We Are Here Now: a Multi-level, Multicomponent Sexual and Reproductive Health Intervention for American Indian Youth

NCT ID: NCT03694418

Last Updated: 2025-08-19

Study Results

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Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

453 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2019-05-01

Study Completion Date

2023-11-30

Brief Summary

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N/E is a community-based participatory research (CBPR) multi-level, multi-component sexual and reproductive health (SRH) intervention, constructed on Ecological Systems Theory. N/E is based on Fort Peck tribal members' desire to implement a holistic SRH intervention for American Indian youth. N/E includes: 1) A school-based SRH curriculum called Native Stand, designed to address individual-level factors that lead to sexual risk behaviors; 2) a family-level curriculum called Native Voices, tailored to increase communication between adult family members and youth about SRH topics; 3) a cultural mentoring component at the community level that pairs American Indian youth with adults and elders to discuss traditional American Indian beliefs and practices about SRH; and 4) a mobilizing strategy to activate a multi-sectoral network of youth-servicing organizations at the systems level in Fort Peck to coordinate SRH services for American Indian youth. The overarching aim of this proposal is to refine, tailor, and finalize the components of N/E and evaluate its efficacy. We will use a cluster-randomized stepped-wedge design (SWD), in which 5 schools that American Indian youth from Fort Peck attend are the clusters to be randomized into the intervention 1 at a time, with all schools eventually being randomized to the intervention. The 5 schools are located in separate communities, mitigating the potential for cross-contamination. N/E is a 5-year study involving 456 14- to 18-year-old American Indian youth.

Detailed Description

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N/E is a community-based participatory research (CBPR) multi-level, multi-component sexual and reproductive health (SRH) intervention, constructed on Ecological Systems Theory. N/E is based on Fort Peck tribal members' desire to implement a holistic SRH intervention for American Indian youth. N/E includes: 1) A school-based SRH curriculum called Native Stand, designed to address individual-level factors that lead to sexual risk behaviors; 2) a family-level curriculum called Native Voices, tailored to increase communication between adult family members and youth about SRH topics; 3) a cultural mentoring component at the community level that pairs American Indian youth with adults and elders to discuss traditional American Indian beliefs and practices about SRH; and 4) a mobilizing strategy to activate a multi-sectoral network of youth-servicing organizations at the systems level in Fort Peck to coordinate SRH services for American Indian youth. The overarching aim of this proposal is to refine, tailor, and finalize the components of N/E and evaluate its efficacy. We will use a cluster-randomized stepped-wedge design (SWD), in which 5 schools that American Indian youth from Fort Peck attend are the clusters to be randomized into the intervention 1 at a time, with all schools eventually being randomized to the intervention. The 5 schools are located in separate communities, mitigating the potential for cross-contamination. N/E is a 5-year study involving 456 14- to 18-year-old American Indian youth.

Our specific aims are:

AIM 1: Refine, tailor, and finalize the components of N/E. Our community advisory board and the Fort Peck-based and MSU-based research team will design culturally appropriate adaptations for N/E's 4 levels during the first year of the study, based on the analysis of our recently completed qualitative and quantitative research (focus groups, interviews, and surveys), as well as discussions with elders and community stakeholders.

AIM 2: Test the efficacy of N/E for 14- to 18-year-old American Indian youth. Our hypotheses are:

H1: American Indian youth who participate in N/E will demonstrate increased condom use at 3, 9, and 12 months. (12 months will be used in the Primary Outcome analysis; 3 and 9 months will be used in the Secondary Outcomes analysis.) H2: American Indian youth who participate in N/E will demonstrate increased use of other birth control at 3, 9, and 12 months. They also will demonstrate a decrease in sexual risk behaviors as measured by reduced number of sex partners, delayed onset of sexual intercourse, and decreased substance use during sex, at 3, 9, and 12 months. (Secondary Outcomes) H3: N/E parents/legal guardians and youth will demonstrate significantly increased communication about topics related to SRH at 3, 9, and 12 months. American Indian youth who participate in the cultural mentoring program will demonstrate significantly increased understanding of cultural values related to traditional American Indian beliefs regarding SRH at 3, 9, and 12 months. And American Indian youth who participate in N/E will report significantly increased use of SRH services at 3, 9, and 12 months as a result of improved coordination among education, health care, and social service agencies on the Fort Peck Reservation. (Tertiary Outcomes) AIM 3: Evaluate the fidelity and acceptability of N/E. N/E's fidelity and acceptability will be evaluated using qualitative methods, including focus groups, activity logs, and staff field notes and meetings.

