The Short-Term Effects of a Computer-Based Pregnancy, STD, and HIV Prevention Program

Abstract

A computer- and Internet-based intervention was designed to influence several variables related to the prevention of pregnancy, STDs, and HIV in rural adolescents. Three-hundred and thirty-eight tenth-graders enrolled in two rural public high schools participated in this field experiment. Results indicate that students in the experimental school had greater knowledge, greater condom negotiation efficacy, greater situational efficacy, and more favorable attitudes toward waiting to have sex than students in the control school. In tandem, the 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.

Keywords:

• Computer-Based Program
• HIV Prevention
• Internet-Based Program
• Pregnancy
• Rural Adolescents
• STD

This study was funded by National Institute of Mental Health grant R01 MH16876 awarded to the University of Kentucky, Rick S. Zimmerman, Principal Investigator

Notes

∗In addition to the six main activities, the Web site also contained a “Protect Yourself” page, with information about refusal skills and delaying tactics; an “Inform Yourself” page, with information about five STDs and teen pregnancy; a “Prizes” page, with information about the various prizes students could win by participating; and a “Report Trouble” page, where participants could report any technical difficulties they experienced during the intervention.

^†Percent of students in the experimental group who completed an activity.

‡Rating on a four-point scale; includes ratings only from those in the experimental group who did the activity.

^§Adapted from Hoyle et al. (2002).

^¶Adapted from Barth (1996).

^∥Adapted from Donohew et al. (2000).

^#The Choose Your Own Adventure activity and the Refusal Skill activity were actually two parts of the same activity. This percentage indicates the number of students who did both the CD-ROM and Internet portions of the activity (i.e., additional students may have done just the CD-ROM part of the activity, though there was no way to document this).

∗p < .001, eta² = .18;

^† p < .05, eta² ≥ .01;

‡p = .063, eta² ≈ .01.

Originally, a similar hypothesis was also planned for severity. However, pretest data revealed a ceiling effect for severity (i.e., on a seven-point scale, mean responses were approximately 6.5 in both the experimental and control groups). As there was no room for improvement, the severity hypothesis was dropped. However, it is worth noting that there were no significant differences in the experimental and control schools on severity during either the pretest or the posttest.

Because of the modest nature of the intervention and the short-term nature of this study, a priori hypotheses regarding behavior change did not seem warranted. However, the survey did contain behavior measures regarding initiation of sexual activity and condom use at last intercourse. The initiation of sexual activity item asked: “Have you ever had sexual intercourse (‘going all the way’ or vaginal sex)?” The condom use at last intercourse item asked “The last time you had sexual intercourse did you (or your partner) use a condom?” The response categories in both cases were “yes” and “no.” Logistic regression was used to assess the impact of the intervention on the dichotomous behavioral measure. For initiation of sexual activity item, analysis was conducted using only individuals who were not sexually active at Time 1. For condom use at last intercourse, analysis was conducted using only individuals who were sexually active by Time 2. Results indicate there were no significant differences between the experimental and control schools on either variable.

Results from the current study were consistent with or better than those obtained from the formative evaluation. Specifically, 98.1% of those taking part in this study indicated that they had regular access to the Internet at home (80.2%), at a friend's home (87.2%), or at school (92.1%). Further, 96.2% of those taking part in this study had regular access to a CD-ROM drive at home (85.7%), at a friend's home (86.1%), or at school (86.9%).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Anthony J. Roberto

Anthony Roberto (PhD, Michigan State University, 1995) is an assistant professor in the School of Communication at The Ohio State University.

Kellie E. Carlyle

Kellie Carlyle (PhD, The Ohio State University, 2007) is an assistant professor in the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication at Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.

Rick S. Zimmerman

Rick Zimmerman (PhD, University of Wisconsin, 1983) is a professor

Erin L. Abner

Erin Abner (MA, University of Kentucky) is a project manager

Pamela K. Cupp

Pamela Cupp (PhD, University of Kentucky) is a project director in the Department of Communication, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY.

Gary L. Hansen

Gary Hansen (PhD, Iowa State University, 1978) is a professor and chair of the Department of Community and Leadership Development at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY.