explore how the processes through which the campaign affects the above mediating and outcome variables are similar or different for African-American and Caucasian adolescents, 5) explore the ability of a booster campaign to enhance or sustain the impact of a previous campaign, and 6) enhance understanding of the individual and social processes related to campaign effects. The potential public health significance of this project includes delaying sexual activity for hundreds of early adolescents, resulting in significant reductions in rates of unwanted teen pregnancy and STDs (including HIV) over an extended period of time. The televised public service announcements will also be made available to other communities for airing there, with potentially significant public health outcomes.