Evaluation of a media literacy education program for sexual health promotion in older adolescents implemented in Southern universities

Abstract

Objective

This study evaluated a media literacy education program designed for sexual health promotion, Media Aware, in southeastern universities.

Participants

Participants included college students from four universities in the southeastern United States (n = 457).

Methods

Media Aware was implemented on college campuses either in a group setting, one-on-one setting, at a student event, or online only. Media Aware contains four sections on sexual health promotion including on how media messages influence sexual health, gender stereotypes and representations of romantic relationships, sexual violence, substance use, consent, sexual risk behaviors, contraception, STIs, and partner communication.

Results

Results indicated significant changes in intention to visit a healthcare provider for sexual health services, intention to use condoms and other forms of birth control, and awareness of Long Acting Reversible Contraceptives after participation in Media Aware.

Conclusion

Future research should explore how to extend program impacts and use an experimental study design to assess between group differences.

Keywords:

• college students
• health promotion
• media literacy
• Sexual health
• young adults

Acknowledgments

Fact Forward received a grant to support implementation of Media Aware from the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, for Project Reproductive Health Education and Access (RHEA).

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research resented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States and received approval from the IRB of Francis Marion University (Kershner-10-09-2018-002), Solutions IRB (Protocol #2018/08/1), and the IRB of the College of Charleston (2021-02-008).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina Foundation.