Interventions to Improve Reproductive Health Among Adolescents

NCT ID: NCT04227236

Last Updated: 2025-08-07

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 53 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2019-01-07
• Study Completion Date: 2019-04-17

Brief Summary

The proposed virtual training prototype will provide Making Proud Choices (MPC) facilitator trainees the opportunity to make decisions, build facilitator skills, practice core concepts and enhance self-efficacy with a virtual audience programmed to display a range of behaviors and emotions, simulating a true-to-life experience with immediate feedback. Seventy-two adults who have experience working with adolescents but not with MPC, STI, or pregnancy prevention education will receive MPC training. Participants will be randomly assigned to either: 1) virtual training in the MPC module on condom use n=36), or 2) dfusion/ETR's traditional in-person training in the same module (n=36). Using mixed methods (survey, focus groups, observations), the project will evaluate the virtual training's impact on STI/pregnancy prevention knowledge, teaching efficacy, and teaching skills and its usability, feasibility, and acceptability.

Detailed Description

Dfusion, in partnership with the RAND Corporation, Allen Interactions and Dr. Loretta Jemmott (MPC developer), proposes to develop an online avatar-based virtual training that can make MPC training more accessible while still being as effective as in-person. In this Phase I STTR, we will develop and test a prototype of the online, avatar-based virtual training for activities of MPC and test it with 72 adults who have experience working with adolescents (but not with MPC or any HIV/STI/teen pregnancy risk-reduction program). At random, 36 will receive traditional in-person MPC training, and 36 will receive avatar-based MPC training. The avatar group (n=36) will be compared to the in-person group (n=36) on their STI/pregnancy prevention knowledge, teaching efficacy, and teaching skills.

The scientific premise is that avatar-based virtual training will prepare educators to implement the popular evidence-based MPC as effectively as traditional (and expensive) face-to-face trainings. The specific aims are:

• Aim 1: Develop a prototype for a novel, online avatar-based virtual training for select components of the evidence-based STI/pregnancy risk reduction program Making Proud Choices.
• Aim 2: Using mixed methods (survey, focus groups, observations), evaluate the avatar-based training's preliminary impact on facilitator STI/pregnancy prevention knowledge, teaching efficacy, and teaching skills compared to in-person training, as well as its usability and acceptability.

By developing novel tools/platforms to improve the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based behavioral interventions to prevent STIs/teen pregnancy, this application is in line with the priorities of the NICHD Population Dynamics Branch, which supports reproductive health research on STIs and family planning. If successful, not only will dfusion proceed to Phase II, but the findings could inform other nascent efforts to develop avatar facilitator trainings that could make a range of evidence-based programs more accessible to community-based organizations.

Conditions

Teacher Training

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: OTHER
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

E-based virtual training

Participants in the e-based virtual training (up to 8 participants per session) will be placed at one of eight computers (with headphones), which we estimate will take less time (about 40 minutes), due to the individualized learning and 1:1 nature of the training instead of 1:15. Participants will complete the condom-line up facilitator training module that corresponds to the Making Proud Choices curriculum.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

E-based virtual facilitator training for Making Proud Choices

Intervention Type: OTHER

Participants complete the Making Proud Choices (MPC) facilitator training using an e-based virtual trainer on a computer. Making Proud Choices! (MPC) is an evidence-based pregnancy and HIV/STI risk-reduction program for youth. The facilitator training prepares educators to effectively deliver the MPC curriculum.

In-person training

Participants in-person training will participate in a class with 15-20 participants like the usual MPC training environment. The training will last 1 hour. Like the e-based virtual training, participants will complete the condom-line up facilitator training module that corresponds to the Making Proud Choices curriculum.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

In-person facilitator training for Making Proud Choices

Intervention Type: OTHER

Participants complete the Making Proud Choices (MPC) facilitator training using the standard in-person training method. Making Proud Choices! (MPC) is an evidence-based pregnancy and HIV/STI risk-reduction program for youth. The facilitator training prepares educators to effectively deliver the MPC curriculum.

Interventions

E-based virtual facilitator training for Making Proud Choices

Participants complete the Making Proud Choices (MPC) facilitator training using an e-based virtual trainer on a computer. Making Proud Choices! (MPC) is an evidence-based pregnancy and HIV/STI risk-reduction program for youth. The facilitator training prepares educators to effectively deliver the MPC curriculum.

Intervention Type: OTHER

In-person facilitator training for Making Proud Choices

Participants complete the Making Proud Choices (MPC) facilitator training using the standard in-person training method. Making Proud Choices! (MPC) is an evidence-based pregnancy and HIV/STI risk-reduction program for youth. The facilitator training prepares educators to effectively deliver the MPC curriculum.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• age 21+ and have no prior experience with MPC or providing STI or pregnancy prevention education

Exclusion Criteria

• non-English speaking

• Minimum Eligible Age: 21 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

dfusion Inc

INDUSTRY

Sponsor Role: collaborator

RAND

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Locations

Dfusion, Inc

Scotts Valley, California, United States

Countries

United States

Provided Documents

Document Type: Study Protocol, Statistical Analysis Plan, and Informed Consent Form

View Document

Other Identifiers

1R41HD094406

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: org_study_id

View Link