Barcelona 2013
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| Abstract #372 - Information Technologies | ||||
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Session: 17.4: Information Technologies (Parallel) on Monday @ 14.30-16.00 in Mirador Chaired by Ferran Pujol, Rich Wolitski Authors: Presenting Author: Ms. Tonya Prescott - Center for Innovative Public Health Research, United States |
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| Additional Authors: | ||||
| Aim: Adolescent men who have sex with men (AMSM) account for almost 70% of HIV diagnoses among all young people in the United States, and are alone in facing increasing incidence in HIV/AIDS. Furthermore, AMSM are alone in facing increasing incidence of HIV/AIDS - with most transmission occurring through unprotected sex. Nonetheless, the majority of current HIV prevention programs focus primarily on gay, bisexual, and queer (GBQ) adults and heterosexual youth. To that end, we are developing a text-messaging-based HIV-prevention program in the United States specifically for GBQ adolescents, called Guy2Guy (G2G). The content of the G2G program will comprise of six modules, each focused on a specific topic related to health sexual decision-making and HIV preventive behavior (e.g., condom use; abstinence). Content will primarily be tailored on youth sexual experience (i.e., experienced, inexperienced) and developed iteratively from the ground-up to increase saliency for this unique population. This presentation will focus on the development of a text messaging-based intervention, specifically on the initial steps of program development. Topics will include: 1) designing and implementing an online recruitment strategy to reach a diverse group of GBQ youth in the United States; and 2) integrating participant focus group feedback into the development and refinement of program components. | ||||
| Method / Issue: We conducted four focus groups with GBQ adolescent males to confirm program components (e.g., Text Buddy, SOS Tonight) and logistics (e.g., optimal message delivery time, promoting participant safety/ privacy) and relevancy of intended program topics and word choice used. Online focus groups with GBQ (n=75) youth 14-18 years old were conducted in November 2012 and January 2013. Groups were held asynchronously over three consecutive days on a password-protected bulletin board website. Participants were stratified by self-reported sexual experience (i.e., ever had vaginal or anal sex, or never having either type of sex). To inform program component and logistic decisions, two project staff independently reviewed the focus group feedback and compiled program recommendations driven by participant responses. | ||||
| Results / Comments: Participants were successfully recruited online using Facebook and partnering with two LGBT-focused organizations that posted our recruitment advertisement online. A culturally diverse group of participants (e.g., race, ethnicity, age) was purposefully enrolled for both sexually experienced and inexperienced groups. Four groups were conducted: two with sexually inexperienced (n=36), and two with sexually experienced youth (n=39). Focus groups were highly interactive and participants responded to moderator questions while also engaging with one another. The text buddy program component was well received. Ideas to improve the SOS Tonight component were offered. Additional tailoring points for program content (e.g., relationship status) were noted. Based upon participant's feedback, the team decided to schedule program messages so that the message window will vary during the school week and weekends. | ||||
| Discussion: Proposed G2G program components appear to be acceptable and feasible among GBQ youth recruited nationally. Online focus groups are an efficient and effective method of collecting data from a diverse group of young people and obtaining their in-depth feedback on intervention functionality. | ||||
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