Reducing at-risk adolescents' display of risk behavior on a social networking web site: a randomized controlled pilot intervention trial.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether an online intervention reduces references to sex and substance abuse on social networking Web sites among at-risk adolescents.


METHODS
Randomized controlled intervention trial.


METHODS
www.MySpace.com.


METHODS
Self-described 18- to 20-year-olds with public MySpace profiles who met our criteria for being at risk (N = 190). Intervention Single physician e-mail.


METHODS
Web profiles were evaluated for references to sex and substance use and for security settings before and 3 months after the intervention.


RESULTS
Of 190 subjects, 58.4% were male. At baseline, 54.2% of subjects referenced sex and 85.3% referenced substance use on their social networking site profiles. The proportion of profiles in which references decreased to 0 was 13.7% in the intervention group vs 5.3% in the control group for sex (P = .05) and 26.0% vs 22% for substance use (P = .61). The proportion of profiles set to "private" at follow-up was 10.5% in the intervention group and 7.4% in the control group (P = .45). The proportion of profiles in which any of these 3 protective changes were made was 42.1% in the intervention group and 29.5% in the control group (P = .07).


CONCLUSIONS
A brief e-mail intervention using social networking sites shows promise in reducing sexual references in the online profiles of at-risk adolescents. Further study should assess how adolescents view different risk behavior disclosures to promote safe use of the Internet.
Moreno
Megan A
MA
MSEd, Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 600 Highland Ave, CSC H4/444, Madison, WI 53792, USA. mamoreno@pediatrics.wisc.edu
Vanderstoep
Ann
A
Parks
Malcolm R
MR
Zimmerman
Frederick J
FJ
Kurth
Ann
A
Christakis
Dimitri A
DA
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000367:Age Factors; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000379:methods; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D034742:Electronic Mail; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012016:Reference Values; D018570:Risk Assessment; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012737:Sex Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012944:Social Support; D055815:Young Adult