title: A community-based intervention designed to increase preventive health care seeking among adolescents: the Gonorrhea Community Action Project.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the effectiveness of an intervention designed to increase preventive health care seeking among adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adolescents and young adults aged 12 to 21 years, recruited from community-based organizations in 2 different communities, were randomized into either a 3-session intervention or a control condition. We estimated outcomes from 3-month follow-up data using logistic and ordinary least squares regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Female intervention participants were significantly more likely than female control participants to have scheduled a health care appointment (odds ratio [OR]=3.04), undergone a checkup (OR=2.87), and discussed with friends or family members the importance of undergoing a checkup (OR=4.5). There were no differences between male intervention and male control participants in terms of outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This theory-driven, community-based group intervention significantly increased preventive health care seeking among female adolescents. Further research is needed, however, to identify interventions that will produce successful outcomes among male adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Center for Applied Public Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W 168th St, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10032, USA. nlv1@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Nancy L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: VanDevanter
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Messeri
authors.forename: Susan E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Middlestadt
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bleakley
authors.forename: Cheryl R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Merzel
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hogben
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ledsky
authors.forename: C Kevin
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Malotte
authors.forename: Renee M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Cohall
authors.forename: Thomas L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Gift
authors.forename: Janet S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: St Lawrence
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009519:New York City; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D020377:Self Efficacy; D016896:Treatment Outcome