Melissa F Peskin1, Ross Shegog2, Christine M Markham2, Melanie Thiel2, Elizabeth R Baumler2, Robert C Addy2, Efrat K Gabay2, Susan Tortolero Emery2. 1. Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health, Houston, Texas. Electronic address: Melissa.F.Peskin@uth.tmc.edu. 2. Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health, Houston, Texas.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Few computer-based HIV, sexually transmitted infection (STI), and pregnancy prevention programs are available, and even fewer target early adolescents. In this study, we tested the efficacy of It's Your Game (IYG)-Tech, a completely computer-based, middle school sexual health education program. The primary hypothesis was that students who received IYG-Tech would significantly delay sexual initiation by ninth grade. METHODS: We evaluated IYG-Tech using a randomized, two-arm nested design among 19 schools in a large, urban school district in southeast Texas (20 schools were originally randomized). The target population was English-speaking eighth-grade students who were followed into the ninth grade. The final analytic sample included 1,374 students. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to test for differences in sexual initiation between intervention and control students, while adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, time between measures, and family structure. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the delay of sexual activity or in any other sexual behavior between intervention and control students. However, there were significant positive between-group differences for psychosocial variables related to STI and condom knowledge, attitudes about abstinence, condom use self-efficacy, and perceived norms about sex. Post hoc analyses conducted among intervention students revealed some significant associations: "full exposure" (completion of all 13 lessons) and "mid-exposure" (5-8 lessons) students were less likely than "low exposure" (1-4 lessons) students to initiate sex. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, our findings indicate that IYG-Tech impacts some determinants of sexual behavior, and that additional efficacy evaluation with full intervention exposure may be warranted.
RCT Entities:
PURPOSE: Few computer-based HIV, sexually transmitted infection (STI), and pregnancy prevention programs are available, and even fewer target early adolescents. In this study, we tested the efficacy of It's Your Game (IYG)-Tech, a completely computer-based, middle school sexual health education program. The primary hypothesis was that students who received IYG-Tech would significantly delay sexual initiation by ninth grade. METHODS: We evaluated IYG-Tech using a randomized, two-arm nested design among 19 schools in a large, urban school district in southeast Texas (20 schools were originally randomized). The target population was English-speaking eighth-grade students who were followed into the ninth grade. The final analytic sample included 1,374 students. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to test for differences in sexual initiation between intervention and control students, while adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, time between measures, and family structure. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the delay of sexual activity or in any other sexual behavior between intervention and control students. However, there were significant positive between-group differences for psychosocial variables related to STI and condom knowledge, attitudes about abstinence, condom use self-efficacy, and perceived norms about sex. Post hoc analyses conducted among intervention students revealed some significant associations: "full exposure" (completion of all 13 lessons) and "mid-exposure" (5-8 lessons) students were less likely than "low exposure" (1-4 lessons) students to initiate sex. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, our findings indicate that IYG-Tech impacts some determinants of sexual behavior, and that additional efficacy evaluation with full intervention exposure may be warranted.
Authors: Susan R Tortolero; Christine M Markham; Melissa Fleschler Peskin; Ross Shegog; Robert C Addy; S Liliana Escobar-Chaves; Elizabeth R Baumler Journal: J Adolesc Health Date: 2009-08-18 Impact factor: 5.012
Authors: Laura Kann; Steve Kinchen; Shari L Shanklin; Katherine H Flint; Joseph Kawkins; William A Harris; Richard Lowry; Emily O'Malley Olsen; Tim McManus; David Chyen; Lisa Whittle; Eboni Taylor; Zewditu Demissie; Nancy Brener; Jemekia Thornton; John Moore; Stephanie Zaza Journal: MMWR Suppl Date: 2014-06-13
Authors: Melissa F Peskin; Karin K Coyle; Pamela M Anderson; B A Laris; Jill R Glassman; Heather M Franks; Melanie A Thiel; Susan C Potter; Tracy Unti; Sharon Edwards; Kimberly Johnson-Baker; Paula M Cuccaro; Pamela Diamond; Christine M Markham; Ross Shegog; Elizabeth R Baumler; Efrat K Gabay; Susan Tortolero Emery Journal: J Prim Prev Date: 2019-06
Authors: Ross Shegog; Stephanie Craig Rushing; Gwenda Gorman; Cornelia Jessen; Jennifer Torres; Travis L Lane; Amanda Gaston; Taija Koogei Revels; Jennifer Williamson; Melissa F Peskin; Jina D'Cruz; Susan Tortolero; Christine M Markham Journal: J Prim Prev Date: 2017-04
Authors: Reina Evans; Laura Widman; McKenzie N Stokes; Hannah Javidi; Elan C Hope; Julia Brasileiro Journal: JAMA Pediatr Date: 2020-07-01 Impact factor: 16.193
Authors: Lisa B Hightow-Weidman; Kathryn E Muessig; Jose Bauermeister; Chen Zhang; Sara LeGrand Journal: Curr HIV/AIDS Rep Date: 2015-12 Impact factor: 5.071