Web-Based Middle School HIV Prevention Curricula: Aspiring for Reach and Impact

描述（由申请人提供）：基于网络的中学艾滋病毒预防课程：渴望达到和影响早期青少年性行为是一个重大的公共卫生问题，在美国很少有计划，但是，已被证明有效地推迟中学生的性行为，许多人有有限的潜力进行大规模传播。该调查小组开发并评估了一个新的艾滋病毒、性传播感染和怀孕预防课堂和计算机方案，题为“这是你的游戏”。保持真实的（IYG）。我们发现，IYG是有效的，在延迟青少年的性启动后，长期随访。这项评估是基于学生在课堂和计算机为基础的组件的参与。为了增加其传播潜力，确定计算机辅助部分作为独立课程的相对长期有效性已成为该领域的下一个重要步骤，因为这将审查更多的预防途径。我们最近将国际地球年的所有计算机活动转换为基于互联网的平台。国际青年年的一个以计算机为基础的组成部分的因特网版本结合了技术的进步和因特网对青年的吸引力，这可能有可能加强效果，提高课程的真实性，并以具有成本效益的方式促进传播。在一个小的试点研究，这个互联网计划，学生接触到该计划更有可能报告积极影响的心理社会因素有关的危险性行为。这些发现需要在更大的试验中复制;因此，这项为期3年的研究建议评估这种基于互联网的艾滋病毒，性传播感染（STI）和预防怀孕课程，作为一个大型城市学区中学生的独立干预措施。将对1，600名中学生进行随机双臂嵌套设计，其中将接受基于互联网的课程的学校（n=7所学校）与接受常规护理的对照学校（n=7）进行比较。这项研究建立在广泛的先前研究在这一领域，并将有助于我们利用互联网提供艾滋病毒，性传播感染和怀孕预防计划，以中学生的理解。 公共卫生相关性：使用电脑，游戏和互联网来解决青少年性教育是一个新兴的研究领域。一个基于互联网的艾滋病毒，性传播感染和怀孕预防计划，为中学生有可能低成本，高保真的传播，如果它被证明是有效的延迟性启动。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Web-Based Middle School HIV Prevention Curricula: Aspiring for Reach & Impact Early adolescent sexual behavior is a significant public health problem in the U.S. Few programs, however, have proven effective in delaying sexual behavior among middle school students, and many have limited potential for wide-scale dissemination. This investigative team has developed and evaluated a new HIV, STI and pregnancy prevention classroom and computer-based program, entitled It's Your Game...Keep it Real (IYG). We found IYG to be effective in delaying sexual initiation among youth after long term follow-up. This evaluation was based on student's participation in both the classroom and computer-based components. To increase its dissemination potential, determining the relative long-term effectiveness of the computer-based component as a standalone curriculum has become an important next step in the field, as this examines additional avenues for prevention. We recently converted all of the IYG computer activities to an Internet-based platform. An Internet version of the IYG computer-based component incorporates technological advances and the appeal of the Internet for youth, which may have the potential to bolster effects, improve lesson fidelity, and facilitate dissemination in a cost-effective manner. In a small pilot study of this Internet program, students exposed to the program were more likely to report positive effects on psychosocial factors related to risky sexual behavior. These findings need to be replicated in a larger trial; thus, this 3-year study proposes to evaluate this Internet-based HIV, sexually transmitted infection (STI), and pregnancy prevention curriculum as a standalone intervention for middle school students in a large urban school district. A randomized two-arm nested design will be conducted with 1,600 middle school students where schools receiving the Internet-based curriculum (n=7 schools) will be compared with comparison schools receiving usual care (n=7). This study builds on extensive prior research in this domain and will contribute to our understanding of using the Internet to deliver an HIV, STI, and pregnancy prevention program to middle school students. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Narrative Description The use of computers, games, and the Internet to address adolescent sex education is a burgeoning research area. An Internet-based HIV, STI, and pregnancy prevention program for middle school students has the potential for low-cost, high fidelity dissemination, if it is proven to be effective at delaying sexual initiation.