Conditions

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Reproductive Behavior Sexual Behavior

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

SEQUENTIAL

Stepped Wedge Design
Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Cluster 1

Cluster 1 is 1 school on the Fort Peck Reservation that will be randomized into the intervention in 2019. Cluster 1 will receive all four levels of the intervention including: 1) A school-based SRH curriculum called Native Stand, designed to address individual-level factors that lead to sexual risk behaviors; 2) a family-level curriculum called Native Voices, tailored to increase communication between adult family members and youth about SRH topics; 3) a cultural mentoring component at the community level that pairs AI youth with adults and elders to discuss traditional AI beliefs and practices about SRH; and 4) a mobilizing strategy to activate a multi-sectoral network of youth-servicing organizations at the systems level in Fort Peck to coordinate SRH services for AI youth.

Group Type OTHER

We are here now: a multi-level, multi-component sexual and reproductive health intervention for American Indian youth

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

N/E will be implemented simultaneously over the 9-month school year. Components include: 1) Individual Level- Native Stand 2) Family Level - Native Voices; 3) Community Level - Cultural mentoring program; and 4) Systems Level. The fourth level of N/E mobilizes the existing Epidemiology Team to enhance the coordination and implementation of SRH services at Fort Peck.

Cluster 2

Cluster 2 includes 1 school on the Fort Peck Reservation that will be randomized in the intervention in 2019-2020. Cluster 2 will receive all four levels of the intervention including: 1) A school-based SRH curriculum called Native Stand, designed to address individual-level factors that lead to sexual risk behaviors; 2) a family-level curriculum called Native Voices, tailored to increase communication between adult family members and youth about SRH topics; 3) a cultural mentoring component at the community level that pairs AI youth with adults and elders to discuss traditional AI beliefs and practices about SRH; and 4) a mobilizing strategy to activate a multi-sectoral network of youth-servicing organizations at the systems level in Fort Peck to coordinate SRH services for AI youth.

Group Type OTHER

We are here now: a multi-level, multi-component sexual and reproductive health intervention for American Indian youth

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

N/E will be implemented simultaneously over the 9-month school year. Components include: 1) Individual Level- Native Stand 2) Family Level - Native Voices; 3) Community Level - Cultural mentoring program; and 4) Systems Level. The fourth level of N/E mobilizes the existing Epidemiology Team to enhance the coordination and implementation of SRH services at Fort Peck.

Cluster 3

Cluster 3 includes 1 school on the Fort Peck reservation that will be randomized into the intervention in 2020-2021. Cluster 3 will receive all four levels of the intervention including: 1) A school-based SRH curriculum called Native Stand, designed to address individual-level factors that lead to sexual risk behaviors; 2) a family-level curriculum called Native Voices, tailored to increase communication between adult family members and youth about SRH topics; 3) a cultural mentoring component at the community level that pairs AI youth with adults and elders to discuss traditional AI beliefs and practices about SRH; and 4) a mobilizing strategy to activate a multi-sectoral network of youth-servicing organizations at the systems level in Fort Peck to coordinate SRH services for AI youth.

Group Type OTHER

We are here now: a multi-level, multi-component sexual and reproductive health intervention for American Indian youth

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

N/E will be implemented simultaneously over the 9-month school year. Components include: 1) Individual Level- Native Stand 2) Family Level - Native Voices; 3) Community Level - Cultural mentoring program; and 4) Systems Level. The fourth level of N/E mobilizes the existing Epidemiology Team to enhance the coordination and implementation of SRH services at Fort Peck.

Cluster 4

Cluster 4 includes 1 school on the Fort Peck reservation that will be randomized into the intervention in 2020-2021. Cluster 4 will receive all four levels of the intervention including: 1) A school-based SRH curriculum called Native Stand, designed to address individual-level factors that lead to sexual risk behaviors; 2) a family-level curriculum called Native Voices, tailored to increase communication between adult family members and youth about SRH topics; 3) a cultural mentoring component at the community level that pairs AI youth with adults and elders to discuss traditional AI beliefs and practices about SRH; and 4) a mobilizing strategy to activate a multi-sectoral network of youth-servicing organizations at the systems level in Fort Peck to coordinate SRH services for AI youth.

