José P Espada1, Alexandra Morales2, Mireia Orgilés2, John B Jemmott3, Loretta S Jemmott4. 1. Department of Health Psychology, Miguel Hernández University, Elche, Alicante, Spain. Electronic address: jpespada@umh.es. 2. Department of Health Psychology, Miguel Hernández University, Elche, Alicante, Spain. 3. Annenberg School for Communication and Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 4. School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Abstract
PURPOSE: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlights the importance of evaluating interventions rigorously and recommends evaluating new interventions against interventions with established efficacy. Competencias para adolescentes con una sexualidad saludable (COMPAS) is a school-based HIV prevention program that has been shown to be effective in reducing sexual risk behaviors among adolescents in Spain. This study evaluates the efficacy of COMPAS program compared with a Spanish-culture adapted version of ¡Cuídate! (Take Care of Yourself), an evidence-based HIV prevention curriculum designed for Latino adolescents in the US. METHODS: This cluster randomized controlled trial involved 1,563 adolescents attending 18 public high schools located in 5 provinces of Spain. The schools invited to participate were enrolled and randomly assigned to the three experimental conditions: COMPAS, ¡Cuídate!, and control group (CG; no intervention). RESULTS: Generalized estimating equation analyses revealed that both interventions improved attitudes toward people living with human immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV)/AIDS and the HIV test and increased HIV/sexually transmitted infection knowledge and intention to engage in safer sex behaviors compared with the CG. Although only COMPAS increased participants' sexual risk perception and attitude toward condom use compared with the CG, the two interventions did not significantly differ on any outcome. CONCLUSIONS: When compared with an established program, COMPAS was at least as effective at increasing the intention to engage in safer sex behaviors as the evidence-based intervention.
RCT Entities:
PURPOSE: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlights the importance of evaluating interventions rigorously and recommends evaluating new interventions against interventions with established efficacy. Competencias para adolescentes con una sexualidad saludable (COMPAS) is a school-based HIV prevention program that has been shown to be effective in reducing sexual risk behaviors among adolescents in Spain. This study evaluates the efficacy of COMPAS program compared with a Spanish-culture adapted version of ¡Cuídate! (Take Care of Yourself), an evidence-based HIV prevention curriculum designed for Latino adolescents in the US. METHODS: This cluster randomized controlled trial involved 1,563 adolescents attending 18 public high schools located in 5 provinces of Spain. The schools invited to participate were enrolled and randomly assigned to the three experimental conditions: COMPAS, ¡Cuídate!, and control group (CG; no intervention). RESULTS: Generalized estimating equation analyses revealed that both interventions improved attitudes toward people living with humanimmunodeficiency syndrome (HIV)/AIDS and the HIV test and increased HIV/sexually transmitted infection knowledge and intention to engage in safer sex behaviors compared with the CG. Although only COMPAS increased participants' sexual risk perception and attitude toward condom use compared with the CG, the two interventions did not significantly differ on any outcome. CONCLUSIONS: When compared with an established program, COMPAS was at least as effective at increasing the intention to engage in safer sex behaviors as the evidence-based intervention.
Authors: Pablo Vallejo-Medina; Juan C Correa; Mayra Gómez-Lugo; Diego Alejandro Saavedra-Roa; Eileen García-Montaño; Diana Pérez-Pedraza; Janivys Niebles-Charris; Paola García-Roncallo; Daniella Abello-Luque; José Pedro Espada; Alexandra Morales Journal: Prev Med Rep Date: 2020-04-08
Authors: Alexandra Morales; Samuel Tomczyk; Mireia Orgilés; José Pedro Espada Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-02-14 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Aliete Cunha-Oliveira; Ana Paula Camarneiro; Sagrario Gómez-Cantarino; Carmen Cipriano-Crespo; Paulo Joaquim Pina Queirós; Daniela Cardoso; Diana Gabriela Santos; María Idoia Ugarte-Gurrutxaga Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-11-13 Impact factor: 3.390