title: The effect of an Internet-based intervention designed to reduce HIV/AIDS sexual risk among Mexican adolescents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of an Internet-based intervention to reduce sexual risk behaviors and increase resilience to sexual risk behaviors among Mexican adolescents, a key HIV/AIDS risk group.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study had a quasi-experimental design with single-stage cluster sampling. Participants ages 14-17 were stratified by gender and randomly assigned to either receive intervention "Connect" (which included face-to-face and Internet-based sessions designed to reduce sexual risk behaviors and increase resilience to sexual risk) or control (a general educational video on reducing health risks). A total of 9 survey instruments were administered online through SurveyMonkey pre- and post-intervention to assess changes in sexual risk and protective factors as well as two outcomes of interest: risky sexual behaviors and resilience. Pearson correlation assessed instrument reliability while multivariable linear regression models assessed two study hypotheses: (1) the effect of the intervention on sexual behavior and resilience is mediated by adolescent age, gender, and sexual experience and (2) risk and protective factors are mediators between the intervention and sexual behavior.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sample was composed of 193 adolescents between 14 and 17 years old (n = 96 in the control group and n = 97 in the experimental group). Survey instruments were reliable. Age was associated with pre-to-post test changes in sexual resilience (β = -6.10, p = .019), which partially mediated the effect of the intervention on sexual resilience (β = 5.70, p = .034). Social support was associated with pre-to-post test changes in risky sexual behavior (β = -0.17, p = .039).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intervention "Connect" was independently associated with improved self-reported resilience to risky sexual behaviors, though not with a reduction in those behaviors in multivariate analyses. This is the first Internet-based intervention designed to reduce HIV/AIDS sexual risk among Mexican adolescents.
authors: a School of Health Sciences , Universidad Autónoma del Carmen , Av. Concordia Núm. 4 Col. Benito Juárez, Ciudad del Carmen , Campeche C.P. 24180 , Mexico.
authors: Lubia Del Carmen
authors: Ldel C
authors: Castillo-Arcos
authors: b School of Nursing, Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ciencias de la Salud , Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, UANL, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, UANL , Av. Universidad S/N, Ciudad Universitaria, San Nicolás de los Garza , Nuevo León C.P. 66451 , Mexico.
authors: Raquel Alicia
authors: RA
authors: Benavides-Torres
authors: c School of Psychology, Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ciencias de la Salud , Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, UANL, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, UANL ., Av. Universidad S/N, Ciudad Universitaria, San Nicolás de los Garza , Nuevo León C.P. 66451 , Mexico.
authors: Fuensanta
authors: F
authors: López-Rosales
authors: b School of Nursing, Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ciencias de la Salud , Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, UANL, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, UANL , Av. Universidad S/N, Ciudad Universitaria, San Nicolás de los Garza , Nuevo León C.P. 66451 , Mexico.
authors: Dora Julia
authors: DJ
authors: Onofre-Rodríguez
authors: b School of Nursing, Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ciencias de la Salud , Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, UANL, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, UANL , Av. Universidad S/N, Ciudad Universitaria, San Nicolás de los Garza , Nuevo León C.P. 66451 , Mexico.
authors: Carolina
authors: C
authors: Valdez-Montero
authors: a School of Health Sciences , Universidad Autónoma del Carmen , Av. Concordia Núm. 4 Col. Benito Juárez, Ciudad del Carmen , Campeche C.P. 24180 , Mexico.
authors: Lucely
authors: L
authors: Maas-Góngora
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D047568:Unsafe Sex
keywords: AIDS; Adolescence; HIV; prevention; social behavior