The effects of a computer-based pregnancy, STD, and HIV prevention intervention: a nine-school trial.
A computer-based intervention was designed to change perceived threat, perceived efficacy, attitudes, and knowledge regarding pregnancy, STD, and HIV prevention in rural adolescents. The intervention, which was guided largely by the extended parallel process model (Witte, 1992), was implemented and evaluated in nine rural high schools using an institutional cycle pretest-posttest control-group design (Campbell & Stanley, 1963; Cook & Campbell, 1979). Eight-hundred eighty-seven ninth-graders completed the survey at both points in time. Process evaluation results indicated that the intervention was implemented as intended, and that over 91% of students in the treatment group completed at least one of the six computer-based activities (M = 3.46, SD = 1.44 for those doing at least one activity). Two-way mixed-model repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed that students in the treatment group outperformed students in the control group on knowledge, condom self-efficacy, attitude toward waiting to have sex, and perceived susceptibility to HIV. These results suggest that computer-based programs may be a cost-effective and easily replicable means of providing teens with basic information and skills necessary to prevent pregnancy, STDs, and HIV.
Roberto
Anthony J
AJ
School of Communication, The Ohio State University, OH 43210, USA. roberto.14@osu.edu
Zimmerman
Rick S
RS
Carlyle
Kellie E
KE
Abner
Erin L
EL
Cupp
Pamela K
PK
Hansen
Gary L
GL
D000293:Adolescent; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012574:Schools; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014481:United States