Group Type OTHER

We are here now: a multi-level, multi-component sexual and reproductive health intervention for American Indian youth

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

N/E will be implemented simultaneously over the 9-month school year. Components include: 1) Individual Level- Native Stand 2) Family Level - Native Voices; 3) Community Level - Cultural mentoring program; and 4) Systems Level. The fourth level of N/E mobilizes the existing Epidemiology Team to enhance the coordination and implementation of SRH services at Fort Peck.

Cluster 5

Cluster 5 includes 1 school on the Fort Peck reservation that will be randomized into the intervention in 2020-2021. Cluster 4 will receive all four levels of the intervention including: 1) A school-based SRH curriculum called Native Stand, designed to address individual-level factors that lead to sexual risk behaviors; 2) a family-level curriculum called Native Voices, tailored to increase communication between adult family members and youth about SRH topics; 3) a cultural mentoring component at the community level that pairs AI youth with adults and elders to discuss traditional AI beliefs and practices about SRH; and 4) a mobilizing strategy to activate a multi-sectoral network of youth-servicing organizations at the systems level in Fort Peck to coordinate SRH services for AI youth.

Group Type OTHER

We are here now: a multi-level, multi-component sexual and reproductive health intervention for American Indian youth

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

N/E will be implemented simultaneously over the 9-month school year. Components include: 1) Individual Level- Native Stand 2) Family Level - Native Voices; 3) Community Level - Cultural mentoring program; and 4) Systems Level. The fourth level of N/E mobilizes the existing Epidemiology Team to enhance the coordination and implementation of SRH services at Fort Peck.

Interventions

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We are here now: a multi-level, multi-component sexual and reproductive health intervention for American Indian youth

N/E will be implemented simultaneously over the 9-month school year. Components include: 1) Individual Level- Native Stand 2) Family Level - Native Voices; 3) Community Level - Cultural mentoring program; and 4) Systems Level. The fourth level of N/E mobilizes the existing Epidemiology Team to enhance the coordination and implementation of SRH services at Fort Peck.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* 14 to 18 years old
* a registered member of a federally recognized tribe or an associate tribal member
* having a medically identified physical or cognitive impairment that would impede their understanding of and participation in the educational content and activities of Native Stand, Native Voices, and the cultural mentoring program.

Exclusion Criteria

* For inclusion in the systems-level component of the intervention, only those staff members who sit on the Epi Team as representatives of their respective agencies are eligible.
Minimum Eligible Age

14 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Northern Arizona University

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Fort Peck Community College

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role collaborator

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

Montana State University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Elizabeth Rink

Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Elizabeth L Rink, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Montana State University

Locations

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Montana State University

Bozeman, Montana, United States

Site Status

Fort PeckCommunity College

Poplar, Montana, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Anastario M, Rink E, Firemoon P, Carnegie N, Johnson O, Peterson M, Rodriguez AM. Evidence of secular trends during the COVID-19 pandemic in a stepped wedge cluster randomized trial examining sexual and reproductive health outcomes among Indigenous youth. Trials. 2023 Apr 1;24(1):248. doi: 10.1186/s13063-023-07223-1.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 37004106 (View on PubMed)

Rink E, Anastario M, Peterson M, FireMoon P, Johnson O, GrowingThunder R, Ricker A, Cox G, Holder S, Baldwin JA. Baseline results from NenUnkUmbi/EdaHiYedo: A randomized clinical trial to improve sexual and reproductive health among American Indian adolescents. J Adolesc. 2023 Jun;95(4):844-859. doi: 10.1002/jad.12158. Epub 2023 Mar 8.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 36890753 (View on PubMed)

Rink E, Firemoon P, Anastario M, Johnson O, GrowingThunder R, Ricker A, Peterson M, Baldwin J. Rationale, Design, and Methods for Nen Unkumbi/Edahiyedo ("We Are Here Now"): A Multi-Level Randomized Controlled Trial to Improve Sexual and Reproductive Health Outcomes in a Northern Plains American Indian Reservation Community. Front Public Health. 2022 Jul 13;10:823228. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.823228. eCollection 2022.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 35910931 (View on PubMed)

Rink E, Knight K, Ellis C, McCormick A, FireMoon P, Held S, Webber E, Adams A. Using Community-Based Participatory Research to Design, Conduct, and Evaluate Randomized Controlled Trials with American Indian Communities. Prev Chronic Dis. 2020 Nov 12;17:E143. doi: 10.5888/pcd17.200099.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 33180688 (View on PubMed)

Provided Documents

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Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Document Type: Informed Consent Form

View Document

Other Identifiers

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R01MD012761

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

R01MD012761

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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