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

描述（由申请人提供）：拟议的研究代表了一个成功的NIH资助的研究计划的延续，该计划旨在提高针对倾向于高水平性风险的个人的大众媒体宣传活动的有效性。我们目前的项目评估了专门为减少年轻人高危性行为而设计的电视PSA干预活动的影响。结果令人印象深刻，在中断的时间序列中，2个城市的现场实验中，高感觉寻求（HSS）和冲动决策（IDM）的年轻人对安全套使用和安全套使用的关键介质产生了4-6个月的影响。拟议的继续研究将采用与当前项目类似的受控时间序列设计，在两个可比较的前125名尼尔森市场（查尔斯顿，SC和奥古斯塔，GA）中检查密集的电视宣传活动在说服青少年推迟性活动开始方面的有效性。它将涉及3个为期3个月的高饱和度电视公益广告宣传活动（一个社区2个，另一个社区1个），重点是延迟开始性活动，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，该研究将监测PSA暴露，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环境中，以及个体差异变量（特别是寻求刺激和冲动的决策），通过每月从两个社区公立学校的一批学生中随机抽样进行访谈。伴随的过程研究将提供对个人和社会过程的洞察，通过这些过程，运动对行为产生影响。这项研究的主要目标是：1）测试有针对性的电视PSA运动向高危青少年传达通过延迟性活动开始来减少HIV相关危险行为的信息的能力，2）提供这种运动随时间推移在性活动开始和相关中介变量方面产生显著变化的能力的受控测试，3）探索感觉寻求和冲动决策在调节这种影响中的作用，4）探索运动如何影响上述中介和结果变量的过程对于非洲裔美国人和白人青少年是相似还是不同的，5）探索助推运动增强或维持先前运动的影响的能力，以及6）增强对与运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青少年的性活动，从而在很长一段时间内大幅降低意外少女怀孕和性病（包括艾滋病毒）的发生率。还将向其他社区提供电视公益告示，以便在那里播放，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.