Using Media Literacy Education for Adolescent Sexual Health Promotion in Middle School: Randomized Control Trial of Media Aware

Abstract

This study examined the short-term efficacy of Media Aware, a classroom-based media literacy education (MLE) program for improving adolescents’ sexual health outcomes. In a randomized control trial, schools were randomly assigned to the intervention (N = 5 schools) or health promotion control (N = 4 schools) group. Students completed questionnaires at pretest (N = 880 students) and immediate posttest (N = 926 students). The Media Aware program had a significant favorable impact on adolescent outcomes related to sexual health, including increased self-efficacy and intentions to use contraception, if they were to engage in sexual activity; enhanced positive attitudes, self-efficacy, and intentions to communicate about sexual health; decreased acceptance of dating violence and strict gender roles; and increased sexual health knowledge. Program effects were also found for media-related outcomes, including enhanced media deconstruction skills and increased media skepticism. Media deconstruction skills mediated the program’s impact on students’ intentions to communicate with a medical professional about sexual health issues. This study provides support for the use of MLE with adolescents to promote sexual health.

Acknowledgments

We wish to thank the administrators, teachers, and students in the school study sites for their assistance with this project. Many thanks go to Kim Vuong, Margaret Gichane, and Jordan Price for their contributions to the research activities.

Clinical trials registry

http://ichgcp.net/clinical-trials-registry/NCT02359422

Disclosures

The first three authors have a financial interest in the sale of the Media Aware program for research and prevention purposes to disclose. However, data collection for the study was completed by independent contractors, and statistical analyses were conducted by the fourth author, all without a financial interest in the program to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

Research reported in this paper was supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under award number R44HD061193 to the first author. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.